The Richmond District Blog

Ah ha!

2009-05-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

Unlike myself, some people with motivation and $10 to register a domain name have started a Richmond district blog over here.

It's pretty enough and updated enough to absolutely rob me of any further motivation to maintain this blog here. I may move back my hood observations back to my personal blog and send tips in their direction.

Green Apple interviews Frank Chu

2009-05-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Frank Chu does Green Apple Books 3 Easy Pieces (and why I read) from kevin hunsanger on Vimeo.

Is anyone else surprised at how lucid he is?

Burmese showdown!

2009-05-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

According to Eater SF, Pagan is opening a 2nd outpost in the Richmond in the former Eva's Hawaiian Cafe location, just a few blocks down from Burma Superstar.

Actually, its no contest for me. I only eat at Burma if there's zero wait.

Free admission to Cal Academy

2009-05-07T11:48:00.001-07:00

The beautiful and overcrowded California Academy of Sciences is free for Richmond district residents on May 15, 16 and 17. (Proof of residence required, of course.) More information on SF Neighborhood Free Days here.

Fresh and Easy moving in.

2009-05-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

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Fresh from the May issue of the Richmond Review: Fresh & Easy is moving into the space left by Albertson's off Clement. At last! I'm disappointed that it's not Trader Joe's because, really, how awesome would a TJs with a kajillion dedicated parking spaces?

Expected opening date is in 2010.

BRT update

2009-05-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

SFist reports that the dedicated center lane is the favorite option for the BRT project. You can read the report yourself here.

Do I like? Mm, maybe. This does complicate the last second sidewalk dash when you see the 38 coming. I do like the idea that you'd pre-pay your fare and boarding through all doors will be formally allowed.

Richmond library branch re-opening!

2009-05-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

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Hooray! Supervisor Eric Mar, City Librarian Luis Herrera and, of course, Gavin will be celebrating the grand re-opening on Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 1 pm. More information at SFPL.

Ideas for the 38.

2009-03-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Living in the Richmond, the 38 is a crucial component of my life, and I have some ideas of how you could get it to run more efficiently:

1. Make the beloved Limited the default route, which means that it runs all hours, 7 days a week, runs the most frequently, and has the different last stops (Ocean Beach, VA Hospital, etc.)

2. Keep the regular 38, but run it less frequently and split it into 38 West and 38 East. The buses then turnaround at some logical midpoint like Masonic.

My life along Geary Blvd is divided into two kinds of trips: long-haul trips to downtown, and short-haul trips to other parts of the Richmond, or to near-by neighborhoods like Laurel Heights.

How many times have you skipped a regular 38 to wait for the Limited because you needed to get across town? About three kabillion times, right? It makes the most sense to me that the busline with the most demand should get more buses.

I realize you can't completely get rid of the regular 38 line to accommodate the elderly and physically disabled. But why run the regular 38 all across the city? Are there a lot of passengers that need to take the regular 38 across town, which takes like an hour and a half? My instinct says No.

So, optimize it for short-haul trips down Geary. Divis to Fillmore. 25th Ave to 6th Ave. Run the shorter buses and have it turnaround sooner.

Not everyone is going to be well-accommodated with these changes, but I think this config more accurately reflects the needs of the majority of 38 riders.

More non-sushi Japanese...

2009-03-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

I passed by what used to be Qigong* on Geary & 19th today and it seems its a Japanese place now that may actually be owned by a Japanese person! Kappou Gomi. It had an enormous menu of meats and fishes prepared every way you can think of and a smaller noodley soup and donburi selection. Kappou Gomi also sternly warns:

This is pretty exciting since Volcano appears to be a bust so far, according to Yelpers.

*Confession: I only ever remembered Qigong because of Star Wars Episode I.

Volcano - Curry of Japan

2009-02-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

Sushi Bang on Geary & 19th is becoming Volcano, apparently serving Japanese curry. I Googled the name and only found the logo artist's website.

Is it just me, or all the sushi places giving way to shabu shabu and ramen? And now curry? Not that I'm complaining. I'd do anything to reduce the sushi presence in the Richmond.

Update: what would we do without Tablehopper? Here's Volcano's website.

Booze + clothed ladies

2009-02-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

The latest Green Apple newsletter tells us that the Suicide Girls will be promoting their latest book at the 540 Club later this month. To wit:

Lately, Suicide Girls has gone from a "membership-only pin-up website" to encompass magazines, tours, and books, their latest called Suicide Girls: Beauty Redefined, featuring more of their trademark pictorials and style. Some Suicide Girls will be there to talk shop and sign books. 21+ only.

