#brandon restaurants

[thedoubledeckerca]

Welcome to The Guinness Tavern by the Double Decker, a place where you can experience the best of both worlds: the warmth of a good old-fashioned pub, and the sophistication of an upscale bar. We're proud to be one of Brandon's best places to enjoy blended mixed alcoholic drinks, cocktails, wines, and draught beers—and we're even prouder to be serving up delicious food.

[a-very-tired-jew]

So you know what happens to old merch from campaigns and events, right? Like, the NFL makes Super Bowl winner merch of both teams and whoever loses has their corresponding merch donated to other countries. That's why you'll see people in South Asian countries with Eagles Super Bowl Winner shirts from Super Bowl LVII. What do you think is going to happen to the Let's Go Brandon stuff?!

[theworldisyonces]

Beyoncé, at a Paris restaurant (6/23/23). She’s wearing a LaPointe Intarsia feather dress, givenchy sunglasses, and Brandon Blackwood miniKendrick trunk bag.

[carpetcleaningecopower]

Discover the Peaceful Charm of Lithia Springs Park in Brandon, Florida

Lithia Springs Park in Brandon, Florida, offers a serene escape for nature lovers and those looking to unwind from the hustle of city life. Nestled within Brandon, this park combines natural beauty, recreational activities, and historical value, creating a harmonious retreat.

A Natural Haven in Brandon

Lithia Springs Park is famous for its natural spring, the highlight of this scenic location. With its crystal-clear waters, the spring provides a refreshing spot perfect for swimming on a warm day. The park's pristine environment, along with the calming sounds of flowing water, offers a unique peacefulness that's rare in Brandon.

The park's diverse flora showcases Florida's rich biodiversity. Majestic oaks, delicate ferns, and vibrant wildflowers create a vivid display of the region's natural beauty. Walking along the well-maintained trails immerses visitors in the tranquil atmosphere that defines Lithia Springs Park. The varied ecosystem supports wildlife such as squirrels and colorful birds, making each visit distinct.

Activities for Everyone

Lithia Springs Park offers numerous recreational activities for all ages. The picnic areas, equipped with tables and grills, are ideal for family gatherings and relaxing afternoons. Expansive lawns provide space for games and leisure, making it a perfect spot for a day out.

For adventure seekers, the park’s hiking trails are a must-see. These trails wind through different terrains, offering a chance to explore the park’s diverse landscapes and find hidden tranquil spots. Fishing enthusiasts can enjoy the well-stocked waters, promising a peaceful and rewarding experience.

Historical Importance and Community Involvement

Lithia Springs Park holds historical significance for the Brandon community. Dating back to the early 20th century, the spring was a crucial water source for the area. Today, it stands as a reminder of the region's heritage, seamlessly blending the past with the present.

The park also hosts community events and educational programs. Seasonal events, nature walks, and wildlife observation activities enhance the park's appeal, fostering a deeper connection between visitors and nature. Participating in these events highlights the importance of preserving such sanctuaries for future generations.

Lithia Springs Park in Brandon, Florida, is more than just a park; it is a refuge where nature's calmness and community spirit unite. Each visit deepens the appreciation for this serene haven in Brandon's heart. Whether for leisure, adventure, or historical exploration, Lithia Springs Park offers an experience that captivates and rejuvenates the spirit.

[yourfrankiethings]

Hayato, Los Angeles, 2/8/24

entrance – 1320 E 7th St #126, Los Angeles, CA 90021 Hayato is the Japanese restaurant of Chef Brandon Hayato Go, where 7 lucky diners are served at a counter 5 nights a week.   The Kaiseki meal of seafood and vegetables was served by Chef himself with a couple of helpers.  The light wood counter faces the cooking area which has a number of options for finishing the dishes.  Well lit with no…

[demospectator]

The business signage for the Hang Far Low restaurant.  Photograph by Doug Chan (from the collection of the Chinese Historical Society of America)

Hang Far Low - 杏花樓: Banquet Culture Starts Here 

When Thomas Chinn, the first among the co-founders of the Chinese Historical Society of America, sat down with Ruth Teiser for a series of 12 interviews with the Regional Oral History Office, he and his spouse Daisy L. Wong Chinn provided a wide-ranging and fascinating supplement to his book, Bridging the Pacific, San Francisco Chinatown and its People, the first comprehensive account of this major and unique community.

At one point during the interview, Chinn picked up his treasured copy of the 1876 Bishop Directory of Chinese businesses and pointed to the name of one restaurant:  Hang Far Low (杏花樓).

“It was started prior to 1876,” Chinn said of what he asserted was the most sumptuous Chinese restaurant in the West, “and we don’t know how much earlier–maybe five or ten years. It came all the way up and was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire, and it was rebuilt practically in the same location, a door away maybe. In 1930 my wife and I were married there. That was over a half a century after this place was started. Then on our sixtieth wedding anniversary in 1980, which took place last year in June, my wife and I went back to the restaurant and had lunch there to celebrate the occasion. The name has changed; it was sold, as he [the controlling partner] had no descendants who wanted to continue it. He sold it around 1960, and the name is now The Four Seas Restaurant… .”

In that pre-internet era, Chinn lacked easily searchable, digital versions of San Francisco business directories that predated his copy of the 1876 directory.  In fact, the Langley directory of 1868 lists a “Hong Far Low, (Chinese) restaurant” at 713 Dupont (here).

The Langley business directory of 1868 contains a listing for “Hong Far Low, (Chinese) restaurant, 713 Dupont”

“Restaurant- Cigar Factory- Dupont St. San Francisco” c. 1869 - 1892. Photograph by Isaiah West Taber (courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California).  This image shows the pioneer-era restaurant Hang Far Low (杏花樓). The English letter rendering of the name, i.e., “Hang Fer Low” in the sign above the ground floor entry door at 713 Dupont Street was used (subject to publisher typos) from at least 1872 to 1906. The earliest listing of the restaurant may be found in the 1868 Langley directory.

The west side of the 700-block of Dupont Street, c. 1880s.  Photographer unknown.  In spite of the Italian-type name, the cigar company occupying the central storefront of the building was Chinese-owned. Business directories from 1869-1892 listed in the first year a “Colombo & Co., (Chung Lung) manufacturer cigars, 715 Dupont.” Thereafter, however, the cigarmaker was usually listed as the “Colombo & Co., cigar factory, 715 Dupont.”

