SPOTLIGHT GAVIN NEWSOM: Under The Bridge

WORDS BY DANIEL HEIMPEL

San Francisco’s mayor, Gavin Newsom, dreamily conjures up a perfect day’s date in California’s cultural capital.

Gavin Newsom, the 37-year-old Mayor of San Francisco, is a man beloved in his city. Approval ratings reached as high as 69% last year and they continue to float at about 60%. The Mayor’s appeal lies in his unfaltering devotion to the city he governs.

His dedication to his job leaves him little time to enjoy all the wonders of this unique metropolis, but for one hour in the midst of a day filled with meetings and handshakes, the Mayor takes the opportunity to relax and describe his favorite destinations in San Francisco.

“Where would I take a lady on a San Francisco date?” he laughs.

“I haven’t had a chance to do that in years!”

This fourth-generation San Franciscan, Giants fan and gourmand appreciates all the things that give this town its spark: the Pacific breaking against the North American plate at Ocean Beach; the green Presidio; the rigid skyscrapers; and watching a baseball jet over the left-field bleachers and out of SBC Park into the bay.

“A whole day? Okay I’ve got it. You start at Crissy Field.” The one-time landing strip now boasts a waterfront pathway and a wide field of green. “Go there early with the fog and the seagulls and start walking. Wear a jacket because it can be cold. Then you walk up into the Presidio and all the way over to the Marina… It is the most spectacular setting in the whole country.”

Sidling up to the strong legs of the Golden Gate Bridge, offering views of the bay, green Marin County and off into the Pacific, the Presidio served as a military installation from 1776 to 1994 under Spain, Mexico and the US. In 1994, the lush parks and military structures became a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

“For a casual lunch, go to Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Shop (566 Columbus St) in North Beach,” he continues. “I know exactly what I would get—a foccacia sandwich. You can sit under Saint Peter’s and Paul’s Cathedral at Washington Square.”

The cathedral rises from the square—a small oasis of quiet in the otherwise rambunctious North Beach with its lively bar scene, Italian restaurants and comedy houses.

“Do some shopping on Grant Street. You’ll find the most interesting boutiques without any big chain stores,” he says. He sits back and furrows his brow, thinking up hundreds of suggestions.

City Hall	Tosca	Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Shop

“You have to visit City Hall—see where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married. It has the second-largest dome in the US, bigger than the Capitol dome in Washington.”

The dome, recently renovated, shines in the midst of the wide lawns on either side. A few blocks away, the city’s main artery, Market Street, flows with cable cars and traffic heading to the financial district and the bay to the north.

“You want the best restaurant in town? Go to Michael Mina (335 Powell) right on Union Square. And if you want to impress a date, you’ve got to go to the Redwood Room in the Clift Hotel (495 Geary St). Or you could try Jack Falstaff (598 Second St) for dinner,” Newsom adds. Jack Falstaff is the newest addition to the PlumpJack family and a restaurant of which the Mayor is very proud.

“Despite his busy schedule he has been here seven or eight times since the place opened five weeks ago,” says head chef James Ormsby. The inside of the restaurant looks like a sound studio, with green, suede-cushioned walls muffling the sound of diners crowding 80 tables.

For after dinner, Newsom suggests Tosca (242 Columbus Ave) in North Beach. The old wood bar has long been a haven for politicos and celebrities. “You’ll see stars like Sean Penn, Winona Ryder, Ashley Judd and Francis Ford Coppola,” he says.

When asked if he can ever have a day like this, the Mayor shoots back, “Are you crazy?” He pulls a small yellow rectangle of stapled papers from his breast pocket and flicks through it. It is his schedule, packed with seven or more meetings a day .

He is off to Chinatown, the oldest in America he will tell you, for two more press conferences. The red awnings and electronic vendors huddle the narrow streets of Chinatown, all incredibly crammed together on the steep hill behind Union Square. It doesn’t look like he will have time for Michael Mina but maybe he will dip into Tosca for a well-deserved glass of Burgundy.

But even the Mayor has to concede that his description of San Francisco “just scratches the surface. There’s so much more to this city. It’s the greatest on earth!”

©Images courtesy of www.sfbayshop.com