Doggie Diner was a chain of fast food restaurants scattered around the Bay Area. The franchise enjoyed its heyday during a mid-1960s expansion, during which it installed rotating doggie-head mascots above each of its 30 or so restaurants. The doggie-heads became iconic in San Francisco, even after the Doggie Diner chain shut down for good in 1986.
The restaurants are gone, but a few of the giant fiberglass doggie mascots remain. There’s a lonely, restored one on a pole in the Sunset near the zoo, and there are three happy doggy diner heads mounted on a trailer that are often seen parked outside strange subculture spectacles around town:
But did you know that Bernal Heights once had its very own Doggie Diner? With its very own fiberglass doggie diner head? With its very own polkadot bow tie and chef’s hat?
We did. Our Doggie Diner stood at 3100 Mission, at the southwest corner of Army (Cesar Chavez). Here’s a zoom and enhance of the image from 1975 shown up above:
Here’s a closeup of Bernal’s Doggie as it looked in 1981:
Even better, Neighbor Amos also immortalized Bernal’s Lost Doggie Head in a special tribute illustration, which we are very pleased to debut for all Citizen of Bernalwood here:
PHOTOS: Top, Doggie Diner 1975 via Amos Goldblum. Middle: Doggies on trailer by Tony Huerta. Doggie Diner 1981 via Jim Hair
The Palace is the name of the steak restaurant at the corner of Mission and Cesar Chavez that was briefly known as The Palace Steak & Pizza after it spent several decades as The Palace Family Steak House. Yet the name game is perhaps the least confusing thing about The Palace, which reopened under chef Manny Torres Gimenez in June.
For one, The Palace discourages walk-ins; diners are encouraged to make reservations by texting 415-666-5218.
Also, the Palace has an a la carte menu, but the focus is on are prix fixe dinners at $50 per person.
And most confusing at all is the fact that even though it still looks like the kind of greasy-spoon where Whitey Bulger would go to plot his next mob hit, The Palace now serves the kind of food that makes SF Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer swoon.
Earlier this year [Chef Manny] took over the Palace Steakhouse. Since he and his wife, Katrina De Porres, who handles the front of the house, have no investors, they did it all on their own. The interior is slightly more upscale, but there’s still paper napkins, bare tables and chairs that look like they came from a hospital lobby.
He invested most of his money in rebuilding the kitchen — putting in a rotisserie so he could roast whole animals, adding a French flat-top stove and buying equipment so he could produce better food. Now he creates a five-course savory menu for $50, as you can see in the photos above.
It doesn’t matter that the surroundings are little better than a diner; he’s now cooking food that he loves and would be at home at places like Michael Mina and Gary Danko.
With money running low, he had to open, so he still doesn’t have his liquor license. He hopes that if this venture is successful he will be able to close temporarily in January, blow out the ceiling, redo the interior and improve the dining experience.
He’s taking baby steps, but his passion for cooking shows on every plate.
Your Bernalwood editor feels like he has seen this movie before. We remember going to Mission Chinese Food quite frequently when it was just a bizarre hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant inside a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant, with a clever young chef named Danny Bowien who was cranking out mind-expanding Szechuan-ish cuisine at reasonable prices. Then this happened, and this happened, and this happened, and now Mission Chinese Food has ridiculous lines out the door every night of the week… which makes us incredibly happy for Danny Bowien, but very sad for our spicy Chinese food cravings. (Take-out, FTW!)
So while your Bernalwood editor has not yet dined at The Palace, it now comes highly recommended by both The Bauer and Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable, which is about as broad a spectrum of endorsements as one could possibly hope to get.
It also means that since The Palace sits at the foot of Bernal Heights, we should all check it out now, and as soon as possible, while we still can… before it gets so crowded in the future that no one goes there anymore.
Oh, and don’t forget to listen to the still-classic Palace Family Steak House theme song:
PHOTOS: Top, Telstar Logistics. Below, Chicharron at The Palace by John Storey, SF Chronicle
Last year’s Night Market street food festival at the Alemany Farmer’s Market site was a lot of fun — so much so that at the time we declared we really should do things like that more often.
You are walking through vibrant streets with the smells of food and the sounds of people making that food. Everywhere around you are people, sitting, talking, sharing over steaming bowls of laksa, pozole, or ramen. A couple on a corner leans into a plate of tacos, takoyaki, or brisket.
You could be anywhere, or everywhere, in the world. Instead, you are at La Cocina’s 2nd Annual San Francisco Night Market. It is August 16th, 2013, and you are at Alemany Farmer’s Market, one of San Francisco’s oldest landmarks. There is music, food, games from around the world, and, most importantly, wonderful people. It is San Francisco, of course, so it can be cold. But fear not: you have blankets and heat lamps. You are happy.
