Fellow Bernalwoodians, we have our first Blackberry Alert of the season.
Reader Leslie sent along this photo, which was taken at approximately 6:54 this morning. She reports the blackberries were spotted in a bramble alongside Folsom Street, at the foot of the park portion of the Hill. Leslie said “the texture was firm and the flavor was tart, but still delicious,” adding that “it’s not a full situation yet, but definitely worth watching.”
If you were planning to get your drink on at the new Lucky Horseshoe (aka Ye Olde Skip’s Tavern) tonight, be advised that the grand opening has been delayed a few days, until Wednesday, June 29. Proprietor Lisa Marie wrote to Bernalwood to say:
During cable installation this morning our power was impacted. We are postponing opening until we can have everything checked out and running properly. To be safe we are giving it some room for error, so we plan to open Wednesday June 29 at 4:00 in time for the 2nd of the Giants doubleheader. We will have free wi-fi and a 55″ screen.
PHOTO: Telstar Logistics
In the grand tradition of velvet-rope stagecraft and buzz-building, the new owner of the former Skip’s Tavern on Cortland opened her doors for the first time during last night’s Summer Solstice Stroll to give the neighborhood a sneak preview of what’s to come.
Construction is still underway, and proprietor Lisa Marie told Bernalwood that the bar will officially open on Saturday. Meet Lisa (with apologies for the sub-par pic):
The plan, she says, is to install some additional acoustic insulation, with an eye toward securing the coveted entertainment license that’s required to offer live music (again). More details as we get them, but in the meantime, Christopher over at Mundohood is also excited about Lisa’s plans to offer specialty and seasonal beers.
UPDATE: There are new updates about what makes the new Lucky Horseshoe promising, and old reminiscences about what made the Old Skip’s great (not necessarily in that order) over at Mundohood. Check it.
PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics
A few BIA agents tipped us off to this, and Reader Nina delivered a photo, so we bring you the news: Dusit Thai restaurant on Mission (at Fair) is closing at the end of the month. The reason is a wholesome: The owners are retiring. But the loss will be felt, so get your pad thai on while you still can.
PHOTO: Reader Nina
Proprietor Claire Hoyt wrote to Bernalwood to spread the big news about the grand opening of her organic baby food business today, in 331 Cortland:
Wanted to share with you our late, but very real opening announcment.
We will be open everyday except Thursdays, 11-6. Sunday we close at 5.
It seems a bit odd to me that Bernal’s Locavore restaurant is a) rearranging its org chart like a Fortune 500 company, and b) issuing press releases about it. But with that caveat, Locavore just rearranged its org chart, and here are the details from their press release:
“We are proud to announce that we have promoted Jonathan Merritt to Executive Chef,” Locavore stated. “Jonathan has been acting in that capacity for several months and we are happy to officially recognize him” in the role of Executive Chef of the San Francisco organic restaurant.
In the food industry since he was 15, Merritt joined Locavore with experience and a dedication to excellence to match his ideas. After his studies at the Boise State Culinary Arts Program, Merritt moved to Portland, where he worked alongside several famous Portland chefs in successful restaurants including Pok Pok. Merritt’s expertise in French and Thai cuisine brings a new dimension to Locavore’s menu.
He replaces Locavore’s founder Jason Moniz as Executive Chef. Moniz will continue his role as a partner/co-owner of Locavore, but he will spend more time on special projects, including an expansion of the celebrated in-house sausage production.
I’m overdue for another visit to Locavore. Have you been? With Merritt now in command, how’s the food??
PHOTO: Inside Locavore, by Throgers
Let’s review some of the other things happening in Our Faire City, shall we?
An Illustrated Guide to Proper MUNI Etiquette (The Bold Italic)
The Red Vic Theater May Close Forever in July (Cole Valley Alley)
Clueless, Calcified MUNI Drivers Reject Proposed Contract (SF Examiner)
Mark Bittman LOVES Mission Chinese Food (New York Times Magazine)
Treasure Island Development Plan Approved by Board of Supes (SF Gate)
City Health Department Bans La Oaxaqueña’s Grasshopper Tacos (MissionMission)
Hipsters and Old Drunks Intersect at Clooney’s on Valencia/25th (Uptown Almanac)
Cool Video of SF’s Former Pacific Stock Exchange Trading Floor (SFist)
View from the Space Station, or Somewhere in The Mission? (Burrito Justice)
IMAGE: MUNI Etiquette by Bold Italic
Some people compete in triathalons. Others ride centuries. Still others scale tall mountains. But Bernalwood reader Cameron pushes the limits by eating everything on the menu at ICHI Sushi.
To celebrate our ninth anniversary, we went to our favorite Japanese restaurant — ICHI Sushi — and ate the entire menu.
This was an epic meal in every way. In 28 courses over four hours, we sampled every fish that was on offer and all of the hot and cold dishes. All of the raw fish was presented as sashimi.
