At 401 Mason Street at Geary, in the heart of San Francisco’s theater district, thumps San Francisco’s crown jewel for the blues and southern soul food. Biscuits and Blues earned a grand reputation in merely 12 years among blues fans and musicians as the place to be for an intimate night with the blues.
California publications have raved about the club, including the California Rough Guide that said, “Almost too good to be true. Great food at reasonable prices and the absolute best place to see live music.” Travel and Leisure Magazine said, “A cool vibe permeates throughout…a SF treasure.
Biscuits and Blues CEO Steven Suen answered a few questions about what it takes to have the hippest nightspot in the hippest city on the West Coast.
The Blues Foundation and the Bay Area Blues Society named Biscuits and Blues “America‘s #1 Blues Nightclub.” What sets the club apart from the rest of the pack?
Quality, consistency and a dedication to the blues. Performing musicians see us as a standard for quality and a must on their resume.
How much local fare influences the club’s brand of southern soul food?
Our club’s brand of southern food was developed by Regina Charboneau (popular San Francisco chef and restaurateur) who originally came from the South with a French heritage. She had just last week promoted her book (Regina’s Table at Twin Oaks)of southern cooking and did a round of book signing at Macy’s and Barnes & Noble.
What dish would you recommend?
Our famous Southern Fried Chicken. It is not a special name until you tried it.
Who are some of the notable performers that have graced the club’s stage?
This month we have Charlie Musselwhite and Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers. Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats, James Cotton, John Hammond, Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Henry Butler, Jackie Green, Carlos Santana and many others have appeared here in the past.
For people who only know San Francisco for cable cars and Fisherman’s Wharf, how would you describe the city’s music scene?
These people are mostly tourists visiting San Francisco. There are a fair amount of people who know exactly what they want when it come to blues and jazz. We have many people with various out of state telephone prefixes calling for reservations, even from overseas countries. Most call before they fly over here. We are a landmark and a destination in San Francisco. Blues is known around the world and they come here to Biscuits and Blues for the real blues music. Just like going to Disneyland.
The Web site says, “Blues is our business”, but what other music genres does the club cater to? How far from the blues can people expect?
We are currently offering blues on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Other nights we have Big Band Jazz on Sundays, World Music (e.g. Cuban Jazz, Latin music) on Wednesdays and New Orleans big band jazz/funk on Tuesdays, but they all play a song or two of blues.
What other locations or performers would you recommend to someone visiting or new to San Francisco?
There are other clubs in the city, namely Lou’s Blues, Boom Boom Room and Yoshi’s. The choice is clear when it comes to blues. Biscuits and Blues has the best of all blues.
For reservations, private parties or a schedule of events go to www.biscuitsandblues.com.