Join our La Cocina entrepreneurs and guest celebrity chefs who are collaborating to make delicious dishes from all over the world. This event is a benefit for La Cocina, a non-profit incubator kitchen, that you can learn more about here. Entrance is a $35 donation, and all food and drink is priced under $10.
Bernalwood’s sources in the foodie underground tell us that the selection this year will be excellent — and (PRO TIP!!!) especially the yakitori.
Get your tickets right here. Also (shhhhhhhhh!) Neighbor Arno from BernalBucks set up a deal so you can get $10 off your tickets if you use the “bernalbucks” promo code. Because you’re a local. Which has its privileges.
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.
Neighbor David has been spending a lot of time lately at the the new Cafe St. Jorge on Mission Street near Cortland. Cafe St. Jorge has been open for just a month, but Neighbor David writes to tell us why he thinks it’s a new neighborhood treasure:
SF has a pretty unique coffee culture: there are at least four major artisanal coffee-roasters in the city, and several more in the bay area overall. Except for Bernal Heights, many SF ‘hoods have almost as many coffee shops as they do traditional restaurants. Happily, Bernal can now bump up the count by one, with the addition of Cafe St. Jorge at Mission & Kingston Streets (in the space previously occupied by “The Nervous Dog”).
I’m an indie software developer, and like many indies, coffee shops are my de-facto office(s). I’ve been coming to Cafe St. Jorge since just after its opening on July 8th, and it has quickly become my go-to hangout.
Cafe St. Jorge is kind of non-traditional for an SF coffee bar. Unlike the industrial loft space of SightGlass in SOMA or the tightly packed, hipster-occupied Ritual on Valencia, Cafe St. Jorge is open, light, and airy, with a nice mix of music that isn’t blaring or jarring. Owner Andrea de Francisco has decked Cafe St. Jorge out in white and blues that evoke the seaside esthetic of the Azores.
The coffee is from Stumptown roasters, so it’s got a different profile that most SF roasts (lighter and sweeter) but the real kicker here is the food: Andrea has put together a unique menu of pastries, salads, charcuterie, and sandwiches, all with a Portuguese inflection geared toward bringing you a little slice of the Azores here in SF.
The pastries range from various Portuguese inspired cookies and other sweets, to coffee-cakes/muffins/cookies (many of which are vegan and/or gluten-free). They’re all great and a little too easy to eat a lot of. The cheese/charcuterie board is really delicious, and it’s more than enough for 2 people.
My favorite however is a sandwich she calls the “Tosta Mista,” which is a panini-pressed grilled cheese with ham that is irresistibly good. There’s even more on the menu, including a wide range of smoothies, fruit juices, and other goodies. They’ve put in for the beer/wine license too, so soon it’ll be a great evening hang-out spot as well.
In its short life, Cafe St. Jorge has already caught on with indie devs like me, as well as moms with kids, and more. The bottom line: it’s nice space, really friendly staff/vibe, awesome food, and best of all it’s right here in Bernal.
Attention oenophiles! And foodies! And oenophiles who are also foodies! Or vice-versa!
Neighbor Alder Yarrow is the founder and editor of the glamorous Vinography wine blog, and he’s underground-famous in Bernal Heights for the enthusiasm he brings to organizing neighborhood events that combine good wine with friendly mixing and mingling.
Recently, Neighbor Alder joined forces with Neighbor Mutsumi Takehara from 903 Cortland to launch “Taste of Bernal Heights,” a series of cozy wine dinners during which 36 people (in two seatings of 18 each) get the opportunity to taste some primo vino while Neighbor Alder acts as resident sommelier/entertainer for the evening.
Alder will be pouring hard-to-find wines from four of California’s hottest Pinot Noir producers to accompany an Asian-influenced, five-course menu created specifically for the evening by Mutsumi Takehara of Sandbox Bakery and 903 restaurant.
Alder will serve as host and sommelier for the evening, and will be available to answer your questions about the wines. Two seatings will be available: 5:30-7:30 and 8:00-10:00
MENU:
Stuffed Shishito Peppers with Shrimp plus Seasonal Fish Carpaccio
Farro Salad with Mint and Kaffer Lime
Mary’s Organic Roast Duck with Five Spice and Bing Cherries
Niman Ranch Pork Loin with Sautéed Mushrooms
Pinot Noir Poached Peach with Thai Basil Parfait
WINE PRODUCERS:
Peay Vineyards
Jamie Kutch Wines
Red Car Wines
Chanin Wines
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
There was sadness in Bernal Heights when we learned that Miss Heather had to sell the Rock Candy Snack Shop on Cortland so she could spend more time caring for her mother.
But we are very happy to report that the store is in good hands, as it prepares to morph into the Little Bee Bake Shop — a project of Bernal Neighbor Stacie Pierce, who was, until quite recently, the pastry chef at Chez Panisse.
Little Bee is so excited to be opening a shop in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco!