Moreover, the restaurant’s closure in 1960 did not represent the end of the story. Chef-restauranteur Brandon Jew resisted turning his back on a Grant Avenue building “steeped in Chinatown celebration history.” 145 years after Hang Far Low’s founding, Jew carried on the restaurant tradition in the same post-1906 building with his own popular eatery, Mr. Jiu’s.  As Jew wrote in 2017 for vice.com:  

“Before we renovated this space to become Mister Jiu’s, it was the Four Seas restaurant for about 50 years—hosting weddings, political fundraisers, and red egg ginger parties for the local community—and before that, it was a restaurant called Hang Far Low, which opened in the 1880s. With the shutdown of Four Seas and Empress of China—which closed around that time, too—the neighborhood lost two of the biggest and most historic places to celebrate within Chinatown. For long-established businesses, the competition to stay relevant or to become an institution is increasingly impossible.”

Cropped version of the photo by Carleton Watkins and published as stereo card “3759 Chinese Restaurant, Dupont near Sacramento, San Francisco”  (from the Marilyn Blaisdell Collection / Courtesy of Molly Blaisdell).  The above photo shows an elevated view north to the west side of Dupont Street showing Fook Yuen & Co. at 711 Dupont St., the Hang Far Low restaurant at 713 Dupont St., and Colombo and Co. Manufacturers & Dealers of Cigars, which occupied the ground floor store space at 715 Dupont St. from at least 1869 to 1892.

The “Hang (or Hong) Fer Low” restaurant’s listings in the 1871 and 1878 editions of the Wells Fargo directory of Chinese businesses (courtesy of the Wells Fargo Museum).

“3759 Chinese Restaurant, Dupont near Sacramento, San Francisco” c. 1882 (photograph by Carleton Watkins)

In 1888, The Bancroft Company published A Guide Book to San Francisco, by John S. Hittell, in which the restaurant’s interior space plan was described as follows:

“The Hang Fer Low Restaurant, on Dupont Street, between Clay and Sacramento, is the Delmonico’s of Chinatown. The second floor of this and other leading restaurants is set apart for regular boarders, who pay by the week or month.  The upper floor, for the accommodation of the more wealthy guests, is divided into apartments by movable partitions, curiously carved and lacquered.  The chairs and tables, chandeliers, stained window-panes, and even the cooking utensils used at this restaurant, were nearly all imported from China.  Here dinner parties, costing from $20 to $100 for half a dozen guests, are frequently given by wealthy Chinamen.  When the latter sum is paid, the entire upper floor is set apart for their accommodation, and the dinner sometimes lasts from 2 P. M. till midnight, with intervals between the courses, during which the guests step out to take an airing, or to transact business.”

“Smoking Divan, Chinese Restaurant, Dupont St., San Francisco”  circa 1880′s (Photograph by Carleton Watkins, courtesy of the Bancroft Library).  An altar to the deity Guan Gung (seen at left) and seating alcove in a Hang Far Low dining room, 713 Dupont Street, ca. 1880’s.

“Smoking Divan—Chinese Restaurant [Boudoir Card B3760]” c. 1880′s.  Photograph by Carleton Watkins from the collection of the Bancroft Library.

The above alternative print of the “Smoking Divan” photo by Watkins is significant in at least two respects.  Under magnification, the print more clearly shows the carved inscription on the wooden box in the lower left-hand corner of the image, i.e., the Chinese characters for Hang Far Low (杏花樓).  Although the above image has been cropped to enhance its resolution, the image as cataloged with the Bancroft Library bears the identification as one of Watkins’ “Boudoir Series” of photographs (B3759) as a restaurant on Dupont St. The next number in the series, B3761, was a restaurant on Jackson Street. Thus, the above two photos of the Smoking Divan provide a definitive glimpse of a portion of Hang Far Low’s remarkable interior furnishings. The image of 關公 (canto: “Guan1 Gung1″) appears in the shrine seen in the left portion of the image.

The interior dining rooms attracted other prominent photographers of the day, such as Isaiah West Taber.  

“B5 Chinese Restaurant S.F. Cal.”  Photograph by I.W. Taber (from the collection of the San Francisco Public Library).

The above photograph depicts the same dining room that was the subject of Watkins’ photo of the Smoking Divan, except that Taber’s shot looks down the hallway toward the shrine to the left of the divan.  

Detail from “B5 Chinese Restaurant, S.F. Cal. Photo by I. W. Taber from the collection of the California State Library.  The item on the table in the center of the photo is the same Hang Far Low-branded box which is seen more clearly in the Watkins photo of the Smoking Divan.  

By the end of its first decade or more, San Francisco’s Hang Far Low had gained such notoriety that city residents had dubbed it “The Delmonico’s of the West.” The restaurant’s interior captivated the photographers of that era. 

The Bancroft Library for years has only identified the above photo as an “interior of unidentified Chinese restaurant” c. 1880s. Comparison of this photograph by the Goldsmith Bros. with other copies in private collections indicates that the above photo depicts Hang Far Low’s main dining room. 

 The verso of a copy of the same dining room photo (on an auction website) identifies the “Main Banquet Hall” of the Hang Far Low restaurant shown in the Goldsmith Bros. photo.   

Historian Judy Yung, in her 2006 pictorial book San Francisco Chinatown described about the main dining room as follows:  “The top floor of Hang Far Low Restaurant – replete with inlaid panels, carved screens, and hardwood tables and stools imported from China – was reserved for the Chinese elite and their guests.”  

The exterior elevation of Hang Far Low, and its decorative balconies, continued to fascinate the photographers of that era.  The restaurant appears in numerous photos throughout the latter decades of the 19th century

The Hang Far Low restaurant and its adjacent buildings on the 700-block of Dupont Street, c. 1880.  Photographer unknown.  The vertical white sign 包辦滿漢葷素戲酒席 roughly advertises “banquet arrangements for Manchu and Han meat and vegetarian feasts.”

Another view of the Hang Far Low restaurant and its adjacent buildings, looking northwesterly up the 700-block of Dupont Street, c. 1880.  Photographer unknown.  The vertical white sign 包辦滿漢葷素戲酒席 roughly advertises “banquet arrangements for Manchu and Han meat and vegetarian feasts.”

