Tintype of Andrea Scher, from Photobooth SF

Tintype of Marcia Gagliardi, from Photobooth SF

Way back in November when we both turned the big 4-0, my dear friend Marcia gifted me a date at Photobooth SF to get our tintypes done. It took us until last week to pull off, but it was such a sweet celebration of our long and dear 20 year friendship.

I met Marcia when I arrived in Venice Italy in 1991, ready to spend the year studying Italian (the language, the food, the boys!) That first day off the boat, we each scanned the crowd and decided– yep, she’s the one. We spent so much time together that we could finish each others sentences (in italian and english) and called ourselves the gemelli sisters.

We had many adventures that year. We walked through the endless maze cobblestone streets. We ate pressed fresh mozzarella sandwiches every day. We entertained movie stars. We smoked a lot of cigarettes. Marcia taught me to have fun and cut loose. She taught me to be loud and free and do everything with reverence. I am forever grateful.

One of my favorite memories of Marcia though is from years later– the day I made my debut as part of the gospel choir at Glide Memorial church. I remember being terrified, singing my heart out, and looking out at the congregration. There was Marcia in the third row, tears streaming down her face, mouthing the words “I’m so proud of you” over and over again.

This memory is permanently etched in my mind – a moment of pure love.

These days Marcia is rockstar food writer. If you live in SF, you have likely read her reviews or subscribe to her newsletter Tablehopper. Maybe you even got her book!. She also just recently became the contributing food editor for 7×7 Magazine. As you can see, I could go on and on.

As I write this, I hope Marcia can see the tears welling up in my eyes and me mouthing the words “I am so proud of you” over and over again.