Foreign Cinema's Sarina Eastman on feeding your soul
Foreign Cinema (photo credit: Kassie Borreson)
Sarina is something of a unicorn in the restaurant industry: she's been in her role (at Foreign Cinema) for 12 years. She started in her early 20s as a server and worked up to dining room manager and is now the Assistant General Manager.
If being at the same restaurant for over a decade wasn't enough, Sarina throws a DJ brunch party at Laszlo [Foreign Cinema’s sister bar located next door] every single Sunday. The event is called “Babe Cave” and it’s a super fun vinyl brunch party that Sarina started in 2007.
Says Sarina of her time with Foreign Cinema, "They’ve given me a lot of cool opportunities to do fun stuff, things that feed my soul. It’s enriched my life in a lot of ways."
On that DJ brunch:
Sarina!
In the beginning, I asked the owners [of Foreign Cinema] if I could come in to Laszlo on Sunday mornings and start playing records. I brought donuts! It started to catch on and now people from all over the country know about the brunch on Sundays. You can eat the Foreign Cinema brunch at the same time; it’s very fun. I DJ around the Bay Area and I do private events too, but it all started here. Today I’m in charge of the DJ programming at Laszlo so I can bring in all the good DJs that I like.
On her ideal day off:
My ideal day off is nothing too high energy. Especially if I’m DJing that night, we’ll take it pretty easy.
I love to wake up late because my last night at work is usually a late one. I’ll get up at 9:00 or 9:30am and take my time. I have two dogs and by then they are raring to go, so my boyfriend (we have Saturdays off together) and I will take them out on a hike. I like to go to Redwood Regional and do trails up there.
Afterwards, one of my favorite restaurants is Cosecha in Swan’s Market. I like to sit at the counter. The chef/owner is Dominica Rice-Cisneros and she’s amazing; she comes from Chez Panisse. She has the best chilaquiles in the Bay and a delicious michelada they serve with a tamarind straw. It’s awesome! The people there are great and always happy to see you.
On her ideal night in:
Foreign Cinema (photo credit: Kassie Borreson)
Dinner on days off is always a priority. My boyfriend makes a 5-hour red sauce that I love and he’ll spend the day doing that. We'll open some wine, make awesome food, and have friends over.
We also love to go to Ramen Shop in Oakland. They don’t take reservations, but they have this tiny bar where you can hang out while you wait. The woman in charge of the cocktails is named Jackie and she does a great job.
On her taco move:
Before a DJ gig, I try not to have a big meal because I dance pretty hard. I’ll bring a yummy snack and get Taqueria Sinaloa after. I love the Warriors and like to go there after a Warriors game too.
On her top 5 non-food related items:
I wear my grandfather’s wedding ring everyday. I just got some amazing art from Creative Growth in Oakland. My turntables are high on the list, as is my room full of vinyl records. I love my dogs - a hound mix and Aussie shepherd mix. I also just got a great L-shaped couch - it makes our house so cozy.
On the long-term success of Foreign Cinema:
What keeps Foreign Cinema successful is that the people who work here care so much. I find so much inspiration from the owners/chefs John [Clark] and Gayle [Pirie] because they are never just resting on their laurels; they are always looking for ways to do things better and elevate. Everyone feels like they have to pitch in in that same way. They really value longevity and people sticking around and it translates to the guest experience.
The quality of the food, too. Chef Gayle will go to the cheese place in the morning specifically picking out cheeses to serve that night. We have long relationships with different farms that grow for us. Over time, we’ve gotten even more interested in details like who’s roasting our coffee, rather than just picking one kind of coffee and going with it.
When I started at Foreign Cinema, it was the only place like it around here. Delfina opened shortly after. I’ve noticed that private events are becoming more frequent as many more corporations are looking to entertain with good food. We’ve sort of had to figure out ways to elevate continuously over time.
On What she orders at Foreign Cinema:
The fresh oysters are excellent. The brandade cod - it’s whipped salt cod with toasts - is really amazing. We also have a lavender braised pork chop that’s out of this world.
There’s a smoky mezcal drink Nicky [Beyries] came up with that is delicious and interesting - it’s savory and really good for getting your palate ready for some food. [Editor's Note: The drink is called “Heart of Glass” and is made with house-made blackberry-champagne cherry shrub, calendula, mezcal, and lillet blanc.] Our wine list is insane and the wine by the glass changes all the time.
On her classic San Francisco favorites:
I love Bix. It’s kind of passed into that phase where it is what it is, and it's still so fun to go there. I love Tadich Grill, too; great cioppino in North Beach.
On Sherry:
I really like sherry. There’s secret bar on the top of Hawker Fare restaurant called Holy Mountain. They don’t really advertise it. Their cocktail menu is crazy. They’ll do themed cocktails, and they had a sherry themed cocktail list a while back, which was amazing.
On her recent trip to Korea:
We went to Seoul last year - talk about crazy food and great Makgeoli! We don't speak Korean, but we learned a little while we were there. We went off on our own with guidebooks and used Google Translate. We did this crazy 2-day bike trip around Jeju Island in the rain. We would bring our bikes and towel off and go to these locals spots and eat braised pork and whole fish.
There’s this place in Jeju island that’s a series of tent restaurants (they all kind of look the same). No menus, just pictures. We pointed at a few things and the lady there encouraged us to get something else. So she got on her cell phone and made a call and next thing we know a woman on a moped showed up with a whole fish sliced sashimi-style. The lady from the restaurant told us to pay the woman on the moped for the fish. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
ON Where (BESIDES LAZLO's DJ BRUNCH) to eat and be entertained?
The “clubhouse” vibe at Grand Coffee is pretty fun. It’s a tiny coffee shop run by my friend Nabeel Silmi who used to work at Foreign Cinema. He opened this awesome coffee shop that’s tiny and close. There are only 4 stools inside and all these curios and art. The people that choose to hang out there make it feel like a clubhouse. You can get into any kind of conversation there. You can take part or just observe.
