Interview: Jennifer Elias
SFist has always believed that San Francisco is stuffed with both the coolest and the smartest people to be found anywhere. Apparently we were right: smarts are now officially being exported from the Bay; in a cool package, of course.
Enter Jennfier Elias and Julie Tucker (who will be interviewed for SFist this Friday) who have decided to share a little SF coolness with those less fortunate. Turns out that they might have something to teach even the savvy natives. SmartsCo has managed to reduce the essentials of the "Life's Greatest Pleasures" (by which SmartsCo means chocolate, food, sex, and wine, leaving it to you to rank these in order of personal preference)to cute decks of factoid rich cards. Think of it as culcha Cliff Notes for adults. Sorta.
Name
Jennifer Elias
Introduce yourself in one sentence
Hello, my name is Jennifer Elias.
Age and Occupation
38, on the cusp of 39. Co-Publisher and Co-Founder, SmartsCo
Home Town
New York City
How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where?
I first came here during a college summer because there were great deals on PeopleExpress. After spending almost as much time waiting in the airport as I did in SF, I decided to just stay for a semester. I came back for several summers and finally came to live here in 1991, living in many spots in the Mission, Lower Haight, Dolores Park, Noe Valley, and now for quite awhile in the Castro.
Favorite website
Nytimes.com
Favorite local business
Favorite local business! So many I love, and most have to do with food. I love Yamo (great little vegetarian Thai place run by a very cool guy who often shows the movie Shaft while cooking your food).
K and L wines - the best place around to get wine and wine advice in an easy going environment with great prices.
Tokyo Go Go: let's talk excellent fish, excellent décor, excellent drinks.
Green Apple -- even though I haven't been in a while, it warms my soul to know it's here and close by.
Charles Chocolates -- excellent, handcrafted chocolates...all made in SF by a great guy who knows his cacao beans! Available at Bi-Rite and Tower Market.
Our business - SmartsCo -- the best way to learn about life's greatest pleasures...food, wine, sex, chocolate, and more...
What I'm currently Reading
Oblomov, a Russian novel about lazy gentry (at least by page 125). The New Yorker.
Best Deal in San Francisco
The Headlands. It's free, it's across the bridge. You can see a bobcat.
Favorite mode of transportation
Muni muni muni. Well, it used to be bicycles, until I got hit by the Muni. But I don't hold a grudge.
Favorite local hangout
Samovar for tea and great snacks.
Dalva for great drinks, on weekdays.
SF has the BEST:
Weather, park, ocean, sushi, little hidden stairways.
You've never lived in SF until:
You've jumped in the Bay.
Favorite Bay area politician of past or present:
Emperor Norton.
You can tell someone is a local here IF:
They refuse to answer this question.
SF would be soooo much better if only:
Muni went more places, more quickly.
Best Burrito:
La Corneta
Best Restaurant:
Tokyo Go Go
Best movie scene filmed in or about SF:
The final banjo scene in Harold and Maude.
Place you always tell visitors to check out:
Ok, it's corny, but the seals are cool.
Favorite Bridge in the area:
Golden Gate Bridge.
You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Walk out to the beach, through a bunch of neighborhoods in the sunset, and at the end have a great snack at Cajun Pacific -excellent inexpensive Creole food. Take the Muni home.
I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist:
Excellent shared office space with a backyard and great people.
Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview:
Where do you go dancing?