Sivan Wilensky, founder of the dangerously tasty Suite Foods Belgian wafflery in 331 Cortland, invites all of Bernal to help stuff the online ballot box [like, now], because Suite Foods Baking is a finalist to receive a business development grant from the Whole Foods supermarket chain:
We were selected as a finalist to receive a local foodmaker grant from Whole Foods. The winner of the grant will be decided by voting on the Redwood City Whole Foods FB page. We’re going up against some impressive-looking businesses so I’m hoping you can help us gather support from the Bernal community. Here’s the page where the voting is happening, and I believe the deadline is Wednesday. The grant amount will be equal to 5% of the store sales on July 2nd.
Get ready to say goodbye to the venerable Liberty Cafe. Neighbor Juliana noticed this rather dramatic bit of news that was just posted on the Liberty Cafe Facebook page:
Last Hoorah – Liberty will be closing it’s doors on Monday, 6/16 and reopening after a slight remodel on Thursday 6/19 as a new restaurant! Please stop by between now and Sunday to say goodbye to Liberty…
InsideScoop says the new place will focus on burgers and beer (per countless Bernalwood commenter requests). Watch that space.
This is Anucha Kongthavorn, and he preparing to set up shop in the fabulous 331 Cortland marketplace. His business will be called Mae Krua, and he will serve up Thai food like grandma used to make. Anucha tells Bernalwood:
My name is Anucha Kongthavorn and I’m originally from Thailand. I’ve loved to cook since I was a child. I spent a lot of my early years watching her cook. She always consistently cooked the most delicious food and I strive to be like her. Every weekend, my mother left me with her and I always helped her to prepare. I fell in love with the joy of cooking watching my grandmother work long hours in a traditional Thai restaurant. That is where I learned how to cook authentic Thai food.
To me America is the land for opportunity, coming from a poor family, I independently moved to San Francisco to make my dream come true. I went to City College of San Francisco (CCSF) and worked ay the same time to earn experience and know what’s it’s like to cook for Americans and adapt to the culture. I always keep my eye on this dream. I worked at Thaistick in San Francisco and Millbrae for 6.5 years. I have never had a business of my own, but it is still part of my dream.
In Thai, Mae Krua means a women who cooks to serve for her family. This is the name I’d choose for my business. Mae means mother. Kua means kitchen.
I love to present my food to people to people who live here so they can try authentic Thai food that is different and unique to what I’ve learned from my Grandmother and what I’ve learned here in America. My kiosk is going to serve only unique food which is adapted from my own experiences and my Grandmother’s recipes. They will love to have this food and bring it home for their loved ones.
I make a Curry Rice Balls stuffed with fine cheeses. These will be a delight for people who are vegetarian. Some will also be made with Tofu and Bean Cake. I will serve salad with my own dressing such as Curry Dressing and Sesame Dressing. The community will love to try my food because it will both be healthy and delicious.
I will be very happy if you decide to give me a chance to start my own business with you, even though I have never had a business here. I think you would be very pleased to have me as an addition as well.
There’s yet another Kickstarter campaign underway for a new Cortland restaurant going in to the old Pizza Express space. Formerly known as Kinfolk, the new restaurant will be called 3rd Cousin, and chef (and founder) Greg Lutes brings the details:
Since you have been following Kinfolk on Bernalwood, I’m sending you a link to my Kickstarter campaign. In addition to a new permanent home, Kinfolk is being renamed 3rd Cousin. With the new name, comes lots of community involvement and support, including Windows from A.G. River, local wines from Brian Harrington, video by Steve Sisler and a new logo designed by Bernal Heights own beloved artist, Toby Klayman. I’m very excited to finally be putting down permanent roots in the neighborhood and look forward to continued service to the residents of Bernal Heights and surrounding areas.
My goal is to provide a Michelin quality, fine-dining experience in a relaxed and welcoming family atmosphere. As a chef, my greatest joy is interacting with my customers throughout the meal service, sharing their experiences of the culinary partnership we have created.
I started Kinfolk out of desire to share my passion for creative organic food, and I continue to refine my unique take on New American/Californian cuisine. The concept has really taken off, and people really came out and supported me — and they continue to support me by dining with me and keeping the dream alive.
