The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #50507   Message #777144
Posted By: BillR
04-Sep-02 - 07:48 PM
Thread Name: Charley Noble Off to Frisco:9/5
Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to Frisco:9/5
The Bella Union is, alas, no more. I'm told it survived until sometime in the 1980's but I never saw it. I can tell you where it was though. On Washinton St. a couple buildings up (hill) from Kearny. The north side of the street, across from Portsmouth Square. Look for an obviously newer building among the older ones. This is in Chinatown now, but in Gold Rush days Portsmouth Square was the heart of the "city", with the waterfront just across Kearny St. Also, just up Washington on the orhte side of Grant, on the left, is Sam Wo's which may be what your friend meant by Sam Wung's. It's worth looking at in any case. It's a noodle house rather than a fancy Chinese resturant but the food's ok and the atmosphere is bizarre. A friend of my compates it to something out of Blade Runner. It's also famous for having employed the late Edsel Ford Fong, widely known as the rudest waiter in the city. There is (or was) a newspaper article about him posted near the fron door. Anyway, have fun in SF and I expect I'll get to meet you at the chantey sing.

-Bill