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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Michael One of our most beautiful traditions in San Francisco until recently was to have lunch at least once a month on the weekend at the restaurant "Chow" at the corner of Market and Church Street. You should know that "Chow" is about 1 mile away from us, and on the way there, you have to cross a murderously steep hill as high as the Matterhorn. The path then leads through Dolores Park, where an indescribable hustle and bustle takes place on the weekends. All social strata of San Francisco gather there in a sometimes slightly rowdy get-together, with marijuana plumes wafting abound.
Most of the time, it was me who urged us to go to Chow, and despite countless visits, during the entire 22 years of our stay in San Francisco, I've only tried two main dishes from the extensive menu so far: I always ordered either the "Chinese Noodles," pasta with an exotic ginger-heavy yellow sauce, or "Spaghetti with Meatballs," the American version of Bolognese. Angelika always had the "Thai Style Noodles," and as an appetizer, we usually had Chinese "Wontons" with an indescribably delicious vinegar sauce and spicy chilis.
Of course, the place always had a rotating selection of the finest microbrew beer on tap. So, at least once a month, usually in bright sunshine, we dragged ourselves over the hill, with Angelika often grumbling loudly. Because we normally don't eat lunch until late, around 3:30 PM on weekends, the asphalt of the surely 40-degree steep sidewalk on the way there was often scorching hot, and our bones often still ached from the gym we had visited shortly before. We happily ate our favorite dishes at Chow, and afterward, we took a small detour via Valencia Street, where Angelika always found something to buy in the little shops, before heading back to our place.
As I said, from our arrival in San Francisco in 1996 until 2019, year in and year out, it was a sacred tradition. But recently, the surprising news came that "Chow" suddenly closed its doors. It also had operated two other branches, one at Golden Gate Park and one in the East Bay, but now all of them are closed. It almost looks like the owner maneuvered them into bankruptcy. What a shame! Now we are left with nothing and without our favorite restaurant, and at our age, we have to find a new one. That's just not fair!
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