Storied: San Francisco

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S3E45, Part 2: Ike Shehadeh Dec 23, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Ike picks up where he left off in Part 1. After a short time in Davis, he came back to The City and found work in a market at 16th and Mission. He would make sandwiches for himself on the job, and one day, a customer who caught a whiff of what Ike was cooking up asked for a very specific type of sandwich. It was the origins of his now-famous "dirty sauce." Fast-forward a few years through various odd jobs. Ike was at a personal crossroads when he decided to open a breakfast and ice cream place in the Castro that also happened to make sandwiches. Ike's Place was born. Eventually, the sandwiches Ike sold eclipsed all the other products, and expansion was on the horizon. Ike now has more than 50 sandwich shops located in several states. We end this episode with Ike sharing his thoughts on San Francisco in the near future. We recorded this podcast at Ike's Love and Sandwiches in the Tenderloin in November 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E45, Part 1: Ike Shehadeh Dec 21, 2020

Show notes

Ike Shehadeh has pretty much always made sandwiches. In this podcast, the founder of Ike's Love and Sandwiches takes us back to 1968, when his dad arrived in San Francisco from Saudi Arabia. A decade or so later, his dad met his mom, and Ike, the first of a few kids for the couple, was born. He describes what it was like to grow up going to various schools in The City, especially the parts involving playing sports. He enjoyed baseball and soccer, but to learn to take hits in football, Ike started martial arts classes in The Sunset. We end this podcast with Ike explaining the unique living situation he had in college at UC Davis, and how that would later play a significant role in his business. Check back Wednesday for Part 2, when Ike will share the story of his decision to open a little sandwich spot on 16th Street. We recorded this podcast at Ike's Love and Sandwiches in the Tenderloin in November 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E44, Part 2: Libby Truesdell and Brenda Buenviaje Dec 17, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Brenda and Libby pick up right where they left off in Part 1, with the story of their meeting. It involves Delessio Market and Martuni's, two San Francisco spots we love. The bulk of this episode is the story of opening a restaurant in San Francisco that was an almost-immediate smashing success. Brenda's French Soul Food (2007) begat Brenda's Meat and Three (2014) begat Brenda's Oakland (2019). The couple discuss how they have pivoted all three of their restaurants during COVID-19. And we end the podcast with a mental-health check-up. (As a sign of how quickly things took a downturn COVID-wise, there's talk in this episode of the then-recent shutting down of all indoor dining in The City, but outdoor was still allowed. Of course, at the time of publication, we're back to take-out and delivery only.)

Brenda's French Soul Food, open for pickup or delivery every day 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Brenda's Meat and Three, open for pickup or delivery every day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Brenda's Oakland, open for pickup or delivery every day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

We recorded this podcast at Brenda's Meat and Three on Divisadero in November 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E44, Part 1: Brenda Buenviaje and Libby Truesdell Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

Brenda Buenviaje grew up across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. In this podcast, we get to know Brenda and her life/business partner, Libby Truesdell. Brenda describes her mixed heritage (Filipino and Creole, mostly) and shares stories of growing up in southern Louisiana, fishing and foraging, among other things. Libby contrasts her Iowa upbringing with the multifaceted food and culture she was introduced to when she met Brenda. Libby left her home state for various spots on the West Coast when she was 18, eventually ending up in The City in 2005. Brenda also shares the story of how she came to San Francisco. Please join us for Part 2 this Thursday. We recorded this podcast at Brenda's Meat and Three on Divisadero in November 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E43, Part 2: Rodrigo Ehecatl Durán Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Rodrigo picks up where he left off in Part 1. He came back to the Mission to go to middle school at Horace Mann, where he met many of his lifelong friends. He ended up at Lowell High School near Lake Merced and temporarily lost touch with those friends. From there, Rodrigo went to San Diego for college. He explains the influence on his life that came from Carlos Aceituno, a capoeira teacher he met at Mission Cultural Center, and how that affected his decision to go to UCSD. That move led to Rodrigo's time in Brazil, which he talks about extensively in this episode. He ends this podcast with his return to The City and his involvement with Calle 24 and San Francisco's Carnaval and starting his latest project, Real City Ambassadors. We recorded this podcast at the offices of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District in November 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E43, Part 1: Rodrigo Ehecatl Durán Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

