Now on Substack: "The Art of the Soufflé"
After a serious health scare and a pandemic-induced hiatus, San Francisco's beloved Cafe Jacqueline—and its charming owner-chef—are both back in business.
Dear Friends,
This week we’re taking a short break from our Spring issue theme, “The Soil Saviors,” (and a short break from the abundant bad news in the world), to celebrate and savor something sweet.
When Jacqueline Margulis — a master chef who is well into her 80s — was struck by a sudden illness, just as the pandemic was hitting the U.S., her long-standing San Francisco restaurant was shuttered after more than 40 years of operation. It felt like the end of an era for Cafe Jacqueline, a restaurant that is every bit as storied as the funky neighborhood where it’s located: North Beach, birthplace of America’s beat generation of radical poets that arose during the 1960s. So we were greatly relieved, and amazed, when we heard that Ms. Margulis had returned to good health — and had reopened her acclaimed restaurant earlier this year. Once again, this tiny cafe—which serves only soufflés, all handmade every night by Jacqueline—is filled with loyal customers, and once again topping the charts with reviewers, who consistently rate it among San Francisco’s “most romantic,” and “best date night” restaurants. That’s no small compliment in a city that offers an embarrassment of riches when it comes to food.
In honor of this unexpected and very welcome turn of events, this week’s feature is “Cafe Jacqueline and the Art of the Soufflé,” a short film by Phoebe Rubin (with accompanying article written by yours truly).
Our Spring Issue will continue through Memorial Day weekend. Each Friday, we add to our collection of stories and podcasts that relate to some aspect of our theme, currently “The Soil Saviors.” Next week, our podcast channel will also have a new episode of our special audio interview series on a very timely topic: how an unorthodox farmer is growing food with a new approach that both generates substantial income and helps save the planet. We're also offering a few stories on other topics, so that there's something for everyone—currently free of charge, and always free of ads. So please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read — or watch, or listen to — within our pages. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Spring 2022: The Soil Saviors
One of biggest influences on our daily lives arises from a fundamental paradox: As the Earth's population continues to grow, its natural resources shrink. Foremost among our dwindling resources is fresh water, and the main resource that water feeds: the world's arable lands. With each passing year, we humans need to get more efficient—and more creative—with how we grow our food. While industrial agriculturists have long tried to do just that, their methods have nearly killed the soil we all depend on.
Fortunately, a brighter path has opened up. From backyard composting and no-till farming to "carbon sequestration," our Spring issue will cover some of the innovators who have arisen to literally save our soil, feed the world, and even slow climate change.
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