“3119 Chinese Restaurant, S.F. Cal., c. 1880s.  Photographer unknown.

“Chinese Restaurant Dupont St. and Shops or Stores”  The above photo was taken by Perkins circa 1885 (from the Marilyn Blaisdell Collection /Courtesy of a Private Collector). The southwesterly view of the west side of Dupont St. depicts from left to right Fook Woh & Co. Art Goods, Man Lee & Co. (709 Dupont), Fook Yuen & Co.(711 Dupont). 

The Langley’s San Francisco directories for the years 1879 through 1883 (and probably for the balance of the decade) show both the variety store Man Lee & Co. and the drugstore Fook Yuen & Co. (the signage for which is seen clearly in the above photo), operated next door to the restaurant’s building at the addresses of 709 and 711 Dupont Street, respectively.  (By 1894, other businesses had occupied the 711 Dupont address.)

Hang Far Low Restaurant as viewed from Commercial Street looking at the west side of Dupont Street, c. 1885. Photograph probably by Goldsmith Bros. (from the collection of the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley).

“Chinese Grand Restaurant, S.F., Cal.” c. 1885.  Photograph by Isaiah West Taber (or O.V. Lange?). 

“The Orient Entertaining The Occident –  On the occasion of their annual banquet, the Yinn Yee Kong Sow Society invited the Supervisors of San Francisco and their lady friends to a banquet in the Hong Fer Low restaurant.  From a flashlight by Taber.”  The caption indicates that Isaiah West Taber or an assistant presumably took this photograph using a “flashlight.” (Photography historians will recall that Sylvester M. Williams, a photographer, printer, and Oakland resident, worked for I.W. Taber & Co. from 1877 to 1878.  Williams was known for his pioneering inventions in the field of flash photography, including the Williams Flash Light Apparatus.)

The above photograph of family association members (a branch of the Yee clan?) with members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors provides early evidence that the Chinatown community understood the utility of feeding politicians, even if those same politicians exhibited hostility to the Chinese community.   Perhaps significant, and given the relative lack of ornate decorations seen in other photographs of the Hang Far Low restaurant’s interior, the banquet appears to have been held in a lesser, more utilitarian, dining room.

In 2022, historian and author Roland Hui sent to me this comment about this banquet photo as follows:

“Taber’s flashlight photo showing a dinner gathering of Chinese and city supervisors was probably taken in 1897 since there’s a 2/21/1897 SF Chronicle article on a banquet hosted by the same Yinn Yee Kong Sow. However, I believe they made a typesetting error. It should have been Tinn (or Tin) Yee Kong Sow [ 親義公所; std. canto: “Sun Yee Goong Saw”)], the defense unit of the Four Brothers. Tin Yee was the new name of Mu Tin [(睦親; std. canto: “Mook Tun”] described in Bruce Quan’s book Bitter Roots. [The] [n]ame was changed in 1896.”

The rare shot of diners at a 19th century banquet prompts the question about the dining experience provided by Hang Far Low.  The 1888 Bancroft Company publication, A Guide Book to San Francisco by John S. Hittell, described a typical banquet as follows:

“Among the delicacies served on such occasions are bird’s-nest soup, shark’s fins, Taranaki fungus (which grows on a New Zealand tree), Chinese terrapin, Chinese goose, Chinese quail, fish brains, tender shoots of bamboo, various vegetables strange to American eyes, and arrack (a distilled liquor made of rice); champagne, sherry, oysters, chicken, pigeon, sucking pig, and other solids and liquids familiar to the European palate also find their places at the feast. The tables are decorated with satin screens or hangings on one side, the balconies or smoking-rooms are illuminated by colored lanterns, and Chinese music adds to the charms of the entertainment.”

Balcony of Hang Far Low Restaurant ( c. 1885?).  Photographer unknown (from the collection of the California Historical Society).

In her  travelogue, Bits of Travel At Home, writer Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885) described the façade of the Hang Far Low restaurant as follows:

‘ Hang Fee[sic], Low & Co.’ keep it, and foreigners go there to drink tea. There is a green railed balcony across the front, swinging full of high-colored lanterns, round and square; tablets with Chinese letters on bright grounds are set in panels on the walls ; a huge rhinoceros stands in the centre of the railing : a tree grows out of the rhinoceros's back, and an India-rubber man sits at foot of the tree.  China figures and green bushes in flower-pots are ranged all along the railing.  Nowhere except in the Chinese Empire can there be seen such another gaudy, grotesque housefront.  We make an appointment on the spot to take some of Hang Fee’s tea, on our way to the Chinese Theatre, the next evening . . .

“B 1184 In Chinatown, S.F. Cal.”  c. 1885.  Photograph probably taken by I.W. Taber (from the collection of the California State Library).  The name, Hang Far Low, in Chinese characters (i.e., 杏花樓) is clearly visible on the lantern suspended in the upper left-hand corner of the frame.  

The above two photographs were taken at different times (based on the presence of the deck chair and state of the plantings) from the balcony of the Hang Far Low restaurant, looking north up Dupont Street.  The first photograph evokes the style and perspective of I.W. Taber who took a similar photo from the same balcony and sold prints under the B 1184 serial number.  

The upper balcony of the Woey Sin Low at 808 Dupont appears in the right-hand third of both photos, situated across Dupont and northerly and beyond the intersection of Dupont and Clay Streets (shown at the mid-right part of the photo).  Only horse-drawn wagons can be seen parked at the eastern curb of Dupont which suggests the decade of the 1880’s.  

Close up of the second and third floor balconies of the Hang Far Low restaurant as viewed from the street level.  Photographer unknown (courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California).  The plants on the top floor and the darkened signage above the second floor window to the right of center appear consistent with the I.W. Taber photos of the balcony from the mid-1880′s, suggesting the year of the photo as circa 1885.  The signage for the Colombo & Co. cigar store at 715 Dupont St. is barely visible at the bottom of the print.  

Researchers of pre-1906 Chinatown owe a debt of gratitude to pioneer photographers such as Isaiah West Taber, Carleton Watkins, and others for capturing images of the interiors of the neighborhood’s grand restaurants.  However, the surviving prints or plates left scant information about particular photographs, making the job of identifying restaurant interiors difficult even upon close examination.  