The pictures in this set are in as close to chronological order as I can remember, from the oshinko opener to the last bite of tamago.
We had a wonderful time. Our thanks and love to Tim, Taka, Kendra, and the entire ICHI Sushi family.
Here’s the slideshow of the entire marathon meal.
PHOTOS: Reader Cameron
While pursuing the mystery of the Melody Cafe, Reader Colette also captured some high-quality intel on the future of Al’s Cafe Good Food, a few blocks to the north:
In other news, on my walk I happened upon the new manager of Al’s Cafe Good Food. The place does look much cleaner, and the manager was very nice to let me come in and take a look around. They have a wall with some interesting Hollywood murals on it, which they are trying very hard to save. (I never noticed them before because there was so much stuff inside.) And he said they are hoping to open this week. The Chef is someone who has worked in the hotel business in the past. I told him the restaurant had been much talked about in the Bernalwood Blog, and he was very excited to read about it.
UPDATE!
BIA Agent Otto brings the detail:
They have the new menu on the door, similar to the old one, a little different, and it says they are opening Friday June 10 as Al’s Super Cafe.
UPDATE 2:
I walked by this evening, and it does indeed look like Al’s Super Cafe is almost ready for business. Note the bottles of ketchup on each table, ready for duty!
PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics
It’s time for Bernalwood’s Friday buffet of warmed-over nibbles from around The City:
The 20 Best Dishes Under $10 in the Mission (7×7 via MissionLoc@l)
Design Unveiled for New SFMOMA Addition (SF Chronicle)
Don’t Forget the Carnival Parade on Sunday Morning!! (FunCheapSF)
Let’s Roll: Best San Francisco Food Trucks of 2011 (SF Weekly)
The Odyssey of the Original Beach Chalet at Ocean Beach (The Richmond Blog)
Planning Underway to Make Market Street Not Crappy (Streetsblog)
PHOTO: Carnival 2009 in the Mission, by Telstar Logsitics
Roll cameras! Lights! Quiet on the set! Aaaaaannnd ACTION!
Reader Otto of the Bernalwood Intelligence Agency wrote in to report that a fancy-schmancy camera crew was filming on location at the fancy-schmancy Avedano’s butcher shop last night:
I just walked by Avedano’s Meats, 235 Cortland, and there is a film crew there, right now, well 5:40pm or so. Sign outside says “you agree to be filmed…” for The Cooking Channel/Lion Television. There is a rental RV parked out front with production people lounging around. The nice lady at the corner shop next door says it is a London-based cooking show, they are filming all over town, they were filming in Chinatown earlier today, and they’ve been at Avedano’s for a while. That’s all I know – pretty exciting stuff, eh?
Yes! But then again, perhaps we should be used to this sort of thing by now, with so many food celebrities setting up shop our neighborhood, eh?
PHOTO: Gail Williams
This week, our neighborhood cocktailian at Underhill-Lounge has gone deep into the history of the Tom Collins via the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, which included this Friday-friendly recipe:
Tom Collins Whiskey.
(Use small bar-glass.)
Take 5 or 6 dashes of gum syrup.
Juice of a small lemon.
1 large wine-glass of whiskey.
2 or 3 lumps of ice.Shake up well and strain into a large bar-glass. Fill up the glass with plain soda water and imbibe while it is lively.
Tom Collins Brandy.
(Use large bar-glass.)
The same as Tom Collins Whiskey, substituting brandy for whiskey.Tom Collins Gin.
(Use large bar-glass.)
The same as Tom Collins Whiskey, substituting gin for whiskey.
PHOTO: Tom Collins by Underhill-Lounge
Bernalwood has been trying to find out more about the fate of Al’s Cafe Good Food on Mission Street, which closed in late April without any of the local tribute it deserved. In the meantime, Grubstreet brings the basic news:
Here’s a bit of shocking news that took a little bit to reach us across town: Al’s Café Good Food (3286 Mission Street), which has been serving up coffee and eggs to Bernal Heights for 50 years, is closed. Presiding over the place for four decades has been 82-year-old Jean Joseph, better known as Mama, and her 80-year-old sister Joanne, and in a Facebook post they call the closing a “bittersweet goodbye.” Jean Joseph was among a dozen Bay Area waitresses profiled in a 2009 book titled Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress, compiled by Candacy Taylor
As you can see from the snaps above, Al’s looks sad and quiet now, but fortunately there’s a vibrant gallery of photos from the cafe’s last day posted on the Facebook:
There was also this comment:
Thank you to all our customers, who have become more like friends and family over the years… Thanks for the memories and we love you all. Five generations of Al’s Cafe and 50+ years on Mission Street..Definitely a Bittersweet goodbye..
As soon as Bernalwood knows more, we’ll keep you posted on what the “new management” has planned.
PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics and Al’s Cafe
Bernalwood 