After 6 months of cooking from the heart — bringing folks together and creating community one plate at a time — I’ve been fortunate enough to find a permanent home for my pop-up Kinfolk, at 919 Cortland Avenue, just a few doors away from where I am currently cooking 903 Cortland. With the move and the new space we decided to give it a new name: 3rd Cousin.
Neighbor Ned observed a bizarre invasion by concrete-based life forms on Cortland:
They’re bubbling up out of the sidewalk! Just noticed this cute 3D sidewalk graffiti while walking Cortland yesterday… Keep your eyes peeled & watch your step!
Neighbor Andrea Cohen lives on Elsie, and she recently took over the former JC Market at 820 Cortland. Now renamed Andi’s Market, Neighbor Andrea tells us more about her plans for the business:
I took over 3 months ago. We FINALLY got our sign up on April 23, replacing the old JC Super sign; we expect the new awning within the next week and a half.
We’ve gotten an unparalleled amount of support and goodwill from neighbors. The store is getting scrubbed from head to toe; huge volumes of expired inventory purged from the shelves. Its cleaner, brighter. But slow going, so pardon our dust. Although it looks a bit empty, theres actually more food on the shelves than there’s been in years. For real.
My goal is to welcome the diversity of the neighborhood into the store by focusing on convenience and value. And that’s a daunting task. There are Filipino, Latino, union worker, and more recent Bernalese folks. But everyone needs a convenience store open early, closing late and having necessities–from ice cream, frozen food, snacks, beer, to little drugstore and hardware things. We’ll try to do this by having some pallet sales, sensible prices and ease of shopping on Cortland. Oh, and did I mention the deli? Its coming. Don’t have a date, but soon. Simple, down to earth, two-handed sandwiches and prepared foods.
Keeping lots of the old products–traditional snacks and convenience foods, but gradually adding in the foods neighbors request, like organic milk and basic healthy alternatives. More family oriented products. We love hearing what those requests are, so please stop in and let us know the kinds of things you’d like to see in the store
The building is this historic and really large space. It was built as a Safeway in 1926, and then in the 1970’s, the landlord (at that time he ran the grocery) took a crane and lifted 2 truck trailers over the houses in back to create permanent warehouse space. As we get the store running more smoothly and get to know our customers, we are thinking of lots of innovative way to best use the volume of space we have.
Me and most of the workers live in Bernal, so community isn’t just a buzzword–its a truth.
UPDATE: No fair to mention that the store used to be a Safeway, without providing a photo. So here you go; you can see Safeway/JC Market/Andi’s just left of the old Cortland Theater:
Since its existence was first revealed here almost one year ago, there hasn’t been much news about the new market and eatery at 800 Cortland that’s going in to the old Bernal Heights Produce store at the corner of Ellsworth.
As you recall, the new place will be operated by the folks from Harvest Hills Market on Folsom at Precita. And since your Bernalwood editor shops at Harvest Hills regularly, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to inquire about the progress of 800 Cortland.
Frankly, we haven’t learned much. We understand that there’s been some construction, and much time has been spent dealing with various City permitting agencies. Some new equipment has been installed, including an ice cream machine. Still, no word yet on a target opening date, other than soon, hopefully.
Oh, and based on the lettering that appeared recently on the side of the old truck Harvest Hills uses to haul stuff around, the new place may now have a name: The Harvest Cafe and Creamery. Coming soon. Hopefully.
PHOTOS: Top, 800 Cortland in May 2013. All photos by Telstar Logistics
Neighbors Paul and Liz, the soft-spoken proprietors of Paulie’s Pickling, didn’t give us the heads-up about this. No, we heard it from the street, in the Jweekly:
CHECK, PLEASE: A “Check, Please! Bay Area” episode featuring Paulie’s Pickling will debut at 7:30 p.m. April 24 on KQED-Channel 9, with many replays to come. Also, the show will air on KQED radio (88.5 FM) at 6:30 p.m. April 27.
“Check, Please!” features three Bay Area residents giving their opinions after sampling three local restaurants (each recommended by one of the participants). Paulie’s Pickling, a Jewish-style deli counter in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights, will be the first segment.