Fortunately for Chinatown historians, Taber apparently took a series of photos of one of Hang Far Low’s mid-level dining rooms from different angles and at different times. Thus, a comparison of several photos provides important clues to identify positively a principal dining room of one of Chinatown’s legendary establishments, Hang Far Low (杏花樓), during the late 1880s.

Chinese Restaurant c. mid-1880s. Photograph by I.W. Taber from the collections of the California Historical Society and the Bancroft Library.

“168 Chinese Restaurant on Dupont St.”  c. mid-1880s. Photograph on card attributed to I.W. Taber.

Close up of “Chinese Restaurant on Dupont St., S.F. Cal.” c. mid-1880s.  Photograph attributed to I.W. Taber.

“4230 Chinese Restaurant, Dupont Street, San Francisco, Cal.” Photograph by I.W. Taber and print bearing a date of April 1, 1889 (from the private collection of Wong Yuen-ming).

Identification of the preceding two photographs of the same dining was only made possible thanks to Taber’s printing photo no. 4230, a detail of what was probably a westside interior wall of the dining room which shows clearly two important clues about its location. Taber took this photograph during the day and without the banquet tablecloths and place settings.  As a result, the Hang Far Low- branded boxes (seen previously in Watkins’ “Smoking Divan” photo) were placed back on at least two tabletops.

Enlargement of “4230 Chinese Restaurant, Dupont Street, San Francisco, Cal.” Photograph by I.W. Taber and print bearing a date of April 1, 1889 (from the private collection of Wong Yuen-ming).

A close inspection of the box in the center of photo no. 4230 reveals the Chinese characters for the Hang Far Low restaurant (from right to left: 杏花 ), as well as the same detail on the panel of the wooden screen seen in the background.

The case for locating the dining room shots at Hang Far Low is further bolstered by the inscription seen in the upper left corner of the wall painting.  

Enlarged detail from “4230 Chinese Restaurant, Dupont Street, San Francisco, Cal.”  Photograph by I.W. Taber and print bearing a date of April 1, 1889 (from the private collection of Wong Yuen-ming).

On the left side of the wall painting the first two characters (read vertically from right to left) are 乙酉 pinyin: “Yiyou”; canto: “Yuht Yau”) indicates, according to the collector Wong Yuen-ming,  the date around which the painting was given to the restaurant, which “might be 1885 or any 60 years before.”  The center or second line of characters appears to read: 杏花大賣場 (lit.: “   “; pinyin: “Xìng huā dà màichǎng”; canto: “Hahng Fah dai mai cheung”).  Assuming that the characters 杏花 refer to the restaurant, Wong surmises that the 大賣場 represents a form of exhortation or wish for Hang Far Low to make money.

Exterior of Hang Far Low (photographer unknown, c. 1894)

By the 1890s, when the above photo was taken (from the west end of Commercial St. looking at the restaurant situated on the west side of Dupont Street), the Colombo & Co. cigar store had departed, and the 715 Dupont Street address in the building had become a gift bazaar. The view of the second floor shows alterations to the façade and arched window frames with more prominent Chinese character signage.  A dozen years later, the building would be destroyed completely in the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906.

Post-earthquake exterior of Hang Far Low restaurant (photographer unknown, c. 1907).  

Chinatown was rebuilt in place after the earthquake and fire, and a new home for the old Hang Far Low restaurant was built in 1907 into which the new restaurant would move at 735 Grant Avenue.  This photo showing the new restaurant was taken from approximately the same location on Commercial Street as shown in pre-1906 photos.  The striking addition of an oriental-style cupola on the roof, and visible from the street, exemplified the architectural flourishes of the new “Oriental City” into which the neighborhood had been transformed.  The availability of “Chop Suey” is prominently advertised by signage on the second floor balcony.  The Hang Far Low sign above the door is seen at left, and it reposes today in the collection of the Chinese Historical Society of America.  The awning of the Hee Jan furnishings store can be seen in the center space of the store frontage at 737 Grant.

“S.F. 76. A view in Chinatown, San Francisco, Cal.” Given the vintage of the signage depicted in the postcard, the painting appears to depict the new post-1906 Chinatown and is itself exemplary of the success of the community’s survival strategy to cater to the tourist trade.

The new banquet dining room of Hang Far Low (c. 1908 by Martin Behrman). The third floor banquet hall of the new Hang Far Low restaurant one year after the construction of the new building admitted plenty of sunlight, but never equaled the opulence of the pre-1906 grand dining room.

“Banquet in San Francisco Chinatown” c.1910.  Photographer unknown (from the Jesse B. Cook Collection at The Bancroft Library).

As is evident from the above photo, purportedly taken in 1910 to honor members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the merchant and other leaders of the Chinese community resumed using Hang Far Low for cultivating influence with public officialdom.

“Common Dining Room” c. 1911. Photograph by Louis J. Stellman (courtesy of the Society of California Pioneers).  

Historian July Yung wrote in her pictorial book San Francisco’s Chinatown (published by the Chinese Historical Society of America) about the post-1906 incarnation of Hang Far Low’s serving Chinatown’s workers as follows:

“The middle floor of Hang Far Low housed the kitchen and served more common fare to Chinese shopkeepers and workers during the day.  Some restaurants offered monthly coupons for meals at different prices.  Cheaper restaurants that served simple rice and noodle dishes were usually located in the basements of buildings.”

A waiter pours tea for a customer in Hang Far Low’s middle floor dining room, c. 1911.  Photograph by Louis J. Stellman (from “Camera Craft – A Photographic Monthly” ed. Sigismund Blumann, vol. XL, no. 1 (January 1933). Stellman took this photograph using a small box camera.  “Another luck shot was in the Hang Far Low restaurant,” Stellman wrote 22 years later.  “Setting my camera on a table I chanced a fifth of a second exposure of a Chinese waiter pouring hot water into a tea bowl.  He was talking at the time but the print shows little movement. “

Photograph of a banquet held in the main dining room of Hang Far Low, circa 1912. (Photographer unknown from the collection of Bruce Quan).  The event was possibly hosted by prominent businessman Lew Hing.

Hang Far Low restaurant looking northwest across Grant Avenue, c. 1917. Photographer unknown from a private collection.  

