SEA GULL

The Sea Gull Restaurant was a popular hangout in Mendocino during the 1970s and 80s.  Lots of things happened there, good and bad. I knew sooner or later this would all be converted to words. On this page you will find stories, experiences, and reflections on my time at the Sea Gull. Pictures, articles, art, and more will be posted as they become available.  If you were an employee or customer during that time and have pictures or experiences you want to share, send them to me at dhj@thinkinthemorning.com. Don’t expect this to be a foodie site. I might from time to time venture into the joys of mezcal or review a favorite restaurant or offer up a recipe that I’ve found tasty, but my primary purpose is to document some of the happenings at the Sea Gull during the 70s and 80s for those who care.

The Attic Gallery Art-In — Part III

The Attic Gallery Art-In — Part III

Since I have a surfeit of pictures from The Attic Gallery Art-In, it seemed appropriate to put up one more post with pictures and no further comment. They show the astonishing talent contributed for free by the local artists of the Mendocino coast. The pictures are...

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The Attic Gallery Art-In – Part II

The Attic Gallery Art-In – Part II

In the first part of The Attic Gallery Art-In, I left you with a link to Complementarity and the Quantum of Life. Artists seem to have an intuitive sense of complementarity as indicated by the reference to Blake in that article. A great artist understands how to use...

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The Attic Gallery Art-In – Part I

The Attic Gallery Art-In – Part I

The Sea Gull burned to the ground forty years ago this year.  It’s easy for me to remember the date because my friend and key employee, Lorna, was born on December 12.  We took a few minutes to comment on the irony of that coincidence, but we didn’t dwell on it for...

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Kelley – Sculptor, Piper, Busker

Kelley – Sculptor, Piper, Busker

Copied From Northglow, January/February 1984, Vol. II, No. 1, pp. 12-22 Editor’s Note:  When Michelle Robinson sent us this article about the many-faceted Kelley, she explained in a covering letter the reasons for the introduction and conclusion and the way they were...

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Alan Graham aka Captain Fathom

Alan Graham aka Captain Fathom

He wandered about aloof from reality.  Whether or not he knew where he was going was hard to tell.  When that raucous laugh assaulted your ears, your body tensed in anticipation.  He spoke with an irritating nasal tone and his face was often fixed in a stupid smile. ...

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Mickie and Michael

Mickie and Michael

The thing about musicians, at least the ones I know, is that they live for the music.  Money, fame, name-dropping—that's not where it’s at.  I was always amazed when a musician, starving, unable to pay the rent, would show up at the drop of a hat to help with a...

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Clifford

Clifford

Clifford came with the restaurant.  He traded errands and odd jobs for food.  He could have afforded to pay cash but the Sea Gull was his home and nobody paid cash for food at home.  Ice cream and butter were cheaper at Safeway, so Clifford toted them down on his way...

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Guest Post: A Janitor Remembers – by Mitchell Zucker

Guest Post: A Janitor Remembers – by Mitchell Zucker

Excerpts From The Cult of the Buffalo (originally written around 1978) by Mitchell Zucker Any resemblance of the characters in this story to actual characters is not only unintentional and coincidental but also reprehensible. The Royal vacuum sucked up the night’s...

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Sea Gull Cellar Bar Napkin Art Show

Sea Gull Cellar Bar Napkin Art Show

In June 2015 Jennifer Linley Taylor organized an auction and show of Sea Gull Cellar Bar Napkin Art at the Mendocino Art Center.  You can read more and view other pictures and links HERE.  You can find more on the Sea Gull Paintings HERE.  And, visit the Food Page for...

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Guest Post: My Ghosts – by James Maxwell

Guest Post: My Ghosts – by James Maxwell

EXCERPT 'A Mid-summers Night's Dream' The people of Mendocino and the regulars at the Sea Gull were not my only unrequited love affairs. It was my belief that I belonged here. True, I knew Antonia and her family when I arrived, but I moved to the coast because of the...

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B-Not

B-Not

We had our share of strange folks in and out of the Sea Gull.  Cat Woman (see Eleanor Cooney’s excellent article on p. 64-5 at this link), Mat-head, Radio Man, and a flasher who always arrived wearing a black trench coat and sat in a booth in the back of the dining...

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The Sea Gull Paintings

The Sea Gull Paintings

  "My first body of work was in 1976, painting the 12 Fairy Tale portraits of 150 Mendocino locals for The Sea Gull Restaurant and Cellar Bar," explains James Maxwell.  The paintings were completed between 1976 and 1986.  "The Sea Gull paintings represent the...

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