“I have no idea who nominated us,” said Paulie’s co-owner Liz Ashby, who was raised Orthodox in Newton, Mass. “But when the producers called and asked if we wanted to be on the show, I said, ‘Of course!’ Who would say no?”
Over a two-month period, the “mystery diners” came in to eat, and on two occasions, the KQED crew came by to do some filming and interview Liz and the other owner, her husband, Paul.
Neighbor Liz is right. Who would say no?
One quick P.S. about the whole “Best Jewish Deli in San Francisco” thing. There’s this. And there’s also this:
For Passover earlier this month, your Bernalwood editor had two actual Jewish grandmothers over for dinner. One Jewish grandmother was raised in Brooklyn; the other in Jersey City. With two actual Jewish grandmothers at the table, your Bernalwood editor did not want to run the risk of screwing up the traditional Passover brisket. So I asked Neighbor Liz from Paulie’s if I could order a few pounds of her rather amazing brisket instead, to serve to two actual Jewish grandmothers. Neighbor Liz said no problem, and it came with some wonderful gravy, and I heated it all up, and dayenu it was incredible. But you don’t have to believe me when I say it was dayenu incredible. Two actual Jewish grandmothers at our Passover table certified that the brisket from Paulie’s Pickling was dayenu incredible. They were very impressed.
So there you go.
Keep that in mind as you listen to whatever the mystery diners have to say on “Check Please, Bay Area” tonight. In your Bernalwood editor’s house, Paulie’s Pickling is Jewish Grandmother Tested and Jewish Grandmother Approved.
Alongside the planned perma-Kinfolk, EaterSF brings the news that Bernal Neighbors Taylor Pederson and Amy Reticker plan to open a new seafood restaurant at 803 Cortland, in the soon-to-be-former Blue Star Elephant space:
The new restaurant will be taking over from Thai spot Blue Star Elephant, which will shutter at the end of this month. Named for the Bernal neighborhood’s nickname of ‘Red Hill’, the new spot will be seafood-focused, with a raw bar (think oysters and clams) plus a rotating menu of seasonal, California-style cuisine. Pederson will helm the kitchen, and hopes to focus on sustainably-sourced seafood.
The new space will also serve as a fish market of sorts. Reticker, who’ll be running the front-of-house operations, says they hope to open at 4pm daily with an offering of market fish so that people can drop in, learn cooking tips from the seafood pros and take home something to prepare for dinner themselves.
we are excited and pleased to announce the birth of “Red Hill Station”!
we will be a small, 28 seat neighborhood place
there will be a raw bar, oysters, clams, mussels, tartares, in addition to an 8 item menu which will change daily…we plan on doing brunch saturdays and sundays.
For the last several months, Kinfolk has been popping up regularly for brunch and dinner at 903 Cortland. Well, it’s moving up.
The chef-owner behind the project is Greg Lutes, and he’s finally found a permanent location — and as it turns out, it’s just a few doors down from 903.
Lutes has inked a deal to take over 919 Cortland Avenue, which was most recently home to Pizza Express, though it’s currently home to a dirt floor. After a full build-out, Kinfolk is hoped to open this summer, with 40 seats — double the size of its set-up at 903.
Looks like another Bernal business is packing up shop — this time the Spice Hound of 331 Cortland (I initially read their notice as saying that all of 331 was closing… nearly had a heart attack).
This closure seems to add to a recent spate of businesses on Cortland shuttering for good, which strikes me as particularly odd given that Bernal is now the “hottest neighborhood in America.” But I suppose the good news is that none of these spaces are likely to stay empty for long.
As part of his ongoing video series about Bernal Heights personalities, Neighbor Steve Sisler points his camera at Neighbor Darcy Lee, the glamorous proprietor of Heartfelt on Cortland:
Serving the residents of Bernal Heights for over 22 years, Heartfelt is a treasured neighborhood gem. Reminiscent of an old-fashioned variety store with a modern twist, proprietor – Miss Darcy Lee has created a place where delight meets whimsy at the intersection of happy.
Bernalwood 