Ooh. Tasty.
According to the sign in the window, the new Little Bee Bakery from Bernal neighbor (and Chez Panisse alum) Stacie Pierce is set to open for a soft-launch starting today in the former Rock Candy Shop space at 521 Cortland.
The interior has received a thorough renovation, and a sign in the window says Little Bee will begin flight testing on October 11-13 from noon to 6 pm.
PHOTO: ellagarto75
Did you know there once was a movie theater on Cortland Avenue? The Cortland Theater (which became the Capri, after 1957) operated for more than 50 years (!!!) at 802 Cortland, in the building that’s now a church.
In this Bernalwood exclusive, the fabulous Vicky Walker from the Bernal History Project tells us the tale of this former Bernal landmark:
Before television, VCRs, DVDs, Four Star Video, TiVo, and Netflix streaming, residents of Bernal Heights went to the movies for entertainment. The Lyceum Theater on Mission Street was a short trip away, but if you didn’t want to walk down the hill, you could watch a movie at the Cortland Theatre at 802 Cortland.
The Cortland specialized in family-friendly double-features. Opened in 1915, it was revamped with a new facade in June 1957 and relaunched as the Capri Theatre. Despite the impact of television, the Cortland/Capri managed to survive until April 1969, and of course the building is now a church.
Jack Tillmany is a lifelong movie buff and the author of Theatres of San Francisco. In the 1950s, Jack signed up to receive The Cortland’s monthly calendar in the mail, so he often found himself at screenings in Bernal. Jack says:
“When I got my first car (in 1956), going to the movies in remote locations was an adventure. And since I lived in the Richmond District (near Geary Blvd. & 21st Avenue), Cortland Avenue definitely fell into that category.
“I was also concerned about seeing wide-screen movies in their proper ratio, and, I’m happy to report, The Cortland’s proscenium was wide enough to do just that. Alas, my own ‘local’ 4-Star’s did not, and so I never darkened their doors again after I saw how they squeezed and mutilated CinemaScope to fit their painfully too narrow screen in 1954!
“As a result I saw John Wayne in The High and the Mighty, Judy Garland in A Star Is Born, and, one of my personal favorites, Land of the Pharaohs, in their intended wide-screen grandeur at The Cortland.
“At least once a month, I would find some excuse to drive over to The Cortland even though the Alexandria, Coliseum, and Balboa were still in my geographical range.
“This all ended when I went into the Army in 1959; when I came back to the Bay Area two years later, I began managing theaters in the East Bay, and never had occasion to go back to The Cortland, which, by that time, had been renamed the Capri, with a new flat front. But I did return for one last hurrah, in 1966, when, on my night off from theatre management, I drove over from Oakland to see Peter Cushing in The Skull, which was just the sort of thing to see at the Capri!”
Along with all his other movie memorabilia. Jack kept the programs he got in the mail from The Cortland. A few years ago, he sold a few of them at his “Theaters of Mission Street” presentation for the Bernal History Project. Longtime Bernal resident and historian Jerry Schimmel purchased Jack’s last batch of Cortland and Capri programs, and he donated them to the Bernal Heights Branch Library. BHP scanned them as well.
The handwritten notes on some of the programs are quite charming. “SAVE CARFARE AND PARKING WORRIES,” one urges. “Patronize your neighborhood merchants. Movies are your best entertainment.”
Jack also provides proof that Bernal’s little movie house once competed with the likes of the Castro Theatre: In March 1958, the Cortland’s operator, Ward Stoopes (1926-1999), attempted to run silent films in the middle of the week, with portable organ accompaniment. Jack recalls:
“His first offering was A Tale of Two Worlds (1921), with Wallace Beery, filmed in San Francisco and shown via an original, tinted, 35MM print. I was among the very few in the audience, appreciative of the opportunity to see such a rarity, under such ideal circumstances. But, at the same time, future theatre manager that I was, I worried over the lack of attendance. Alas, the series failed, but, for me, at least it was a memorable moment.”