Rodrigo Durán's parents come from very different backgrounds. In this episode, the host of Real City Ambassadors shares the stories of his parents' respective moves from Mexico to San Francisco. His dad came to the U.S. from Mexico City after becoming disillusioned with the revolutionary movement in his homeland, ended up in The City, and fell in with low-riders and Central Americans here. Rodrigo's mom is from a small town in Jalisco, and her father came to the U.S. on the Bracero Program. The two met in San Francisco, where Rodrigo and his siblings were born. After a brief time back with family in Mexico, Rodrigo returned to SF, went to school in Chinatown, and got involved in the Aztec dance community through his dad. Rodrigo ends this podcast reflecting on the inclusion he felt from various communities in San Francisco. Please join us for Part 2 this Thursday. We recorded this podcast at the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District office in the Mission in November 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E42, Part 2: Lucia Gonzalez-Ippolito Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Lucia picks up where she left off in Part 1. She dives into her own personal art history, from always drawing as a kid and young adult to eventually attending college at the San Francisco Art Institute. Before that, while at City College, Lucia got her associates in child development and began teaching, something she continues to do to this day.

While at SFAI, she and some fellow students formed the SF Poster Syndicate, a group intended "to bring art and design to many different people's movements in hopes that their message can be heard and seen more loudly."

The story of Lucia getting started painting murals intersects back with her activist mom and Balmy Alley in the Mission. She ends the podcast sharing the stories behind her first mural—"Mission Makeover," in Balmy Alley—and "Women of the Resistance," which she collaborated with the SF Poster Syndicate on. To see the murals, please visit our website.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E42, Part 1: Lucia Gonzalez-Ippolito Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

Lucia Gonzalez-Ippolito is a Mission District fixture.

Her dad, a painter and welder, moved to San Francisco from Merida, Mexico. Her mom, an activist, came from Chicago and worked at China Books on 24th Street. They met in the mid-1980s and Lucia was born shortly after that. She was raised in the Mission mostly by her mother, always surrounded by her parents' activist and artist friends.

Lucia's mom sent her to a private high school up in Napa, which is where Lucia decided to dive into the world of art.

Oh, and there's a short tangent in this episode where we discussed the fabled and sadly extinct $3 burrito.

We recorded this podcast in a courtyard on Balmy Alley in November 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E41, Part 2: Jeremy Fish Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Jeremy picks up where he left off in Part 1, talking about the job he got at a skateboarding company that brought him back to San Francisco after a short time on the road. He goes on to catalog the various places in The City where he has lived, including North Beach, the neighborhood Jeremy calls home to this day. The story of his move to that neighborhood includes tips on how to crack the code of Craigslist apartments. Fast-forward to, well, "now," and Jeremy recounts the stories behind his "Stay Strong" posters, which have been popping up on the fronts of boarded-up bars and also in people's windows all over town for the last eight months. It involves Anchor Brewing and the U.S. Bartenders Guild. He ends this episode talking about the place he's been doing an artist's residency since September—the Doolan-Larson building in the Upper Haight. The residency was made possible with the help of SF Heritage, a rad non-profit working to preserve the history of The City. As mentioned, we recorded this podcast at the Doolan-Larson building at Haight and Ashbury in October 2020. For more info on the building and SF Heritage, go here.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E41, Part 1: Jeremy Fish Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Hip-hop, hills, and art drew Jeremy Fish to San Francisco from 3,000 miles away.

In this episode, the prolific and iconic SF artist traces his family line back to both grandfathers. One worked with his hands to make art; the other was a salesman. Jeremy sees bits of himself in both ancestors.

He was born in Albany, New York, and spent most of his youth in Saratoga Springs. When it came time to go to college (in 1994), not only was The City less expensive than Boston and New York, but Jeremy also had one hell of a trip out here, which he retells in the podcast.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter and Instagram, and check out his website, Silly Pink Bunnies. And check back Thursday for Part 2 to hear more of Jeremy's story.

We recorded this podcast at the Doolan-Larson building at Haight and Ashbury in October 2020. To see some photos of the building, go to our website or follow us on social media.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

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