Farewell Favorites: Cypress Club

Former Cypress Club, 500 Jackson Street.
AJ Davenport remembers the Cypress Club, a cultural casualty in 2002: "This was a unique environment, full of round, soft curves and lush color - Art Deco meets Fred Flintstone. The room hearkened back to the lush supper clubs of the 1940s and was a favorite of local lawyers, architects and financiers as well as tourists who were sent by concierges from hotels all over the City. The kitchen excelled producing "vertical food." The visual was just as important as the taste. The bar was home to one of the best bar tending teams in San Francisco - Pierre, a laconic, unflappable, French man and Steve, a brash, slick, immensely entertaining American. Don Johnson came to love the Cypress Club during the time he was in the City filming of Nash Bridges. He sat in with the band, ate there, filmed several scenes for the series there, and even gave owner Jon Cunin a walk-on role as a chef. In one episode of the series, Cheech Marin's character follows a woman to the Cypress Club for Nash. The hostess asks him if he would like to wait for a table or would rather be seated immediately on the terrace. The Cypress Club never had a terrace! The jazz trio that played most nights after 8 pm was always gracious about letting people sit in with them. Like Don, I was lucky enough sit in about a month before the place closed. I felt like I had been transported to a dream existence as a singer in the hottest nightclub in town!"

Copyright 2002 Hank Donat
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