New Contributor Interview: Mary Ladd

Name
Mary R. Ladd. Main nickname is Merv.

Introduce yourself in one sentence:

I am an event planner, caterer, and writer living in the Mission with my Literati husband, Oscar Villalon.

Age and Occupation
32 year old writer-event planner-fundraiser-caterer.

Home Town
Born in San Francisco. I was a bun in the oven when my folks got married in Golden Gate Park in 1972. I grew up in Benicia, which should be known to all as the first capitol for our rockin’ state.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where?
Born in SF because my parents met at Glad Tidings Church here. Spent time in Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and Vallejo until 1980, when my family moved to Benicia. They left Vallejo because we were robbed 3 times in less than a year (that includes my 4 year old brother and I having our Big Wheels “borrowed” and never returned), and they wanted my brother and I to go to what they perceived to be better schools.

1991-1995 lived in Berkeley for my undergrad years at Cal. I mainly lived in a sorority on Durant near College. I walked, bussed and BARTed everywhere.

1995 brief stint in Walnut Creek. UGH hated that town for the most part, but my then roomie at the time had a beau from that area so I let her find us a place.

1996 moved to Russian Hill to be as close to work as possible. I was working for a movie and commercial casting agency and was able to eat and drink in the ‘hood often. I loved being close enough to the water, and I joined the Dolphin Club and learned how to swim in the Bay. The Red Devil Lounge was probably my fave bar/hangout at that time.

1998 moved to Benicia to save money, rest and regroup. Yes, I was one of those adults who move home with the parents for a few months.

Late 90s and early 2000s I moved to Palo Alto to work at a dot com dot gone. I lived in a giant mansion/boarding house with 9 other folks. I loved being at the center of Silicon Valley, because I was involved with the Churchill Club and other tech related events and meetings. It was super exciting, and there were always low cost or free parties to hit up. When we all had to move out so our bitchy landlord could make a fortune (renting to veterans), I got a room in a house in East Palo Alto. I wanted to be as close to possible to 101 to commute to SF for cooking school. For safety reasons, I was home as little as possible. By 2002 I moved to Belmont with my then boyfriend b/c we needed a place that was central to SF (for my school) and his work (San Jose until Oops he quit his job like a dumbass). I liked doing hiking and fun food related stuff by driving to the coast but otherwise felt too young to be in Belmont. When that bf and I broke up, I again moved home to Benicia to finish cooking school. When I returned from a Euro trip, I moved to the Mission, where I’ve been for almost 4 years. Things I love about the Mission: cheap eats, excellent produce & bars, fun people, I can practice my Spanish, and there’s a ton of vibrant culture. Things I hate: noise, crime, parking sucks, and there can be sirens and other loud noise that I am probably never going to be used to. I should just get over it, already.

Favorite place to spend time online
Food porn watch, Bloglines, Blogher, craigslist, Google, Gawker, sfgate, sf examiner.

Favorite local business
Philz Coffee. He makes great coffee, and his crew are all friendly, fun and funky.

What I'm currently Reading:
Just finished United States of Arugula. Am 1/3 through a galley of Jane Ganahl’s book, Naked on the Page.

Best Deal in San Francisco
Buying groceries in the Mission. Five days worth of food for under fifteen dollars is totally doable.

Favorite mode of transportation-
Walking. A great way to see everything from places to people. I don’t ever wear headphones b/c I don’t want to get run over or robbed.

Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Creedence Clearwater Revival. Music wise, I sometimes have the taste of a fifty five year old former hippie.

Favorite Bay Area Stereotype, and whether or not you buy into it.
Granola/Hippie. I live it! I do not use styling products for my hair. My deodorant is a mineral rock. I am suspicious of cleaning supplies that are not of the green and natural based variety. If someone tells me they aren’t feeling well, I may start listing the foods and homeopathic remedies they can try. “Have you had Chinese or Thai soups? You need to. The heat and spices will help you get over that cold. Or ginger, you need ginger…”

Favorite local hangout
Latin American Club, baby!

SF has the BEST
Food, restaurants, writers, views, and bars.

You've never lived in SF until…
You’ve seen someone taking a dump on the sidewalk or street. A friend and I used to call the Tenderloin a human zoo because there were so many shit piles everywhere we walked.

Favorite Bay area politician of past or present:
I don’t really have a favorite when it comes to politicians.

Now that Mayor Gavin is single, who are you going to set him up with?
He totally does not need my help in this area. I saw him once a long time ago at Balboa Café with one gorgeous lady sitting on each knee. He has the power to get enough tail and lovin’ already.

You can tell someone is a local here IF
They remember and loved to read Herb Caen’s columns and shudder if someone calls our city “Frisco.”

SF would be soooo much better if only:
We could lower the crime rates and get MUNI and BART to run on time, all the time.

Best Burrito
Taqueria Cancun

Best Restaurant
That’s like asking who my favorite child is. Can’t. Go. There.

Best movie filmed in or about the Bay Area:
Scream, which I have a screen credit (as Merv Ladd) for extras casting. For my first job out of college, I lived in the wine country hotel with the cast and crew of Scream and helped book and select the extras. I love the downtown Healdsburg scenes. I’ve got the behind the scenes dirt on it all and unfortunately turn into an uber geek when I watch the film with people at home, telling them, “Oh that’s supposed to be the highschool, but it’s really a community center because…..”

Favorite artist to come out of the bay area:
Bob Arneson.l

Favorite author to come out of the bay area:
There are far too many to pick just one.

Place you always tell visitors to check out:
Chinatown & North Beach. City Lights Bookstore is but one critical stop.

Favorite Bridge in the area:
Golden Gate, even if it does have a depressing footnote with all those jumpers.

You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Go to the Salvation Army and/or Out of the Closet thrift stores. If a clothing item is more than $5 there, it must be REALLY fabbo for me to consider buying it. I find it relaxing to look at and ponder the stuff there. Of course, I can easily talk myself into spending more on kitchen items like Pyrex containers, platters, bowls, glassware, and more.

I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist:
FOUND: too many jobs & gigs to count, as well as interesting and good food info (where I post as jalapenogrl).

I want all the SFists out there to know:
There’s something for everyone here.

Tell us a San Francisco Story:
I met my husband at the San Francisco Chronicle, where I was an intern for their fantabulous Food section. Our first date was sandwiches, iced tea, and cookies in Yerba Buena Park, on a warm August day. Our second date was a Metreon movie followed by late night eats at Yuet Lee. Third date was walking around Golden Gate Park. We got married in City Hall and I decided we would use gay marriage as a way to get a discount on his ring at the Does Your Father Know? Store in the Castro.

Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview
What’s your typical Monday like?