Juanita Musson - A Local Legend

[fluteman]

Greetings Everyone. Some of the older folks and long term Northern California residents may remember a woman named Juanita Musson (usually known as "Juanita") who used to run several restaurants in the Bay Area that could only be described as "unique." As a child my parents took me to her restaurants to eat more times than I can remember, and I couldn't begin to describe my memories of what transpired there (just think of lots of animals running around, including monkeys).

I ask about Juanita as I recently came across her autobiography at a book sale, and after doing some research online I found that she was last known to be living in the Sebastopol area. She has to be in her 80's now and I have no idea if she's still in the area, but if anyone knows if she's still around, please let me know. She left me with memories than could last a lifetime, and then some. :)

[BizWrangler]

I remember Juanita well. I had many meals at her place in Fetters Hot Springs back in the early 70s, and Sausalito before that. I heard she moved to Contra Costa Co, and then lost touch. I just did a quick search, and found her in Sebastopol in 2004 on Ellis Ct., then in Santa Rosa on Merced ave in 05, and then Sonoma as of March 06. I'm not comfortable posting her addresses and phone numbers, however.

I had a bunch of photos taken there in Sonoma at her big place with all the animals wandering around and in cages. I've got some of her there, too. She was quite the character with a colorful background. I remember she had a rooster that sat on her shoulder. She would approach diners at their tables and ask how they liked her c. . k. She loved getting a reaction. The portions were HUGE. You always came away with a doggie bag that would feed you for three more days. Her places kept burning down, which was a shame because they were filled with interesting antiques and odd sorts of things. A friend knew her before she was in the restaurant business, and let's just say that she kept many a man company, and I believe was pals with Sally Stanford of Sausalito fame.

[soulange]

my most vivid memory is hallowe'en night, 1962. i was on the back of a motorcycle with my then boyfriend. we were coming north from san francisco and taking the sausalito exit, when the bike spun out and we spilled. david was on the ground, bleeding from every pore on his face. i ran to juanita's to have her call an ambulance. she was wearing a jack o lantern on her head with a lighted candle in it and her hair wrapped around it. a most bizarre sight. she did call an ambulance, though.

[Helen Shane]

I have two recollections of Juanita. I knew her first when she had her Sausalito restaurant on the pier...must have been 40 years ago or more. I worked at the old Examiner, and sold her an ad or two. Years later we found her in her restaurant in Pt. Richmond in an old hotel. I asked her for a couple of recipes, one for her chili rellenos, the other for steamed grated zucchini. She hand wrote the relleno on a place mat, which I still have. I'm glad she's still around. An honest woman.

[fluteman]

Enjoying reading everyone's replies here! I was simply curious to know if anyone had heard how she was doing, so I hope that Juanita is doing well, wherever she is. Unfortunately, most of my best memories of her aren't exactly appropriate to share on a public forum. :)

As I mentioned in my original post, I found a book about her a few months ago and it really brought me back to those crazy days in her restaurants. If anyone's interested, here's the info on the two books about her:

Juanita: The Madcap Adventures of a Legendary Restaurateur - ISBN 0962629596. This is her autobiography, and copies of it can be found on Amazon.

Juanita's Eat It and Wear It Cookbook - ISBN 0962629561. Also on Amazon, this one is full of her famous recipes and a very interesting read.

I was really disappointed to find out that the author of both of Juanitas books, Sally Hayton-Keeva, passed away some years ago. It just left me wondering even more about that wonderful cursing lady with a chicken on her shoulder who used to let my brother and I sneak into the kitchen back in the late 70's...and eat until we almost exploded. :)

[laurie lynn]

This Juanita woman sounds like my kinda gal! If anybody actually finds her, maybe we can have a WACCO storytelling event with her?!? (Hint, hint, Barry!)

Please keep us posted on the search!

Laurie Lynn

[packardcarr]

If you do find her, and she is able, have her demonstrate the lecture she gives to the ladies, with a rooster lying on her forearm.

After Boyes Hot Springs, before moving to Port Costa, she ran a restaurant in Vallejo, at a hotel called, I believe, the Vallejo Inn; before that, she had restaurant in Kenwood, at the Water Wheel. The food was always outstanding, wherever she was... and she had a heart the size of the biggest building she ever occupied.

[AnneCatherine]

I have a faint memory of reading that she died some years ago - maybe ten years? I think there was an article about her in the Press back then about her death. I hope my memory is wrong.

EDIT - I am wrong. Chris Smith at the Press Democrat wrote some columns about her within the last five years. So as recently as 2004, she was living with an unnamed friend in Santa Rosa. She's in her early 80's.