Cafe Jacqueline

i was NOT ready to learn that cafe jacqueline closed their doors earlier this month, after 46 years of serving nothing but soufflés (and a soup du jour). with no website, social media or digital reservation system of any kind, word of this institution reached me via hearsay, and i quickly incorporated it into my bay area rotation. jacqueline margulis created something truly beautiful in the fall of 1979 (she's currently 89 years old) and the walls have remained the same color since. until january 5th of this 2026, that is. it's gut punch after gut punch these days.