Bouchercon Day 2

Wednesday, Oct. 13

Met an old friend from the Ottawa Citizen days for lunch. We walked through the streets of San Francisco to his suggested restaurant for lunch: John's Grill. This restaurant is mentioned in Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, as a place where Sam Spade had dinner.

John's Grill on Ellis Street

The interior is a little dark, but charming

Behind the bar is a photo of the author and a statuette of the falcon

I was a little nervous, to be honest, to see someone I hadn't seen in about 30 years, but it was an enjoyable experience. Of course, many of the people we knew back then have died so that's a bit dreary.

In the evening, the convention was starting to get going. Registration opened and I decided to see one of the movies. First up, The Maltese Falcon. It's always fun to see a movie in the same city where it's set. We had walked past Bush Street earlier in the day so it was fun to hear Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade mention it.

Favourite line from this San Francisco noir movie. Spade: "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it!"

If you need a Maltese Falcon refresher, here it is. And no, they don't make movies like this anymore.

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