Finally! An interview subject who provides both a use for left over super nachos AND a recipe for tortilla soup. Even after the exhaustive interview process, SFist was left wondering what Merkley has against El Castillito, since we maintain their food is both tasty and a good value. But we digress.

Merkley is an artist who rolls with rock stars of all kinds. In fact, he's part of the creative force known as bing ji ling. Despite his resemblance to another well-known Bay Area dweller, Merkley doesn't rely on his good looks alone. Nope, he's banking on the fact that when -- not if -- Gavin Newsom becomes president, that he can take him. Knowing that you could, if necessary, beat a future leader of the free world in a battle of brawn (if not wits) creates an enormous amount of confidence for Merkley. We'll admit, SFist is a little jealous, we've never been in a fight, but we don't think we could take anyone, let alone MR. GAVIN NEWSOME!! Merkley's got some great stories, so make sure to read the rest of the interview after the jump.