A full night out on the town!
Copenhagen
Written by Michael Frayn, directed by Michael Blakemore
Curran
Theatre
San Francisco, CA
In 1941 the German physicist Werner Heisenberg made a strange trip to
Copenhagen to see his Danish counterpart, Niels Bohr.
They were old
friends and close colleagues, and they had revolutionised atomic physics
in the 1920s with their work tog ether on quantum mechanics and the
uncertainty principle. But now the world had changed, and the two men were
on opposite sides in a world war. The meeting was fraught with danger and
embarrassment, and ended in disaster.
Heisenberg meets Bohr and his wife Margrethe once again to look for the
answers, and to work out, just as they had once worked out the internal
functioning of the atom, how we can ever know why we do what we do.
Jardiniere
300 Grove Street @ Franklin
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 861-5555
Housed
in a beautiful landmark building in San Francisco’s Civic Center area,
Jardinière features the award-winning French-California cuisine of Chef
Traci Des Jardins in the warm, elegant two-story interior designed by
restaurateur/designer, Pat Kuleto. Des Jardins and Kuleto, in their first
venture as partners, opened the restaurant on September 12, 1997, with
well-known Doug Washington in a key role as their general manager. Located
in the former Kimball’s building, Kuleto designed the 135-seat
restaurant to complement Des Jardins’ sensibilities and her wish to
blend “beauty, simplicity, warmth, and the most wonderful flavors I can
create.” Pat Kuleto, renowned for his restaurant designs at such places
as San Francisco’s Boulevard and Farallon, created a dramatic and sexy
but warm and inviting interior. The wood and glass door entrance with its
cocktail glass design and elaborate inlaid marble flooring lead guests
immediately to the oval-shaped mahogany and rare black marble-topped bar
in the center of the restaurant. Thick velvet aubergine drapes show off
the building’s original exposed brick walls and the mahogany columns
throughout glow with tapered rose-colored glass sconces. Guests are then
drawn to the sweeping staircase leading to the upstairs dining mezzanine
that surrounds the central opening overlooking the bar. Above is a
dramatic inverted Champagne glass dome with twinkling lights that remind
diners of bubbles in a Champagne bottle. The draping of the staircase, the
color of rich pewter, seems to continue into the balcony railings, which
are unusually detailed with lit-glass and pewter-colored Champagne buckets
set in the railing’s posts. Jardinière is indeed a place to celebrate -
in addition to Des Jardins’ excellent cuisine, the restaurant features
over 20 wines, Champagnes, and sparkling wines by the glass.
The
restaurant also has a late night menu of light
fare plus a selection of appetizers and entrees from the regular menu at the bar. A jazz trio performs Sunday through Tuesday, providing an entertaining but unobtrusive addition. Jardinière, recently nominated by the James Beard Foundation as one of the country’s best new restaurants, is located at 300 Grove Street on the corner of Franklin.
Not for the Kiddies
Despite the SF police department's "bad kiddies, no club for
you" crackdown, Ruby Skye owner George Karpaty has opened a
see-and-be-seen club for those who are, in his words, "grown up,
make money and dress nice." Like the clientele, every aspect of the
club is detailed, and every detail is maxed-out plush.
Stained-glass portraits circa 1814 highlight the club's decor while
maintaining an old-school flavor (the place once housed the historic
Stagecoach Theatre). The lighting system casts an oceanic effect on the
dance floor--very Cirque du Soliel.
Upstairs Lowdown
The real draw for much of the clientele is away from the dance action.
Upstairs, a private smoking lounge hosts pool tables, leather couches
and a cigar bar. It's the perfect place for patrons to get away from the
noise and engage in "getting to know you" conversation while puffing on
a fatty.