PHOTOS: Cortland Theater (year unknown) and Capri Theater facade (1965). All photos and programs courtesy of Jack Tillmany.
In the realm of unsolicited creative awesomeness, your Bernalwood editor was thrilled to find this little gift waiting for me in the Bernalwood Pool on Flickr.
Flickr user bmeabroad has compiled a very sweet collection of 26 photos called “Cortland from A – Z.”
It’s terrific. And it teaches us that…
“J is for Jasmine”…
“K is for King”…
“N is for No Parking” (of course)…
“U is for Under Construction”…
“W is for Waffle”…
… you get the idea.
Its wonderful. It’s cute. It wants to be a children’s book. Enjoy!
ALL PHOTOS: bmeabroad on Flickr
Neighbor Stacie is on target to open her Little Bee Bake Shop in the location of the former Rock Candy Snack Shop on Cortland, with a September launch date on the calendar and a crowdsourced fund drive underway via Indiegogo:
Little Bee Baking is the Bernal Heights based baking company started by Stacie Pierce, former pastry chef of Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, CA. Since starting in January 2013, Little Bee quickly outgrew its home kitchen and when a shop became available just blocks from home, it was decided that Little Bee should take a leap of faith and sign a lease.
My vision for Little Bee’s shop is that of a family friendly bake shop where everything is made in house with locally sourced and organic ingredients. It will be a place for neighbors to come to enjoy a slice of fruit tart or cake, ice cream, or cookies. The shop will also offer cakes and desserts for birthdays and other special occasions, as well as take home and bake items such as cookie dough and buttery tart dough.
Since this neighborhood has been our home for almost 10 years and is now where we are choosing to raise our daughter, it is very exciting and important for me to have this chance to expand my role as a part of the Bernal Heights community. I intend the shop to contribute to the vibrancy of Cortland Avenue and to grow with the neighborhood.
What Little Bee Needs & How the Money Will Be Spent
Little Bee is starting with a small amount of equipment inherited from the current shop, however in order to fulfill its intended vision there are some additional pieces that are needed to make this a truly successful venture. If we reach our goal, the money will be invested directly into new and improved lighting, tiling, flooring, bathroom and electrical updates, as well as new equipment for the shop. If all goes as planned, we are shooting for the shop to be open in September just after Labor Day.
With 7 days remaining, as of this writing Little Bee has raised $6400 on the way toward its $25,000 goal.
PHOTO: Telstar Logistics
Following up on his wonderful profile of Bernal artists Joseph Branchcomb and Toby Klayman, Neighbor Steve Sisler has released his next piece in his “Bernal Heights Conversations” video series: A video about Brett Thurber and Karen Wiener, the glamorous couple that created the newfangled New Wheel electric bicycle shop on Cortland.
Neighbor Steve writes:
Can you believe two of the nicest kids that I have ever met are selling and servicing quality electric bikes right here in Bernal? I wish I could say The New Wheel is a mom & pop shop, but Karen and Brett need a few years before we can expect children from them. Until then Bernal is lucky to have another fine family business.
Frankly, we’re also rather lucky to have Neighbor Steve cranking out these terrific videos. Go fullscreen, your feet up on the desk for a few minutes, and get to know Brett and Karen:
Is it a fad? Or is it… the fuuuuuuuuuuuture?
Suddenly, Cortland is awash in Parkletmania.
It started at Neighbor Mutsumi Takehara’s restaurant at 903 Cortland, where construction of a new parklet is now underway following a successful Kickstarter fundraising campaign. Now several neighbors alerted Bernalwood that the VinoRosso wine bar — just two blocks away from 903 — has posted notices that it too would like to install a parklet out front.
Is this a sudden shower of new-urbanist awesome? Or too much of a good thing? Or is it like one of those “End of the Universe” situations where you’ve got a Starbucks across the street from another Starbucks? Discuss.
PHOTO: Neighbor Sarah. Hat tip: @HurleyMcDingus
Bernalwood has received lots and lots and lots of questions about the former home of the (much-loved) Stray Bar on Cortland.