The 1907 building (designed by architect Albert Pissis) appears a decade later  with additional signage advertising a Restaurant and Tea Garden from the third floor balcony.  A man carrying basket approaches the photographer’s position on the east side of Grant Avenue.  Above the next door entryway at 717 Grant, the American flag shares space with the white sun on sky blue background flag of the six year-old Republic of China, as does the entrance to the Jee Jan store at 737 Grant.

Vertical, neon signage in the daytime for Hang Far Low and Yoke Ball Low restaurants appear prominently in this photograph from 1939 of Grant Avenue’s west side.  The “Yuck Ball Low” restaurant (as listed in the Polks Crocker-Langley directors of 1939 was located at 747 Grant Avenue.

Architectural historian Hongyan Yang writes about Hang Far Low’s building in her upcoming book as follows:

“… The property was owned by Paul Fleury and Leonide Arizerais.  This three-story three-bay building was designed by Albert Pissis and completed in 1907. Among one of the first generation American architects trained in Paris, Pissis was highly influenced by the Baroque and Renaissance traditions, and was actively involved in rebuilding downtown San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.  His design of the Hang Far Low building also consisted of collections of Oriental details and decorations that were commonly employed in the buildings of Chinatown. In addition to the vibrant colors of green and red, the most evident feature was the cupola tower that perched on top of the building. Compared to typical cupola towers found in Renaissance-influenced architecture, Pissis dressed this square copula in an Oriental fashion, accentuated by the red and green color schemes and upturned eave ends to evoke a sense of exoticism associated with a Chinese pagoda tower. Different from the religious pagoda towers in China, the cupola tower kept its western ornamental connotation and was used vertically and scenically in the composition of Oriental architecture, without any adjacency to a monastery and religious significance. Different from the intricate structural system of a Chinese pagoda tower, it featured a much simpler structural system with straight crossed beams and columns. In fact, American architects were keenly aware that these newly constructed buildings with Oriental features like a pagoda tower did not represent traditional Chinese architecture… . “

The west side of the 700 block of Grant Avenue in 1945.  

By Mar 10, 1945, when the above photograph was taken of the view north along the west side of Grant Avenue, a hard awning had been built over the sidewalk fronting the entrance to Hang Far Low restaurant.   The bakery sign in the right of the photo over the woman’s left shoulder was for the old Eastern Bakery which operates today at 720 Grant Avenue.

Nighttime on Grant Avenue during the 1940s, and the heyday of San Francisco as a Navy town.

A waiter (伙記; canto: “fo2 gei3) serves a table of postwar Chinatown businessmen probably in the middle dining room of the Hang Far Low restaurant on February 9, 1946.  Photographer unknown (from the collection of the San Francisco Public Library).   

A postcard of mid-century Grant Avenue.

A 1954 close up of the Hang Far Low awning signage over-hanging Grant Avenue. The sign over the doorway was salvaged and accessioned to the collection of the Chinese Historical Society of America.

The remodeled banquet room for the new Four Seas restaurant.

By 1960, the family of the controlling partner of the Hang Far Low restaurant no longer wished to operate it, and the establishment was sold in 1960 to operate under the new name of Four Seas.  

The legendary eating establishment that had served San Francisco’s Chinatown for a century had come to an end.

The history of Hang Far Low implicates a less examined, but deeper, narrative, wherein the Chinese learned that the banquet halls could serve as tools for civic engagement with the greater San Francisco community and its political institutions. 

In the first quarter of the 21st century, however, banquet culture in SF Chinatown has waned substantially due to a confluence of factors.  Demographic changes, pandemic lockdown and stigmatization, the dispersion of Chinese communities throughout the Bay Area, and the corresponding decline in Chinatown’s role during the era of exclusion and segregation as the principal market and financial hub had all converged to end the 170 year-old institution of the banquet hall in Chinatown.

The building which housed the Hang Far Low and Four Seas restaurants at 731 Grant Avenue, January 5, 2024. (Photograph by Doug Chan).  Since the rebuilding of San Francisco’s Chinatown after the disaster of 1906, the building continues to house the restaurant operations of the highly-rated Mister Jiu’s, a contemporary Chinese American and bar.  The entrance to the modern-day restaurant is located on the west side of the building at 28 Waverly Place.  As almost a metaphor for the reinvention of Chinatown and the restoration of its banquet rooms, the Executive Chef, Brandon Jew, and his team have gradually expanded operations within the building to its remodeled top floor’s “Moongate Lounge.” 

[updated: 2024-1-19]

[flashfuckingflesh]

The Mayflower Brought the Thanks of EVIL Long Ago! "The Last Thanksgiving" reviewed! (Scream Team Releasing / Blu-ray)

The Mayflower Brought the Thanks of EVIL Long Ago! “The Last Thanksgiving” reviewed! (Scream Team Releasing / Blu-ray)

Gobble Up and Chow Down on “The Last Thanksgiving” on Blu-ray! Lisa-Marie Taft is known for being uncompromisingly difficult to be around with her snarky comments and negative attitude.  She’s especially coarse when she has to spend her Thanksgiving holiday working tables at the restaurant, one of the only places open on Thanksgiving.  Stuck with the equally as enthusiastic coworkers, Lisa-Marie…

[theabigailthorn]

I loved Dracula's ex-girlfriend and I love your channel! I wanted to ask you about Alex and his apparent disdain for Fay. Like I understand him resenting her for essentially c0ckblock him in the dessert ordering scene, but he just seems to hate her guts from even before Belladonna show up to the restaurant. Why is that?The movie was amazing and you all look stunning!

I'm so glad you asked because the answer ties into an extremely important job Brandon had in literally the first shot, and he nails it

When the film opens we need the audience to quickly know when and where the story is taking place.

We can see and hear it's a restaurant so we're situated in space but we still need to be situated in time.

The clumsy way to do it would be to have Fay look at a clock and sigh, "Where is she?" But we can do better! Actors are there to serve the text, and Brandon's a great actor so he does it for us!

Alexander's irritated reaction when he flips his notebook shut tells us Fay has been here for a long time i.e. it's late at night.

This is how it looks in the script:

So the reason he dislikes her is she's been sitting here for ages not ordering anything! We set up a little about their relationship, we learn something about Belle (she's late), and we're situated in time.

