John Waters at the 2009 Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco. Photo by Wendy Goodfriend

One of the reasons why celebrities like cult-film maker John Waters love San Francisco is that the Bay Area tends to not fawn and make a big deal of their presence. The film director, writer, conceptual artist and Pope of Trash Waters may have fallen for our hometown enough to call it home (if only on a part-time basis). Two years ago, he decided to buy a place in Nob Hill, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report by Catherine Bigelow in January this year. Bigelow described Waters first visit to the Jeannette Etheredge owned North Beach watering hole, Tosca. Waters went to Tosca after he attended the 75th anniversary of SFMOMA with artworld-celeb friends who are also his neighbors here. Sightings of Waters have also been documented on the Mission Mission blog--among other places--last year. There are reports on Mission Mission of Waters hanging out at an art show opening party, as well as the Polk Street post office (from Cooking with Amy's Amy Sherman), Borderlands Bookstore, and doing his grocery shopping and riding buses and MUNI are sited.

We don't have any sort of real paparazzi here like the movie hub Southern California (SoCal) does, and instead resort to various ways of noting and communicating encounters and occasional contact with famous types. The bounty of natural beauty, cultural heritage, middling to decent public transportation (which Waters reportedly enjoys using), and of course food culture ranging from street food to California cuisine and white table cloth establishments make the deal of Bay Area living that much sweeter. Northern California is generally a more relaxed environment versus the hustle-bustle-do-you-know-who-I-am? aggression and cheesiness that smacks you in the face constantly in L.A. My first job out of UC Berkeley in the mid-1990s was working for Nancy Hayes Casting, which was then located in Russian Hill. Through that line of work, I was able to work on movie and commercial projects and meet a rash of actors, directors, and related celebrities and creative types in from other parts of the country and world. They often wanted to learn about our city's bookstores (Green Apple and City Lights remained among the go-to spots that they are today), nightclubs (DNA Lounge ring a bell?), restaurants (everything from Perry's to Swan Oyster Depot and Rose Pistola to even the now-thankfully-shuttered Planet Hollywood), hikes, and historical places just like any other visitor, famous or not.

Waters' presence and activities here has been noted frequently in traditional print media, as well as on blogs and other social media including Yelp. He is one famous visitor who decided to take up residence in San Francisco. Although Waters is mainly based out of Baltimore, he also has a home in New York City and a summer home in Provincetown. Waters has been making, writing, and directing films for forty years, and his long body of almost always controversial film work includes Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Pecker and two film versions of Hairspray that later became a Broadway sensation. If the names Dawn Davenport, Prudy Pingleton, and Tony The Tickler ring a bell, then you are familiar with Waters often times gross out material that famously includes the scene in Pink Flamingos where Waters’ muse and childhood friend Divine (a drag persona by Harris Glenn Milstead) eats dog feces on camera. The dog-doo poo-poo scene was for real sans cuts, edits or effects, and was ground breaking in the pre-YouTube and Internet era. Censors and prim and proper types may consider Waters, who has long been confirmed as a gay man, to be pushing the boundaries of good taste and decency. Others, who are fans, await his next film or art project with baited breath. His trademark pencil thin mustache is as much a part of his public identity as are his ties to Divine and the Dreamlanders group of Baltimore area actors, Mink Stole, Ricki Lake, Johnny Depp, one time porn queen Traci Lords and the now freed purported criminal and heiress Patricia Hearst. All have played roles in Waters' work, and show how he creates and uses characters that may already have inherent shock value with the public.

In 2008, Waters was in San Francisco to put on a one-man vaudeville show at the Castro Theater, to benefit the Frameline film festival, which is definitely LGBT friendly. The Castro was a favorite of Waters because Pink Flamingos has played there. Waters vaudeville act was one that he originated with his pal and muse Divine decades ago. He said that he thinks of himself as a "Filth Elder" more so than the "Pope of Trash" nickname he received from William Burroughs. Waters' elder reference is perhaps his way of acknowledging that he is in his sixties. I emailed The Filth Elder last week to find out the food-centric spots he likes to frequent when he lives in San Francisco. Aside from his picks below, you can also plan on catching Waters at his City Arts & Lectures appearance happening on May 25th for his Role Models book tour...San Francisco is the first stop on the tour.

Waters cites Zuni at the top of his list, adding "my old friend from Provincetown Billy West started it."

Zuni Café
1658 Market Street (between Franklin and Gough)
(415) 553-2522
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11:30 am to 11 pm
Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to midnight
Sunday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | Closed Monday
(415) 553-2522

The Big Four, where Waters swoons that it is "SOO Sunset Boulevard." Big Four spokesperson Kellie Samson confirmed that "he usually comes in with a few other people (family and/or friends) and...is quite approachable and has a good rapport and is friendly with our staff. Since he lives in the neighborhood, he’s often seen walking in Nob Hill and on the cable car, etc."

The Big Four Restaurant at the Huntington Hotel
1075 California Street (at Taylor Street)
(415) 771-1140
Hours: Breakfast Monday – Friday: 7am to 10am
Saturday – Sunday: 7am to 11am
Lunch service at The Big 4 will be available on Thursdays and Fridays between the hours of 11:30am and 3pm, only.
Dinner Nightly: 5:30pm to 10pm
Bar Nightly: 4pm until midnight Thursday – Friday:

All day Piano entertainment Daily, 5pm to 11:30pm
• Michael Parsons (Monday - Saturday)
• Steve Klawiter (Sunday)

Foreign Cinema. Through representative Keelin Czellecz, chef-owner Gayle Pirie & Floor Manager Tracy Smyth commented that Waters "often orders fish" and receives "an amuse [bouche]" from the Foreign Cinema kitchen. Waters told me "I drink Stoli martinis," and his friends enjoyed gin martinis -- 209 Gin with olives. Waters is friendly to curious customers, and "is one of the few celebrities that have come in that people feel like they can go up to the table and talk to him. He is really sweet when he is approached."

