Our city is chock-full of interesting people and wild personalities. Overwhelmed by the coolness? Every week we'll pick one standout local we'd love to be friends with to answer seven essential questions about their life in San Francisco.
The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes is our kind of holiday tradition. It involves four of SF’s beloved drag queens acting out two Christmas episodes of Golden Girls TV show on stage. Yep, it’s just as hilarious as it sounds. You can catch the limited engagement show Dec. 5-22, at The Victoria Theatre in the Mission (insider tip: celebrity guests will be showing up each night for the first week of performances!).
We caught up the the stars, Cookie Dough (Sophia), Matthew Martin (Blanche), Pollo Del Mar (Rose), and Heklina (Dorothy), for an extra fabulous We Wanna Be Friends With Q&A!
1. What neighborhood do you currently call home? Would you ever move or are you happy in your 'hood?
Cookie Dough: Lower Haight. But would consider going back to Glen Park, where I grew up.
Matthew Martin: Lower Haight. Born and raised in SF. Love my neighborhood, but would consider relocating.
Pollo Del Mar: Currently I live in The Excelsior/Mission Terrace area. If I could afford it, I'd live in The Castro or maybe Hayes Valley. I also absolutely LOVE Bernal Heights!!
Heklina: I call the Lower Haight home. I absolutely love my building, and neighborhood, which is a good thing because the rental market is super spooky in SF at the moment. Plus, I have a parking garage, so I guess I’m here to stay.
2. What's your hands-down, absolute favorite thing to eat in SF?
Cookie Dough: Pizza.
Matthew Martin: Veal Piccata at Original Joe’s.
Pollo Del Mar: I absolutely love Chilequiles & pancakes from Mission Kitchen!
Heklina: Pick just one? I worship the almond croissants at La Boulange, and the beef brisket at Sneaky’s Barbecue.
3. What's your perfect night on the town?
Cookie Dough: If not staying in with, then going out to a concert or the theatre with my husband, DJ MC2.
Matthew Martin: Dinner and dancing.
Pollo Del Mar: Dinner at Foreign Cinema followed by making out at Twin Peaks, under the stars, looking out over the city.
Heklina: In the old days it was clubbing until dawn. Now? Dinner with friends, followed by some theater or cabaret is my idea of a perfect night.
4. When you need a low-key afternoon, where do you go for down time?
Cookie Dough: For a walk in different neighborhoods I don't usually visit.
Matthew Martin: San Bruno Mountain.
Pollo Del Mar: I love collecting sand dollars from the beach at the end of Taraval. For some reason, it seems HUNDREDS wash up in that general area.
Heklina: Kabuki Spa is my favorite place to recuperate, reenergize, and renew.
5. What's your favorite place to go on a day trip from the city?
Cookie Dough: The Russian River.
Matthew Martin: Pescadero.
Pollo Del Mar: The Marin Headlands are so cool to me. From the old military installments to the Marine Mammal Center, I love that area!
Heklina: I love to drive down to Half Moon Bay, through Pescardero and up to the redwoods. It’s so close by yet feels like another world!
6. Quick-fire round:
Burrito or Burger?
Cookie Dough: Burger
Matthew Martin: Burger
Pollo Del Mar: Burrito
Heklina: Burger
Presidio or Golden Gate Park?
Cookie Dough: Golden Gate Park
Matthew Martin: Golden Gate Park
Pollo Del Mar: Golden Gate Park
Heklina: Golden Gate Park
BiRite or Mitchell's?
Cookie Dough: Mitchell's
Matthew Martin: Mitchell's
Pollo Del Mar: Mitchell's
Heklina: BiRite!
Bike or MUNI?
Cookie Dough: Bike
Matthew Martin: Muni
Pollo Del Mar: Muni
Heklina: I'll do anything to avoid Muni.
Fort Mason or Dolores Park?
Cookie Dough: Dolores Park
Matthew Martin: Fort Mason
Pollo Del Mar: Dolores Park
Heklina: Dolores Park
The Independent or The Fillmore?
Cookie Dough: The Fillmore
Matthew Martin: The Independent
Pollo Del Mar: The Independent
Heklina: The Fillmore! I've seen so many great shows there. I love The Independent also, but The Fillmore has more history for me.
Baker Beach or Ocean Beach?
Cookie Dough: Ocean Beach
Matthew Martin: Baker Beach
Pollo Del Mar: Ocean Beach
Heklina: Ocean Beach I guess, but I never go to the beach.
7. Three words that describe your life in SF?
Cookie Dough: Three. Generation. Native.
Matthew Martin: Fun. Free. Fabulous.
Pollo Del Mar: Abso-f*cking-lutely Amazing!
Heklina: Busy. Makeup. Hairspray.