When Belle finally does arrive Fay orders tap water and a burger - which we can reasonably assume are the cheapest things on the menu. Alexander corrects her: it's not just 'a burger' it's the Oak-smoked California hickory burger, they're not just 'fries' they're organic chipped potatoes twice-cooked in our house spice. Fay asks for ketchup and Alexander is visibly disgusted. We surmise he doesn't think she's classy enough for this restaurant.

[pfhwrittes]

child free!reader thoughts that have been bubbling away in the brain soup document below the cut.

kyle garrick x gn!reader but with appearances from john price, john mactavish, simon riley and the beloathed brandon (who i've shamelessly stolen from @dragonnarrative-writes)

tags/warnings: pregnancy mention right at the end of the fic (not the reader character), fluff, vague allusions to eating at restaurants (non descriptive).

(banner by @/cafekitsune)

child free!reader who has "child free, that means i don't want kids - not even yours!" as the first line on their dating profile.

child free!reader who goes on a date with john price. he's charming, polite and funny. john tells you early doors that he misread your profile but he didn't want to be rude and cancel the date on short notice so he hopes you don't mind sharing a meal with him. you don't mind as he's good company and takes care of the bill like a gentleman and apologises for wasting your time. you part ways amicably and both wish each other well with the dating scene.

child free!reader whose next date is with john mactavish. he says he doesn't mind if you call him johnny. he's good company and makes you laugh so hard that other people in the restaurant look over at your table. you're having a great time but he brings up his flatmate simon an awful lot. you end up gently suggesting that maybe johnny would prefer to take simon out for dinner instead. johnny gapes at you like a fish for a minute before realising, that yeah, he really would. you exchange numbers at the end of the date and ask him to keep you in the loop with how things go with the mysterious simon.

child free!reader who goes on a date with brandon. it's a crap date. he's late, doesn't apologise, presumes you want to head back to his place and gets annoyed when you pull the brakes on the whole thing. brandon then tells you that he doesn't care any way as he has to pick up his kid from their mum's house in the morning. you leave him to foot the bill and call johnny on your way home to complain about how crap the date was and how you should never have agreed to go on a date that your friend vouched for.

child free!reader who goes out to brunch with johnny and simon the following weekend. you spend a good portion of the brunch watching johnny lean up against simon with a little smile on your face and waggle your eyebrows knowingly when simon steps outside to smoke a cigarette. when simon rejoins you both, you tell them how you're considering deleting your dating profile and embracing singledom forever. simon makes you promise to keep your profile for at least another three days which is weirdly specific but you agree.

child free!reader who gets a message on the dating profile from kyle garrick two days later. you're pretty blunt about not wanting kids and how you won't change your mind and neither are you looking for some short term fling. despite that, kyle is friendly, funny and a little bit flirty over messages so you agree to go out on a date with him. he's even prettier in person than in his photos. kyle is flirty without being pushy, asks you questions about your hobbies without prompting, and he admits that it was simon that gave him a gentle push to message you when you explain that a friend stopped you from deleting your profile before agreeing to go on a date with him.

child free!reader who agrees to go on a second date with kyle after he tells you that he got a vasectomy at 21 because he knew even then that he never wanted to be a dad.

child free!reader that messages the group chat you have with simon and johnny absolutely gushing about kyle's eyes, arms and smile. johnny replies with endless eggplant emojis and simon sends a singular thumbs up.

child free!reader that after four fantastic dates (and one mind blowing night together) decides to delete their dating profile after kyle sleepily mumbles into your neck about wanting to be exclusive.

(and a little bonus scene that i just can't scrap)

child free!reader who goes as kyle's plus one to john price's wedding a year later and you both laugh yourselves silly when you tell your boyfriend that you went out on a very nice date with the groom once upon a time. you toast the bride with matching flutes of a non-alcoholic mocktail as she rests her hand on her very pregnant stomach at the sweetheart table she shares with her new husband.

[isaacyellowlahey]

@brandonnoneedlastname

Isaac waited for Brandon close to the parking lot of the restaurant. This was quite strange, he thought. This whole thing was. Maybe this had been a bad idea, but he did want to finally thank the man from saving him, twice. He wouldn't be alive without him. In his mind, he could do more than just food, but at least he would get to know his hero a little more. He only knew his name and how much of a badass he was. That was all.

[oversensitiveandoffputting]

I do hope Season 3 goes a little more into how the Goetia specifically view imps.

We know they’re not literal slaves, but they’re also treated pretty poorly (literally used as furniture) and I doubt they have any kind of labor unions or worker protections. And I don’t think Viv, Brandon, and Alex would ever write a romance story with a slave owner being the titular love interest to an oppressed minority, the whole furniture thing (particularly in the restaurant in Western Energy)…it gives me some pause. You know?

[vynnytypesstuff]

Glad to see another Winx Club fan!

May I please request headcanons for Brandon, Sky, Helia, and Riven reacting to their female S/O (who's normally calm, cool, and collected) kicking major ass against someone who's trying to rob her?

꒰୨୧﹒Winx Club - Sky, Brandon, Helia, and Riven Reacting to Their Female S/O Retaliating Against a Robber

This came out way way WAY later than I intended it to be. My apologies for the wait, it's always busy during this time of the year pfft.

To be honest, I was trying to alter my writing on this one just a tiny bit but it didn't come out as I envisioned, I hope you enjoy though!

Warnings: Minor violence? I leave it extremely vague 

Sky 

As king of Eraklyon, Sky is a natural-born leader who is eager to spring into action during moments of crisis. This is, perhaps, why he’s sometimes prone to jumping to conclusions and making sudden decisions. That’s where his S/O comes in. When he needs it, she helps to keep him grounded and reassess situations. 

The night had been a calm one. With schoolwork/training out of the way, the couple had decided to go on a small date together. Sky was a stickler to classic dates, meaning the two had decided to go out to a local restaurant for dinner. After a night filled with delicious food and light-hearted conversations, they contently left the restaurant to go for a late-night walk around the more secluded areas nearby. The stroll was peaceful for the most part, loving the other's presence as they enjoyed some much-needed downtime, before they heard a voice from behind them shout, holding a sharp weapon towards them and commanding them not to move. 

