Jay was one of those figures that made San Francisco so unique. I remember him from when he opened the "Ground Zero" coffee shop in the incredibly dicey Lower Haight area in 1985.
Fast forward a few years, and there was Jay at a different "ground zero." This one was at his new endeavor , the undeniably Art Deco "Club Deluxe." With the swing-revival gaining steam, Jay was the one leading both the retro and burgeoning craft-cocktail charges throughout the 90's.
His third endeavor was instrumental in the formation of the Thursday Night Social Club. With the opening of a second incredibly beautiful Art Deco bar in an Art Deco apartment building in 1993, the Orbit Room became "home base" for TNSC during its inception in late 1996.
But less about us, and more about Jay. More than just overseeing operations that dispensed magic and dreams, he also was an incredible entertainer. He possessed an impressive voice with all the nuance of a seasoned Sinatra, but at the same time everything was tempered with an air of cantankerousness when he wasn't on stage.
He will be missed by many, and it's good to know that so much of what he gave to San Francisco will keep on giving. I'm sure that he's rubbing heavenly elbows with the other cocktail king of Haight Street, Bruno Mooshei, trading stories, and talking about Sinatra.
Here's the official obituary.
This one is for you, Jay.
Linkey-Loo Robot -
AJC
AJC
