By John Geluardi
San Franciscans donned their hats and spats last night to honor the anniversary of John’s Grill, which has been serving up steaks, martinis and literary intrigue for 100 years.
Outside the restaurant a jazz band played period tunes while San Franciso’s A-listers arrived to pay their respects to the city institution. Former state senate leader John Burton, state Senator Mark Leno and former city mayors Willie Brown and Frank Jordan stopped by to mingle with the city’
John's Grill celebrated its hundredth birthday a few weeks ago, and as a longtime fan of Old San Francisco and the works of Dashiell Hammett, I made sure to help observe the occasion. Hammett figures into the equation because at one point in his magnum opus, "The Maltese Falcon," gumshoe Sam Spade ducks into John's for a quick meal of chops, potatoes and sliced tomatoes before heading to Burlingame on a bum steer. I myself was on the trail of one of the 8-cent martinis the bar would be offering
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