Sky, always quick to act on a situation, went to step in front of his S/O. However, she was quicker, extending her arm out to prevent him from doing so. The stranger urged them both to hold still as he cautiously paced over to them. Beginning to get a bit too close to his S/O, Sky was about to fend off the stranger when, to his surprise, his S/O grabbed onto the stranger's wrists and shoved them to the ground. 

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), Sky is the most shocked out of the four. When he first met his S/O, she immediately reminded him of Brandon. The two of them were the definition of calm and collected and restrained (a familiarity that could’ve possibly drawn him to her). He genuinely had no idea his S/O could defend herself and he feels a bit naïve for underestimating her. 

By the time his speechless stuttering has ceased, the stranger had already been scrambling off (albeit, barely). He feels proud to have such a capable S/O, though there’s a small part of himself that wishes she still needed his help.

Brandon 

Don't underestimate Brandon's so-called "superficialness" and overly flirtatious tendencies. He's a strategic thinker who rarely acts impulsively. In this way, him and his S/O were similar. Pair them together and the two make for an unstoppable duo.

Brandon and his S/O had been wandering through Solaria's famed shopping district, periodically scurrying from store to store to cover as many stores as they could for their weekly shopping trip. It was a long weekend, so the area was much busier then it usual, meaning trouble could be brewing at any corner. The two had been lucky to avoid any mishaps so far, but their moment of solitude wouldn't last for long. While his S/O was occupied with browsing the items on the shelves, she felt a hand swipe past her pockets and grab a valuable item of hers before bolting towards the store's exit. She quickly disregarded what she was doing and chased after him, Brandon following suite.

There were waves of people outside, causing him to get lost in the crowd. He was growing increasingly worried as he searched for where the robber and his S/O had run off to. Finally, he had managed to locate the pair in a secluded alleyway, where he stumbled upon a bit of an unexpected sight. There they were, his S/O and the one who had robbed her, fighting in an all-out brawl, a loud *slam* resounding as she pinned him to the wall.

Brandon shakes his head as he runs a hand through his hair. He doesn't know why he was so worried. It's not like he assumed that his S/O was helpless. He was aware that she knew how to fight, but he had no idea she packed this much of a punch. He’s even a little intimidated by it, but in a good way.

With the criminal knocked out, Brandon finally speaks. He gives his S/O an amused look, joking about writing himself a reminder to never make her angry. Of course he’s taking the opportunity to throw a bunch of teasing comments, but he’s genuinely impressed.

Helia 

Helia and his S/O seemed so alike that it was uncanny. They were both known to be the mature ones in their respective friend groups, seemingly lacking in temper and aggression. Their extreme levels of patience, temperance, and open-mindedness were unmatched. Due to this, it can be a bit of a shocker to others when they drop the pacifism.

The two had decided to take a daytime stroll through a quaint park outside of Magix City. It was a peaceful day, the warmth of the sun bouncing off their skin as they admired the vibrant outdoor scenery. The pair had taken a pit stop at the edge of a small lake, with Helia wanting to take a quick sketch of it's beauty. As she watched him stroke his pencil across the pages in his sketchbook from a distance, she was caught off-guard when someone wrapped their arms around her waist, pulling her backwards in an attempt to restrain her and reaching for the contents in her pockets.

The lack of talking followed by a string of grunts drew Helia's attention from his sketchbook to the troubled state of his S/O. Though he preferred to avoid fighting, he couldn't help but feel the need to step in and protect her (a likely result of his specialist training), however, she didn't seem to need any protection as she was quick to turn the tables on the robber.

Helia stops in his tracks, simply watching as his S/O lands hit after hit. He was a bit surprised to see his calm and collected S/O go physically all out against this robber, but his shock quickly faded away into an loving sigh. He had always trusted that she would be capable of defending herself when she needed to, and he was glad that his hunch wasn't wrong. In general, he's the quickest to accept her fighting spirit, and it just makes him love her even more.

When his S/O has had her fill, the robber runs off, leaving the two of them alone. Helia double checks to make sure she isn't hurt. Once she reassures him, he chuckles to himself, wrapping an arm around her in affection. 

Riven 

Riven's hot-headed nature was a stark contrast to his S/O's laid-back demeanor. The other specialists couldn't deny that Riven was a blunt guy who had a very direct approach when it came to conflict. Meanwhile, his S/O had an eerie ability to remain calm, even in dire situations. The two appeared to be complete opposites, leaving a number of people to question their relationship (not that they cared for others opinions).

Whilst wandering through the Magix City, Riven had stopped to purchase lunch at a nearby food stall while his S/O stood and waited nearby. She decided to occupy herself, so she reached into her bag to grab her phone. That's when she felt the sudden grasp of a hand on her wrist as a masked stranger attempted to grab her purse.  Seeing no other way out of the situation, she took a step back, taking her free arm and weaving it through the robber's wrists to stop their movements before using her strength to free herself.

Riven, who had come back after realizing he left his wallet in his S/O's purse, caught sight of the fight that was transpiring, at least, if you could even call it a fight considering the fact that one of the figures was losing tremendously. Once he realizes that the winning figure is his S/O, his reaction is a mixed bag. On one hand, he was impressed by her independence and skill. He had seen her train in the past, but that was nothing compared to how she held herself in a real fight.

That being said, there's part of him that can't help but feel a bit insecure. Seeing her in action would make him wonder if she truly needed him or not. After all, she can defend for themself, so does that mean she'd leave him?

He doesn't bring up his insecurity. Instead he walks over to his S/O and silently makes sure they aren't severely injured, all while chewing out the robber that was now laying flat on the ground. After he's calmed down, he applauds his S/O for defending herself. He sounds reluctant in doing this, but he's trying his best.

[theworldisyonces]

Beyoncé, enjoying herself at a Paris restaurant (6/23/23). She’s wearing a LaPointe Intarsia feather dress, givenchy sunglasses, and Brandon Blackwood miniKendrick trunk bag.