The interior of the bar was gutted a few weeks back, and a peek through the window reveals a hollowed-out shell that has been stripped down to the studs. Clearly, this will not be a lightweight refresh of the old space. But what will it become?
Bernalwood has been in touch with the new owners for the last several weeks, and here’s what we’ve learned: The new proprietors also own two other bars in San Francisco, Churchill on Church at Duboce Triangle and Bloodhound on Folsom in SoMa.
The new name of the Cortland location has not been revealed, but Michael Goebel, a co-owner of the bar, tells Bernalwood:
We are still in the infant stages of our design/aestetic part of the project. What I can tell you is that we will be a friendly, locally focused, simple neighborhood bar. We are very excited about being a part of this close knit and unique community. The more time we spend here and the more we get to know people, the clearer our vision gets of how to create our space.
I can tell you that we will create something along the same lines as our sister bars Churchill and Bloodhound. We will be cocktail focused, spirit driven, and serve regional beers and wines.
If you have been by the space you can see we are still in the beginning of the construction phase of things. We have relocated the bathrooms and opened the place up quite nicely. We are still hammering out final touches of design and concept, but what i wrote earlier is definitely true. We will be a great neighborhood bar focused on great, approachable, hand crafted cocktails. We will feature local artisan beers and wines and our staff will be focused entirely and creating a great customer experience.
This bar is a neighborhood bar first, with a laid back setting, comfortable for everyone. The space will have some amazing design elements to it as well, but more to come on that later — once I figure it all out 🙂
A final note: The new owners have informed Bernalwood that the big old painting that was on the wall of the Stray Bar has found a good home at Avedano’s, up the street. That’s a relief.
PHOTOS: The former Stray Bar, June 2013. By Telstar Logistics
Here in Bernal Heights, history and geography have combined to make our neighborhood proudly self-sufficient. We brew our own beer, distill our own bourbon, can our own pickles, write our own books, code our own apps, and conduct our own deep-space exploration missions.
Yet despite our vaunted self-reliance, there has been a conspicuous gap in our plentitude when it comes to the availability of high-quality, locally sourced ramen.
Of course, I’m not talking about the freeze-dried instant ramen bricks that are synonymous with collegiate poverty (and readily available at our Taoist Safeway). No, I’m talking about real Japanese ramen built from a sublime combination of hearty broth, chewy noodles, roasted meat, and tasty vegetables. (Cue: Pavlovian response)
Until recently, my ramen cravings could only be satisfied by leaving Bernal Heights to head west, over the hills, into the Asian culinary wonderlands of the Richmond District. But the other day, while walking past 903 Cortland, I noticed that the chalkboard sign out front said: Ramen
What?!? How could this be?!? And could it possibly be delicious?!?
Frankly, I was skeptical. As a general rule of thumb, a good ramen joint will specialize exclusively in making ramen — because making good ramen is an intense discipline unto itself. Yet 903 Cortland, while delicious, is a general-interest restaurant, and while it does have a distinctly Japanese accent via owner Mutsumi Takehara, it is not even a Japanese restaurant per se, and definitely not a dedicated ramen-ya. Hmmmmmm.
I ordered a bowl of the regular chashu (roasted pork) ramen, and, fearing disappointment, paced around the restaurant anxiously as it was prepared. But when my ramen was served, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, because it looked right. Even better, the steam coming off the bowl smelled right, as it was infused with the savory complexity that is the signature element of a good bowl of ramen.
And it WAS a good bowl of ramen! Quite good, in fact. So good, that I ate the entire bowl, down to the very last drop:
Now, let’s put things in context: No, the ramen from 903 is not the best I’ve ever had. (That honor belongs to an amazing bowl of ramen I ate in Tokyo that was so powerful it actually caused an earthquake.) Nor is it the best ramen that can be had in San Francisco. (Sorry, not telling.)