Foreign Cinema
2534 Mission Street (between 21st Street and 22nd Street)
(415) 648-7600
Hours: Dinner
Monday - Thursday 6pm to 10pm
Friday - Saturday 5:30pm to 11pm
Sunday 5:30pm to 10pm
Brunch
Saturday 11am to 3pm
Sunday 11am to 3:30pm

Range
Range Restaurant
842 Valencia Street (between 19th Street and 20th Street)
(415) 282-8283
Hours: Monday - Thursday 6pm to close
Friday - Sunday 5:30pm to close

La Ciccia. Sardinian Italian food in Noe Valley. According to La Ciccia spokesperson Eleanor Bertino, Waters "came in on a really busy night." Wife-owner Lorella Degan told Bertino that "he was with two other men, and he ordered pasta and was very nice and warm... in no way demanding."

La Ciccia
291 30th Street (at Church Street)
(415) 550-8114
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 5:30pm to 10pm (Closed Mondays and Major Holidays)

Nob Hill Café
1152 Taylor Street (between Clay Street and Pleasant Street)
(415) 776-6500
Hours: Monday - Friday Lunch 11am to 3pm, Saturday & Sunday Brunch 11am to 3pm, Dinner Nightly from 5pm to 10pm

The lunch counter in Armani shop. Gina Chinchilla, who is General Manager of the Armani café would only comment, "Unfortunately, we are not allowed to give out any information about our clients that visit the Cafe. We may only confirm that he does indeed frequent our Cafe."

Armani Café
1 Grant Avenue (between Market Street and O'Farrell Street)
(415) 677-9010
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 11am to 4pm; Sunday from 12 noon to 4pm

See's Candy: according to Sharyl Mitchell of See's, "Mr. Waters used to visit our Union Square Shop that is now closed" at 350 Powell Street. He would buy all kinds of candy, and the manager at the store recalls seeing him "all the time."

When I was in college, my roommate introduced me to Kierkegaard's theory of the despair of infinitude. It was complicated in an existential sort of way, but over the years, I've adopted a variation on the term -- the despair of infinity -- to refer to the overwhelming sensation I feel when faced with too many choices. Trying to pickout an outfit for the first day of work after a big shopping spree? Despair of infinity. Time to whip up dinner and the fridge is full of food? Despair of infinity. Back from a year in Russia and sitting at a bar, perusing a beer list of 6 drafts and 20 bottles? Praise capitalism in all its glory -- but that's despair of infinity nonetheless.

The despair of infinity comes upon me almost anytime I have to decide where to take visitors to dinner. When I was new to San Francisco, it was easy. We simply went wherever I had not been and, especially if it was my folks, could not afford. Over the years, I've exhausted most of the San Francisco icons with repeat visitors, and moved on to personal neighborhood favorites.

Since Indian summer is the best time for visitors, I thought I'd share the places on my short list. Where do you like to take visiting family and friends out to eat?

The Icons

Zuni Cafe A perrenial favorite. Who doesn't love the copper bar, the Caesar salad, and the roast chicken? 1658 Market Street, (415) 552-2522.

Slanted Door Some people complain that it's gotten too big for its britches since moving into the Ferry Building, but the shaking beef still rocks, and the Bay views can't be beat. 1 Ferry Building #3 at the Embarcadero, (415) 861-8032.

Boulevard This feel-good brasserie sticks to seasonal California classics, and it has an old-world elegance that's irresistable. 1 Mission Street, (415) 543-6084.

The Regulars

Vivande This was a weekly stop when I lived in Pacific Heights. The pasta is handmade, the sausage comes from a 150-year-old family recipe, and the lemon tart is worth the visit alone. 2125 Fillmore Street, (415) 346-4430.

1550 Hyde The philosophy here is to cook with the Bay Area's best sustainably raised produce and meats, like cult favorite Hoffman Gamebirds' chickens. I've never had a meal that was anything short of extraordinary. 1550 Hyde Street, (415) 775-1550.

Antica Trattoria Though the atmosphere isn't as convivial as it is at Ristorante Milano, another favorite haunt, the food is more rustic and the servers remember their regulars. 2400 Polk Street, (415) 928-5797.

The Current Favorites

Nua This relatively new addition to North Beach is fast becoming a destination. I crave the roasted cauliflower with capers and pine nuts on a regular basis. 550 Green Street, (415) 433-4000.

Terzo If I lived in the Marina, I'd come here all the time for small plates like succulent, spicy chicken spiedini and the addictive crispy fried onion rings. As it is, I'm on a first name basis with the hostess. 3011 Steiner Street, (415) 441-3200.

Bourbon & Branch -- This modern speakeasy may not serve a single bite of food, but it is the coolest bar in town. Okay, so the secret password is a bit hokey, but once you're inside, inventive cocktails and the 1920's-inspired atmosphere cast their spell. Visit bourbonandbranch.com for reservations.