Interview: Julie Tucker
Back in the day you could get your daily dose of "Get Smart" and feel the gray matter increasing. These days it costs you a little bit to have that smarty pants edge. OK, not that much, thanks to SmartsCo co-founder Julie Tucker, a few bucks here, and a few bucks there, and wham-bam, you're a cocktail party conversational wizard.
Along with her partner, Jennifer Elias, Julie has packaged crucial information about the simple pleasures of life (chocolate, food, wine, sex) into decks you can buy, read, and then regurgitate at parties like so:
Person you want to impress (PYWI): Isn't intriguing how the matrilineal progression of Sri Lankin prime ministers seems to be threatened by Britney Spear's influence on femal career ambition in the country?
You: How interesting! Did you know that Julia Child once worked for the OSS, a predecessor to the CIA, in Sri Lanka and China. This is where she met her future husband,Paul Child. They later moved to Paris where—to the delight of food lovers throughout the world—Julia’s passion for the culinary arts was kindled. At the age of 37 she enrolled in the Cordon Bleu academy, and the rest, as they say, is history.
PYWI:
We should date! OR: You're Hired!
We're telling you, with an SFist style approach, and SmartsCo style knowledge, you'll go places. Fast.
Name
Julie Tucker
Introduce yourself in one sentence
Hey there. My name’s Julie and I’m honestly a Bay Area native.
Age and Occupation
36, Co-Publisher SmartsCo
Home Town
Moraga, CA (that’s that little town just east of the Caldecott tunnel)
How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where?
Other than a stints in Washington DC (pursuing a career in politics – got disillusioned) and St. Louis (grad school), I’ve spent my entire adult life in SF. Have lived in “TenderNob”, Cole Valley, Ft. Mason, and now am enjoying Russian Hill, which I love – great shops and restaurants and easy access to most of the city.
Favorite website
Since I don’t have cable, I watch the Daily Show on www.comedycentral.com
Favorite local business
wishingfish.com or SFMOMA Museum Store
What I'm currently reading
The New Yorker. Also reading Brian Green’s The Fabric of the Cosmos .
Best Deal in San Francisco
Buying a bottle of wine at Amphora Wine Merchant(Hayes & Gough) at retail and enjoying it in the garden in the back. They’ll give you a glass and you just come back to get your refill.
Favorite mode of transportation
Walking
Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Train
Favorite local hangout
Not sure if it’s exactly a “hangout”, but I pass free time at the Commonwealth Club www.commonwealthclub.org – INFORUM group is fun and interesting
SF has the BEST:
Hills
You've never lived in SF until:
You’ve sailed on the Bay
Favorite Bay area politician of past or present:
Dianne Feinstein
You can tell someone is a local here IF:
Even on one of those 3 blistering hot days a year, you’re sure to always carry a sweater, just in case the fog rolls in.
SF would be soooo much better if only:
Had better public transportation
Best Restaurant:
Destino www.destinosf.com
Best movie scene filmed in or about SF:
Vertigo – the lighthouse scene.
Favorite artist to come out of the bay area:
Michael Osborne
Favorite author to come out of the bay area:
Michael Chabon
Place you always tell visitors to check out:
If you’re going wine tasting, go to off the bean path places in Russian River Valley. One of my favorites is J Wine (www.jwine.com
Favorite Bridge in the area:
Gotta go with westbound on the Bay – you always feel happy seeing that gorgeous view coming back in the city.
You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Grab a sandwich and go hiking along the coast in the Presidio.
I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist:
A job. A pretty bad one, but I met my SmartsCo co-founder, Jennifer Elias through my friend John who worked there, so I guess it worked out after all.
Tell us a San Francisco Story:
I once shared a Super Shuttle with a large Mormon family from Utah who all seemed a bit nervous coming to the big City – perhaps justifiably so. While driving through Tenderloin we were stopped by a fellow standing in the middle of the street, super high on something who proceeded to drop his trousers, raise his arms in the air, and scream at the top of his lungs. The only two people in the van who found humor in the situation were the driver and myself.
Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview:
To you, what are life’s greatest pleasures? Other than wine, food, sex and chocolate?
Jelly beans. Do you think anyone would be interested in JellyBeanSmarts?