🌁 Jazz And Saz At The Black Cat

In today’s news:

I'd always meant to make it to The Black Cat, an intimate basement jazz club in the Tenderloin. I'm mostly on the west side of the city these days. But when I saw that Big Trippin was playing a rare show, I finally went.

Big Trippin is a sort of local jazz supergroup. It consists of Thomas Pridgen on drums, who you may know from his years with The Mars Volta or from back when Howard Wiley's Extra Nappy played Wednesday nights at Madrone. On bass is Giulio Xavier Cetto (aka @thejazzthug). Rounding out the quartet is saxophonist John Palowitch and pianist Javier Santiago. They released their self-titled album in 2024, but the group has only played a few shows since then.

I went solo and arrived early for the first set of the night. The host seated me at my reserved stool at the bar. I browsed the menu and ordered a Sazerac while couples and small groups began trickling in.

I looked around the room before the band started. I liked the lamps and the low lighting, and that there were a few small tables along the side that were specifically "for one." This was clearly a place where people felt comfortable coming alone just to listen.

I chatted with the guy next to me at the bar, who was traveling from Iceland and visiting for a conference. Turns out he was also a drummer. I was surprised and happy that he had decided to come to this particular show.

Then the music started. I think they were playing their self-titled album in order. Between songs, Giulio talked to the crowd. Before "Ahmad," he told a story about Ahmad Jamal and a song called "Arabesque." Then before "Shade," he mentioned "A Shade of Jade" by Joe Henderson. "He walked these streets years ago," he said. These two songs, where the jazz history and the sound on stage came together, were the highlights of the night for me.

I glanced over at my new friend next to me, who was clearly having a great time.

When the first set ended, it was still only 9 p.m. He asked if anything else was going on tonight. We decided to hit Local Edition on a whim. People were swing dancing. We shared a round of drinks and traded stories about travel, and he said he'd show me around if I ever made it to Iceland. An R&B singer took the stage and covered "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." He looked at me and said, "Peak America."

I'd come to The Black Cat solo, but left feeling like I’d made a new friend.

Chef Grégoire Jacquet has been delighting Berkeley residents since 2002, earning a loyal following for his gourmet, housemade dishes like the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, seasonal soups, and the divine potato puffs. Now Grégoire restaurant is bringing the deliciousness to SF.

I stopped by this past Saturday, on day two of Grégoire’s soft opening, hoping to get in early to try those famous potato puffs. Chef Grégoire himself was there managing the line out front and getting his staff ready on the line in back. Inside, the space was bright and clean, with counter seating and a few tables outside for dining. The streamlined menu featured a handful of sandwich options, salads, soups, potato puffs, housemade French fries, and two choices of sweets. I noticed many patrons opting for the fried buttermilk chicken filet with spicy coleslaw on a French roll. I ordered a roasted pumpkin soup ($5.60) and, of course, an order of the potato puffs with housemade garlic aioli ($8.85).

The soup was savory and perfectly seasoned, with rich pumpkin flavor. The absolute star of the show was the potato puffs. Perfectly golden and crispy on the outside yet soft and creamy on the inside. The garlic aioli was slightly tangy and made the perfect accompaniment to the milder potato flavor. These are dangerous in the best way, and I will be coming back to have them again. Next on my list is the fried buttermilk chicken sandwich.

Grégoire’s current posted hours are daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., though popular menu items have been selling out, so go early if you have your heart set on those puffs.

After a holiday full of rain and power outages, this January week was beautiful. The sun was out, the 49ers were playing the Seahawks, the bars along Haight Street were packed, and the Deadheads were out in full force. As the news of Bob Weir's passing spread through the city, accounts like @sanfranciscosdead organized gatherings on Haight Street.

On Saturday, January 17, the Deadheads gathered once again in front of Love on Haight as Scott Guberman & Friends set up on the sidewalk. Some carried flowers and stopped by 710 Ashbury on the way.

The band began to play, part of a series of impromptu memorials. Gray-haired men in tie-dye shirts stood next to young people who'd discovered the Dead through their parents. The crowd started small, but gradually grew until it spilled into the street. At first people were standing still and watching. Later, they were swaying, and by dark they were dancing in the street.

Just last August, Weir performed at Golden Gate Park for the Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary celebration. Dead & Company played three nights in what turned out to be their final shows. It’s fitting that his final performance took place in Golden Gate Park, where the Dead played many of their first shows sixty years ago. Saturday's gathering was proof that his memory lives on.

HI NRG, the Clement Street coffee pop-up in the High Treason wine bar space, had DJ Alex M spinning on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can find a SoundCloud mix here for a taste of the music. We made our way through a buzzing crowd at Clement Street Farmers Market to check out the set and grab iced coffees. HI NRG continues to draw long lines of devoted customers, attracted to their sceney atmosphere and consistently excellent drinks. For a deeper dive into their rotating coffee menu, cupping events, and more, check out their Substack.