Come over and visit us at 521 CortlandAvenue right after Labor Day.
The shop will be a family friendly place for neighbors to come and enjoy ice cream treats, fruit tarts, cookies, and cakes. Little Bee will also offer take home and bake cookie and tart doughs, special occasion cakes, cupcakes, candies and tarts. Aside from the ice cream, all dessert items will be made in house with locally sourced and organic ingredients and can be eaten in the shop or taken away and enjoyed while strolling through the neighborhood.
Tierra Mia Coffee has opened a store in San Francisco. We have taken over the space that was previously the Way Out Café and Caffeinated Comics (and previously Taco Bell!), at 3188 Mission St, on the triangle corner where Mission and Valencia intersect.
Tierra Mia stands for “my land” or “my earth”, people will use it to describe where they are from in Latin America (town, city, state or country). Tierra Mia Coffee as a company is an artisanal coffee roaster who’s mission is to provide the freshest and highest quality Latin-inspired coffee, beverages, and pastries in a setting that is comfortable, contemporary, and highly reflective of Latin American culture.
On the Broke-Ass Stewart blog, writer Stephen Jackson likes to pair scenic hilltop vistas around San Francisco with contextually appropriate beers for in situ enjoyment. In his most recent installment — and just in time for July 4th! — Stephen selected an ideal beer for taking in the view from atop Bernal Hill.
He chose Moylan’s Irish Style Red Ale. Here’s why:
I even bought the beer at a great store on Cortland called Discount Club Liquors. They had a great selection–check ‘em out.
Very thoughtful. A historically well-informed choice. Just remember, kids… leave no trace! Enjoy your brewskis responsibly, and haul out those empty bottles with you when you leave Bernal Hill, please.
This is so great. If you have fruit trees on your Bernal Heights property, Neighbor Deborah from Montcalm Street is prepared to make an offer that’s hard to refuse: She will turn surplus produce from your fruit trees into tasty treats… and share the bounty with you.
Neighbor Deborah tells Bernalwood:
Summer is almost here! Or at least what passes for summer in San Francisco. Ripening fruit is hiding in plain sight on sidewalk trees, and I suspect much more is tucked away in back yards; more than the owners can eat.
I’ve decided to try a new project. I’ve been a home canner and bread baker for years, mainly for gifts and charitable fundraising. I’ve started to notice the fruit trees in our neighborhood, on the streets and in people’s back yards. I have a hunch much of that fruit is likely going to waste, so I thought I’d contact neighbors to see if people are interested in giving away some of their fruit in exchange for a few jars of whatever I can produce from it.
If you have a fruit tree that’s giving more than you know what to do with, I’m happy to take the produce and turn it into jam, sauce, or some other treat-in-a-jar and return a few jars to you in exchange. What better way to eat locally?
If you have fruit to share, please contact me at sfbernaljam *AT* gmail *DOT* com.
PHOTOS: Some of Neighbor Deborah’s fruity handiwork, via Neighbor Deborah
Business is booming at Ichi Sushi on Mission Street. The critical accoladeskeep coming, and there’s always a crowd at the door waiting to get in. That’s great news for Chef Tim Archuleta and his wife Erin, and Bernalwood couldn’t be happier for them — except for the fact that as Ichi’s fame has grown, it’s gotten steadily harder to get a table, especially on a Friday or Saturday night.
But last night was a Wednesday, and when a visiting friend declared that she wanted sushi, I saw my opportunity: Ichi! Midweek! On a Wednesday night! Yessss!
And so, with dreams of a friendly spot at the sushi bar swirling in my head, Bernalwood fired off an enthusiastic tweet to Ichi to warn them of our impending arrival. Ichi’s response caught us by surprise:
@Bernalwood bomb threat on mission. We were evacuated.
Yes, the San Francisco Police Department had cordoned off several blocks of Mission Street between Cortland and Virginia. The Bomb Squad was at the scene, along with several units from the San Francisco Fire Department. It seems a suspicious briefcase was found abandoned near a bus stop on Mission, and our City’s law enforcement authorities decided to err on the side of caution.
Happily, it all turned out to be a false alarm. The suspicious briefcase posed no threat, and after about an hour of nervous anxiety, the SFPD declared an all clear. The police tape came down, Mission Street reopened, and Chef Tim scrambled to recall his staff from the nearby Rock Bar, where they had wisely chosen to take shelter.
We're back open! Come have a kanpai with us, as we celebrate that the bomb scare was a whole lotta nothing — WHEW! Open 'till 10 tonight.
Bernalwood arrived at Ichi a short time later, by which point the place was already packed — as if the whole bomb scare thing had never happened. Blessedly, a space opened up after about 10 minutes, and our fantasy of snagging a coveted space at the bar finally came true.
All clear, indeed.
PHOTOS: Top, Rachel Leibman. Below, Jeremy Fitzhardinge
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
Bernalwood 