But the ramen at 903 is damn solid, and given the ridiculous convenience of a trip to Cortland, this means I can now make ramen a more everyday part of my family’s joyful lifestyle, which is a huge victory for the forces of Tranquility, Bliss, and Euphoria.
So, to all ramen junkies in Bernal Heights, I am glad to say that we can now get a very satisfying fix at 903 Cortland, right here on our very own hill. Celebration!
And to all ye who have never before tried real ramen, count yourself lucky that you can now sample it here in your very own neighborhood, without having to endure the hardship of a voyage to the Richmond District or the unpleasant airfare aftertaste associated with a pilgrimage to Japan.
Oh, and if you need a tutorial on proper ramen-appreciation technique, there is no better way to begin your journey than with the opening scene from Tampopo, Japan’s fantastic ramen-themed comedy film from the 1980s. Study the way of the ramen master, and you’ll do just fine at 903:
PS: Oh, and remember the parklet that 903 wants to install out front? The project’s Kickstarter goal was met successfully, raising $12,500 from Bernal neighbors to build the thing. Which means… ramen al fresco! Woa.
PHOTOS: Ramen at 903 Cortland, by Telstar Logistics
An observant Bernalwood reader sent us a tip yesterday about a “For Sale” sign in the window of the beloved Rock Candy Snack Shop on Cortland.
So odd. So curious. So confusing. Thus confounded, we picked up the Bernalwood red phone to ask Neighbor Heather from the Rock Candy Snack Shop if there was any news for us to discuss.
We were saddened to receive this reply:
Dear friends of the Rock Candy Snack Shop,
I wanted to take a minute and respond to the concern of the store being for sale. I am looking into finding a good neighbor to take over the store. I love being here; it breaks my heart to give it up. There is a good reason though, and I hope you understand how hard this is for us, and how we appreciate your support and love! Being here is where we wanted to be and it has been a wonderful experience I will cherish forever!
Three months after I opened my mom was diagnosed with liver cancer, had a major surgery, and now is on chemo that will only work for so long. The cost of her treatment can get expensive and I don’t have the means to care for her and the store.
I want to focus my energy on my mom’s care and make sure she is happy for the brief time I have left with her. It is because of her I was able to have the opportunity to open Rock Candy Snack Shop, not only has she watched my son countless hours that I have been working but she has helped financially too, being my biggest supported and partner.
With all my heart I thank you for being our friends and supporters for the last 2 years. This is my home and I will see you at the garden or at the playground. Please send love and prayers to my family and wish us well as we do what is right for us.
I offer my hard work, love, and good will to the future of 521 Cortland Ave. We hope to find someone who will be fun and keep the heart of Rock Candy Snack Shop the same: to create a joyful place for family fun!
The good news is I am getting married and am so in love and happy! And as an entrepreneur I am already thinking about opening a push cart and catering business in the future, I love event planning and catering and want to keep the fun going, but for now first things first.
Thanks again Bernalwood for all the support you and your readers have offered. Thanks again Bernal Dads for coming together for us last year [to help buy a new laptop after Heather’s was stolen] and Happy Fathers Day!!
Sincerely,
Heather
Stunned. Speechless. Heartbroken.
Heather also sent along this photo of her family, which we are grateful to have. That’s her son, and her mom, marking the opening of the store in 2011.
We wish all of them the very, very best.
PHOTOS: Top, Telstar Logistics. Below, via Neighbor Heather.
Reinvention is underway at the iconic Bernal Heights Produce store on the corner of Cortland and Ellsworth. The old business has shut down and workers are busy rebuilding the interior, but paper covers the windows to hide the transformation taking place inside.
The only clues that hint at what’s coming next are a new awning and a series of cryptic signs taped to the windows, all of which are written in the voice of a very cute young girl named Hannah.
Baffled by the ambiguity of these signs, several Cortlandia residents contacted Bernalwood to seek our help in sorting out what the store will become next. Happily, when we visited the Bernal Heights Produce site, the answer immediately became obvious.
