How Will New Ownership Change the Old Clam House?

March 30, 2011March 30, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 32 Comments

As if to prove that even the most timeless institutions don’t stay the same forever, change has come to the Old Clam House. The venerable eatery along Bernalwood’s eastern frontier has been in business since the days when Bayshore Boulevard was just a grubby plank road, and today it claims to be San Francisco’s oldest restaurant in continuous operation in the same location. But now it has new owners, a new menu, and new decor.

Tablehopper has the details:

The Old Clam House has been bought by the group behind The Stinking Rose (who also own Calzone’s, Bobo’s, The Franciscan, and the upcoming Salito’s/old Margaritaville in Sausalito). The restaurant has been around since 1861, and when it became available, Jerry Dal Bozzo was interested in picking it up—the group’s director of marketing, Brandy Marts, reminded me he has an interest in historical properties: Dal Bozzo was the one to reopen the Cliff House in 1973. They are currently updating the space room by room, refreshing the paint, chairs, and other touches. They are also working to reopen the patio, which will be glassed-in.

I had a chance to catch up with chef Andrea Froncillo, who walked me through the menu changes. He’s taking a lot of the fried dishes off, and modernizing some of the preparations (for example, he’s simplifying the cioppino, with reportedly good feedback from some regulars). He also changed the clams from cherrystones to Manilas due to some availability issues, and added prime rib to the menu. You’ll also see more salads and some lighter lunch options for folks who work in the neighborhood. You can peek at the new menu here.

I confess that despite years of saying, “I should try that place someday,” I’ve never eaten at the Old Clam House. Over on Yelp, some of the old-timers are complaining about the new changes, but, really, I should try that place someday. Have you?

Lastly, if you want to taste a genuine slice of neighborhood history in the safety and comfort of your own home, try making this 1915 Old Clam House recipe for Clam Chowder. The recipe includes bacon, so it must be delicious.

Photo: Tom Spaulding

Pedal On: There’s a New Bike Repair Shop in Bernal Heights

January 31, 2011January 31, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Great news for local fans of human-powered vehicles: There’s a new bicycle repair shop and frame-builder at 1637 Florida Street (between Precita and Peralta) on Bernalwood’s North Slope.

Actually, it’s two businesses in one: Bernal Bike for basic bicycle service, and Kroyer Cycles for frame repair and frame-building. Both are overseen by Sam Kroyer, a skilled bike mechanic who spent 12 years working at the venerable Valencia Cyclery in the Mission.

But don’t look for a regular storefront facade; Bernal Bike operates from the garage of Sam’s house, and we’ve received assurances that the business is fully licensed and blessed by the landlord. Business manager Erin McLachlan wrote Bernalwood to say:

Know us by the bike rack and the welcome sign. Kroyer Cycles is owned by Sam Kroyer, a bicycle mechanic for over 25 years and a Bernal resident for 16 years. The shop performs full-service repair and maintenance, custom builds, frame repair and warranty service. We carry inventory of replacement parts and necessities.

Photos: Kroyer Cycles

Yummy Cocktails at the All-New Royal Cuckoo

January 10, 2011January 10, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

All of a sudden, the intersection of Mission and Valencia Streets is a happening place to be. The homestyle cuisine at Blue Plate has been a go-to staple for quite some time, and SoCha Cafe was a nice addition. But now the block is really blowing up. Locavore is making waves, and another newcomer just opened its doors: The Royal Cuckoo.

A rustic bar specializing in haute-mixology, The Royal Cuckoo serves up some seriously yummy cocktails. Here’s what they had to say about it at Urban Daddy:

Introducing The Royal Cuckoo, an eclectic cocktail den that’s equal parts bar, music library and hunting lodge, open now in the Mission.

Now, while this dimly lit lair might seem slightly scattered in its presentation of old furniture and deer head, goose and armadillo taxidermy, it’s nothing a couple of stiff martinis can’t help make sense of.

With drink in hand—you’ll have your choice of classics, or riffs on classic cocktails, but we recommend the Moscow Mule made with cachaça instead of vodka, ginger beer and kumquats—head to the back of the long bar, where you can thumb through the card-cataloged collection of hundreds of vinyl records (unless the vintage Hammond organ is the night’s musical entertainment).

I’ll vouch for most of that — except for the part about the bar being in the Mission. (Bernalwood or La Lengua, take your pick.) I took the Royal Cuckoo for a test-drive last week, and it was fabu — the cocktails and the vinyl were inspired. Great flavors, great music, friendly barhops, and a really great addition to our glamorous neighborhood. By all means, do check it out next time you want to get your drink on. I predict you’ll depart as happy as I did. Tell them Bernalwood sent you…

Photos: Telstar Logistics

Will the Next Mary Lou Retton Train on Bayshore Boulevard?

December 14, 2010December 13, 2010 / lizweil / 1 Comment

Did you notice that small blue sign across the street from the monster Lowe’s?

With luck, 2011 might be the year that our ratty-ass Bayshore Boulevard begins to clean up its act. Word on the street is that American Gymnastics Club plans to open a new facility at 390 Bayshore. (Let’s show ’em some of that Bernal love!) We have it on good sources that American Gymnastics is the best gymnastics school for kids in the city, from preschoolers on up. If they’re successful over here, maybe House of Air or Planet Granite will follow — and put some of those big, underused industrial building to better use.

Image: Inside the new American Gymnastics facility. Photo by American Gymnastics