Friday, February 27 at 8:00 pm
Suicide Girls at the 540 Club
(540 Clement, just a few doors down from our stores)

Bonus link! Did you read Carl Nolte wax poetic about 6th Ave?

Yum cha!

2009-01-28T12:31:00.001-08:00

SFGate covers the one reason people outside of the Richmond come to the Richmond: dim sum. There's a handy pictorial guide for newbies and a lengthy list of dim sum places to check out.

You know what's strange? I read this list last night and they didn't have Ton Kiang, which, next to Yank Sing, is the most popular dim sum place for white folks in San Francisco. But, Ton Kiang's on the list today. Production oversight, or quick write-up? We'll never know.

I also kinda hated that some of the commenters didn't feel Chiang had the authority to give dim sum advice because her restaurant was Northern Chinese. It's a kind of racism to say that if you're not white, you can only be an expert of the cuisine you've grown up eating.

Manslaughter conviction for parking spot murderer.

2009-01-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

Back in 2006, two men fought over a parking spot on Geary & 3rd and one man stabbed the other to death. I had forgotten about the story until today when I read that the primary suspect Sarith Soun was convicted of manslaughter.

The second defendant Pounloeu Chea was convicted of just a misdemeanor assault charge, but he seems to be the more visible player in this story. Chea was the subject of a PBS documentary about his struggles as an immigrant and apparently had an affair with a paralegal from his defense team.

Wacky.

More on the deranged murderer... and parking.

2009-01-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

SFGate followed up its previous story on the Office Max murder with profiles of the alleged perpetrator and the victim.

And, in less terrifying news, they re-painted parking and traffic lines on Balboa Street out near the Balboa theater.

At last. Sword training.

2009-01-10T18:23:00.001-08:00

The Shaolin Temple opened their San Francisco branch today at Geary & 19th! Information on how to correctly defend yourself against a team of assassins at the website.

Holy crap, deranged bloody murder at Office Max!

2009-01-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

This story is mostly about the heroics of the two men that detained the murderer.

But, apparently, a mentally ill man started STABBING A GUY at the Office Max on Arguello. The victim, Ryosuke Yoshioka, owned Sushi-Man downtown.

I'm kinda speechless, frankly. I just bought a lamp there the other week.

Watch your snotty tissues, folks!

2008-12-23T15:43:00.001-08:00

I was riding the 38L westbound, and at Masonic, some kids snatched something from a woman's open purse and dashed out the rear exit. It happened so quickly, none of the passengers reacted.

It wasn't her wallet or her phone, so hopefully she wasn't missing anything important.

We have a new supervisor (kinda.)

2008-11-07T21:43:00.001-08:00

It seems the elections department can't call a race until all the ballots are counted. But, as of 2:11pm today, Eric Mar received 51.62% of the votes in Round 2.

Evergreen Pharmacy is closing its doors.

2008-10-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

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Ya, you know the one.

We got a letter in the mail saying that all patient records and cashiers would be moving to the Safeway on 7th.

The pharmacists there were some of the nicest I ever met, but Evergreen had the business hours of a by-gone era: they closed at 6p and weren't open on Sunday.

Their last day is this Tuesday, election day.

Also: Cabana Cafe on Geary & 18th didn't last long. It seems they're turning into a Posh Bagel. With House of Bagels just a couple of blocks up? Ballsy.

Free Land's End tours.

2008-10-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

Who knew? There are free hiking tours of Land's End every Saturday at 2pm. More info and more free city tours at SF City Guides.

Presidential Debate at the Balboa

2008-10-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

The Balboa, my favorite neighborhood theater, will be showing the next presidential debate on their big screen. And it's free! Tuesday, October 7th. Doors at 5pm, starts at 6pm.

Speaking of politics, I kinda feel like the District 1 candidates are gathering together for debates and forums and tea parties and whatnot, and the community isn't being informed about them. Did you know there was a debate on 9/22 at the police station? What the hell. That might've been useful for, I don't know, voters to attend.

Next debate is this Monday 10/6 at Star of the Sea from 7pm - 8:30pm.

Jordan McKay vigil

2008-09-29T14:03:00.001-07:00

From SFist: there will be a vigil bike ride tomorrow September 30th in remembrance of Jordan McKay, the cyclist that was recently shot and killed at 15th and Cabrillo.