Indeed, many residents of Precitaville probably could have solved the mystery as well. The signs in the windows were the big giveaway: The notes from Hannah use a distinctive typeface and graphic style that’s familiar to many northsiders, particularly those who shop at the Harvest Hills Market on the corner of Folsom and Precita. Thus, immediately after visiting Bernal Heights Produce, the Bernalwood Action News Team rushed to Harvest Hills to verify our hypothesis.
Here’s what we saw when we walked into Harvest Hills:
Ah-HA! Different subject matter, but a near-purrrrrrrfect graphic design match!
We asked the woman working behind the counter at Harvest Hills if there was indeed a link to the new Bernal Heights Produce store. Here is what we were told:
Confirmed! The owners of Harvest Hills have acquired Bernal Heights Produce. The Cortland location had a vent hood, which is very exciting, so the new owners plan to take advantage of it by offering more cooked and prepared food, in the style of a delicatessen. In addition, they also plan to offer lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (much as they do at Harvest Hills). We were also told that the name for the new store has not yet been chosen.
So there you have it. A riddle wrapped in an enigma shrouded in mystery… but a secret betrayed by some distinctive typography.
PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics
Miss Mutsumi from 903 (and Sandbox Bakery) has launched a Kickstarter campaign to install a cute little parklet in front of 903 Cortland, just east of Gates:
There are currently no parklets in Bernal Heights. We at 903 are taking steps to be the first to provide this amenity, and with the help of the residents and friends of the neighborhood we can make it happen. Not only would 903’s parklet be the first in Bernal, it would continue to inspire and facilitate the on-going revitalization of the community happening along Cortland while providing a convenient and central gathering place for friends and family. Imagine meeting up at 903 to enjoy a delicious outdoor lunch on the sunniest street in San Francisco!
The parklet will replace two parking spots on Cortland Avenue directly in front of 903, a restaurant and offshoot of Sandbox Bakery that has quickly become a go-to lunch spot for many residents of Bernal Heights. At 40 feet long, the parklet will boast seating for up to 25 people, a canopy for shade, greenery consisting of native plants, and it will, of course, be wheelchair accessible. The structure itself will be constructed out of reclaimed wood and steel scraps.
The City of San Francisco has approved our permit and all the fees have already been paid. Now, we are trying to raise funds in order to begin building this much-anticipated addition to Cortland Avenue. Our current goal is to start construction as early as June. After that, the parklet will be completed in only a few weeks!
If the number of emails I’ve received and tweets I’ve seen about the project are any indication, the Citizens of Bernalwood are very enthusiastic about the idea. You can contribute to toward the parklet’s $12,505 goal here.
Here’s the video:
There’s a cute interview with Miss Heather from Cortland’s Rock Candy Snack Shop posted on the San Francisco Small Business Week website, in which Miss Heather explains how she’s trying to build community, one jellybean at a time:
Tell us about the impact you believe your small business has had on your community.
I know I took a dark storefront and painted it pink, wrapped it in Christmas lights, sparkled it with glitter, and filled it with temptation. Parents come up to me and thank me for choosing their neighborhood. Kids relish the day they can grow up and work here. I am working with the SF Mayor’s Employment an Education Program to hire youth this Summer. I sweep the street every day. I attend The Merchants Alliance Meetings to help make the corridor safe and inviting. My store is at its humble beginnings and I know we have a lot more that we want to do to make Bernal Heights stand out as one of the coolest communities in San Francisco.
PHOTO: Rock Candy Snack Shop
Miss Vicky from the Bernal History Project found this vintage Cortland Avenue Shopping Guide, and she needs some help to interpret it:
We found this Cortland shopping guide in the SFPL archives. Do you remember any of these stores? Can you help us figure out the year on this list?
I noticed Toni’s Trade Winds, and Vicky calls out the Hav-A-Lik ice cream and candy shop. Based on the style and the presence of Toni’s, I guessed the guide is from the early 1980s. Notice also the “83” at the bottom right of the illustration, which may (or may not) support my theory.
If you recall any of these businesses, and/or can help date the directory, please do chime in.
Bernalwood 