"Listening to Jean Fontana talk, you wouldn’t think that the world is in the midst of a global pandemic. The Riptide’s bar manager is chatty and surprisingly busy. It’s been more than 60 days since the beach-adjacent Outer Sunset bar closed regular operations, but the bar still lives: Weekly open mic nights are now held via Zoom, as are Friday happy hours and Saturday bingo. According to Fontana, she averages between 10 and 15 patrons on a given bingo night, with her biggest turnout numbering 40. That number includes regulars who, over the years, have left San Francisco for places like Arkansas, Texas, and Ireland and have seized on the Zoom gatherings to reconnect with the Riptide." - Shane Downing