[charmixpower]

Valentines for everyone else!! LMAO chdndjd

Bloom/Sky

Okay but really funnily with these two would be the extreme differences in expectations. Sky is royalty so he's expecting to take Bloom to a extremely fancy restaurant and buy her a necklace or something and Bloom is expecting like some flowers

Bloom is getting overwhelmed and Sky is trying to reroute and their first Valentine's is a mess. They usually just hang out for dates so she has no idea where Sky got this idea vs Sky being autistic and being like "ah yes this is where I do the Grand Gesture™ perfect"

After the first one they know what they're doing and just hang out mostly, neither of them like grand gestures all that much

Bloom/Diaspro

These two would start dating in like like s3~s4 so their first Valentine's would be when the Winx are famous and have probably won the peace prize, so like they usually do nice™ dates and shit because Dia wants to and Bloom is just accepting this is her life

Bloom is trying to hard to get thoughtful and meaningful gifts and Diaspro usually gets Bloom jewelry with stone meanings and magic properties that she thinks Bloom will like

Stella/Brandon

Do I even have to say anything, every year it's a bombastic production of declarations of love. They're off being the absolute most ever and I love them for it

Flora/Helia

They probably just exchange flowers and hang out outside and relax in each other's company and that's super cute

Flora/Mirta

Mirta is such a baby girl and always tries her hardest to take Flora out on a good date™ for Valentines even though Flora said it's fine. She's so nervous and awkward but so lovingly earnest and it makes Flora melt

Tecna/Timmy

Listen they both try SO HARD for Valentines day. They try to get the perfect outfit, go on the perfect date, get the perfect gifts. They're dorks. They're trying so hard and are so earnest and excited it's so cute. They're in their own fucking world even worse than Brella tbh. Tecna has made the perfect itinerary for their date!!! Their plans usually fall though but they're still having fun and love it anyways

Aisha/Nabu

Nabu is a classical romantic, and by that I mean he's sheltered and got all his romance advice from books, so he gets Aisha flowers and they go to a lovely dinner and Aisha really appreciates the effort Nabu is putting in. She also grabs him to do a destination hike to some of the magical wonders of the world which Nabu is always fucking STOKED for. Like seeing the planetary core everywhere, it's literally the best thing to him and he always half forgets about his own plans because of how much fun he's having

Aisha/Anne

Anne always drags Aisha out to do something weird for their Valentines dates. The range is wide from stuff like a pottery class to taking a hike next to an active volcano. Anne loves trying everything and Aisha absolutely loves an adventure so they're just trying to find something they haven't done for every year

[tkachuktkaching]

Matthew on the Cam & Strick Podcast

A few things he said

He loves being in Florida & it was his preference out of all the places to go when the trade was going down.

Recapped the trade & how he found out about Johnny Gaudreau's trade just as he got back from his family vacation in Greece.

He gave big praise to brother Brady (unsurprisingly) & his sister for her skills too. He talked and he & Brady got recognised when out in a bar when visiting their sister recently.

He praised Barkov's talent & ability bigtime, his close friend Robert Thomas came in for huge praise as well & he was high on Brandon Montour when he was mentioned by the hosts they interviewed him recently.

His two dreams are to win the Stanley Cup & play with Brady for USA & win Gold together.

If he and Brady were ever to play together it would have to be for team USA or if Brady ever came to Florida because he's not going up there! (to Ottawa) but Brady's a few years from making any decisions about any move but Brady's like a god up there on Ottawa & he (Brady)loves it there.

He said It's sad & a big shame so many of top players haven't played in world cups or Olympics due to lack of opportunities & hopes to be able play in a few in his career.

He's not got his winter clothes from Calgary anymore.

He's looking forward to returning to Calgary when the schedule gives him three days there this next year in January to visit his favourite places for coffee & show off his favourite restaurants.

He's returning to Florida on Friday but he's not driving all that way he's having his car shipped back to Florida.

Big praise for Bill Zito & giving his players everything they need to succeed & for Paul Maurice for helping him become so much a better player & giving him his trust which means a lot to him.

He loves hosting his family & friends at his Florida home.

He tried to not to overstep when he first arrived last year & go with the flow as the new guy but his team mates pushed him to be in a leadership role right away.

Praised everyone, team mates & everyone for helping him settle in so well & feels he's known everyone for 20 years. He's so comfortable in Florida & says he met everyone gradually as they came back in small groups a couple at a time.

He recapped the playoffs and talk about the belief in the room even when they were down v Boston.

He talked about how bad his feet were hurting after the 4x overtime win over Carolina in the playoffs.

Lots of praise for his teammates talking about being surrounding by so much talent in Florida.

He watches practically every game of Brady's, he loves to watch the big games and likes to study certain players mentioning Kucherov.

He's learned he needs to be on the ice & is more valuable on the ice than off & feels he's evolved as a player.

This summer he's worked on PT & Strength & Conditioning & done way more cardio than ever before after recovering after his injury.

He says he's back to 100%

He went to 4 weddings in the off season he was invited to 6 but couldn't go to them all some overlapped with things he had to do.

Talked about the videos of Brady signing Mr Brightside shirtless and the videos that were sneakily taken going viral on SM. Says it's not a true reflection on Brady.

Mentions Brady got more attention than him in the playoffs at Calgary & his dad did last time round!

Talked about his dads 'soft' comments he was more bothered by the timing & being more bothered by how his team were playing at such a vital time with the playoffs on the line. He wasn't upset with his dad & he didn't get a bad reaction from his team. Admits his father was probably right though.

When he got hurt he thought he done his collarbone at first, he stiffened up when being forced to go through concussion protocol. The ovation he got when he came back on the ice, he thought was amazing & meant a lot to him & expresses his appreciation for that.

After the game with his injury he couldn't even wash his body, next day he texted his brother to get him out of bed he was the only one he had at his house at that moment, he even couldn't lift his head due to the pain.

After the game despite the injury. He drove himself home with his sling on! Admitting he knows he probably shouldn't have!!

It was Teddy the head of equipment guy that tied his laces for him ahead of the game he tried to play.

He talked about the Jonathan Quick incident that led to his 2 game suspension refuses to make excuses for his actions but admitted he gets pissed off about goalies bumping into players then losing their minds when players do it back to them. But chalked it up to frustration that boiled over at the end of the game.

His favourite thing to do off ice is play golf & anything he can do that involves being outside he loves & in Calgary he couldn't do anything!

The Elbow Room club also got quite a few mentions, he likes to go out to eat & mentions water skiing but he's still not a boat guy.

Says he used to hate going to the beach when he was younger but now he loves it.