More details on the memorial website.

McKay's murder is still an open case and his family encourages you to contact the SFPD if you have any information.

Traffic Calming Meeting

2008-09-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Fresh from my actual physical mailbox: the MTA is holding a meeting regarding the Central Richmond Traffic Calming project on Thursday, October 2nd at 7pm at the Hebrew Academy on 14th Ave and Balboa. They welcome community feedback. (This means you.)

You can view the project details on the MTA website. Here's a map of the proposed changes:

If you want to know what a traffic circle or a bulb-out is, read the PDF here.

So, it seems Funston and 14th Ave are getting a lot of attention. If your block ain't, this meeting is probably a good place to bring up your concerns

Road rage!

2008-09-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

There's anger out on the roads.

First, an elderly pedestrian is struck at 20th yesterday. Also yesterday: a road rage stabbing on 18th!

And, at around 2am this morning, a bicyclist is shot and killed at 15th and Cabrillo. The peanut gallery in the comments section speculate that it was probably someone living in Golden Gate Park, not a Lance Armstrong-type.

Have you been push-polled?

2008-09-08T12:23:00.001-07:00

Fog City Journal reports that political telemarketers posing as pollsters are maligning supervisor candidate Eric Mar's record.

That's pretty dirty.

Chron features Congregation Beth Sholom's new building.

2008-08-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

John King likes it. Commenters seem to hate it and think it belongs in SOMA.

I dunno, I kinda like it.

I agree with one commenter, though: I thought they were building a half-pipe when I saw it half-way through construction.

Muni's new proposed bus route changes.

2008-08-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

SFist helpfully un-PDF'd the Muni TEP's bus route modification recommendation and posted it to their Flickr feed. I've helpfully gathered up all the bus lines that run through the Richmond here. SFist hit their maximum quota on Flickr, unfortunately, so a couple of the lines link directly to Muni's PDF. (Them's the breaks.)

You can see Muni's PDFs in all their glory. A text-only description is there, too.

I am disturbed mostly by the predominant recommendation of simply "running the buses more frequently." What does that mean? More buses? Realistic time schedules that drivers can meet?

1
1AX
1BX
2
5/5L
18
21
28
28L
29
31
31AX
31BX
33
38
38L
38AX
38BX
44

Eatwell opens up 2 more spots.

2008-08-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Eatwell, the CSA we subscribe to, opened up two more pick-up spots in the Richmond for Fridays. They're located at 26th & California and 47th & Fulton.

Sign up now and you won't miss out on the sweetest darn tomatoes you've had in your life.

More information on Eatwell and what the heck a CSA is at their website. You can also view videos of baby chicks, piglets, wheat harvesting and more from the farm on YouTube. I'm strangely fascinated by the video of the workers packing the boxes.

Biz developments

2008-08-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

I just perused the latest Richmond Review and saw that Safeway wants to renovate their store on La Playa! The plan is to build a new structure with housing and retail spaces next to the old one and not close the old building. (Whew!) Neighbors, naturally, are concerned about parking, noise and ne'er-do-wells. No plans are set and details on the web are lacking, but you can read the story in the August 2008 issue. Safeway says that a website about the project will be coming soon.

Also, our fair supervisor Jake McGoldrick says the Alexandria will be replaced with a complex containing a one-screen theater, retail spaces and a restaurant. No plans are set, and the site is going through an environmental review right now.

I love that the owners want to keep a single screen movie theater in the neighborhood.

The "Other" Chinatown: Shopping with Naomi Friedman

2008-07-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Looks like there'll be a foodie tour of the Inner Richmond on Saturday, August 9th. From the website:

The "Other" Chinatown: Shopping with Naomi Friedman

Naomi Friedman, Culinary Educator

Discover a hidden gem in our own backyard! In the past 10 years, Clement Street in San Francisco's Inner Richmond has evolved into the "other" Chinatown. This bustling neighborhood is brimming with Asian restaurants, specialty food and teashops, discount stores, and a feng shui supply store. These will be the focus of your shopping experience. Enjoy lunch at the multi-starred Tudo Vietnamese restaurant and stop at Green Apple Books, an outstanding source for used and obscure cookbooks.

MLF: BAY GOURMET
Location: Corner of Clement and 11th Ave. (there is non-meter parking on Funston)
Time: 9:15 a.m. check-in, 9:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. program
Cost: $70 members, $82 non-members
Program Organizer: Miriam Chall

More info on the Commonwealth Club website.

Long-awaited openings!

2008-07-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

* Royal Market & Bakery finally opened on Geary & 18th!

Do I know anything about Russian delis? Almost nothing. I will say this: it's the largest, most spacious of the stores along Geary that specialize in these types of goods. There's a fresh produce aisle, and a young couple seemed ecstatic that they had a certain brand of packaged sausage they (apparently) love.

* Out on Geary & 23rd, Wirth Brothers Bakery has been replaced with First Cake, a Chinese bakery. Initial Yelp reviews are positive, and are strangely characterizing it as a cheap alternative to Schubert's But, maybe they were asking for it with their daintly decorated mango mousse cake and the princess cake.

I brought your standard Chinese mixed fruit cake to a birthday party and it is Mom-approved. So, there's all the endorsement you need.

* Puzzling: the Tart-to-Tart on Geary & 18th became the much-improved Cabana Cafe, but everytime I pass by, there's no pastries for sale. Just a drawing of a cake taped to the glass case. What a tease.

Green Apple's commercial for July's book of the month.

2008-07-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

I have a problem deciding if this is cheesy or endearing. Atmospheric Disturbances does sound interesting, though:

"The catalyst of the novel is Dr. Leo Liebenstein, a psychiatrist convinced that his wife has been replaced by an imposter - a very convincing imposter, but a fake nonetheless. His firm insistence on this unshakable belief leads him on a disorienting, quixotic journey to the literal ends of the earth - a journey filled with cookies, doppelgangers (or, "dopplergangers" as they are called in the novel), dead men, and a succession of narrow escapes. On top of that, Leo has the secretly-waged battle over the fate of the weather to take into account."

Cinema Supper Club opens with Vertigo - 7/10/08

2008-06-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are sponsoring a summer film series with a San Francisco theme, kicking off with Vertigo on July 10th.

From their press release:

The festivities begin at 6 pm at the Legion when visitors will notice a classic Jaguar similar to Madeline’s parked in front of the entry. Inside, an artist will paint the infamous “Carlotta” portrait that hung in the galleries overhead. A series of “then and now” photos reveal what happened to key locations around San Francisco that were used in the film. The Legion Café will present a menu of mid-century modern classics and the “Carlotta-tini” cocktail. Period dress is encouraged.

If that wasn't awesome enough, the museum itself will be open for perusal as well.

If all those things were not awesome enough, then steel yourself for this news: July 31 - So I Married an Axe-Murderer.

Will there be period dress for that screening? Where's my giant cappuccino cup...

Anywho, tickets are available for purchase at MuseumTix.

Block party time!

2008-06-19T18:17:00.001-07:00

ORBA (The Outer Richmond Benevolent Association!) is sponsoring a BBQ this Saturday at Alamo's schoolyard on 22nd between Clement & California.

Bring food and yourselves. Grills and a DJ will be provided.

Weather is going to be great, I reckon, so remember your sunscreen!

Chihuly opening at the de Young

2008-06-15T22:02:00.001-07:00

On stage is Loopstation, a really haunting combination of an alto, a cello, and a looper.

Green Apple is not closing.

2008-06-10T16:10:00.001-07:00

But their Clearance Store is!

All books will be $.50 this Saturday and Sunday only. Then, there'll be a sweet party on Sunday from 5-7p with live music and last minute deals.

Join the bookish fun at 248 Clement Street at 4th Ave.

Buy books like you buy oranges.

2008-05-20T11:35:00.001-07:00

Green Apple wants to clear their Clearance store ASAP, and will be selling books for $0.99/lb these final weeks. Says their newsletter:

Gold is $13,859.36/pound;
Filet mignon is $20.00/pound (at Guerra's on Taraval);
The current issue of The New Yorker is $14.40/pound;
Jujubes are $9.44/pound;
Uncle Ben's brown rice is $3.36/pound; and

all used books at our Warehouse Clearance Sale are $0.99/pound.

If you agree that books are more valuable than Jujubes, please come browse the grand finale of our sale store at 248 Clement (@4th Ave.). The store is better organized than it has ever been, and a quick check this morning showed many good reads still on the shelves.

Waiting for fried chicken...

2008-05-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of notes...

My husband and I visited Hard Knox Cafe on Clement & 26th on Friday and so did everyone else. It took about an 1-1/2 hour to get a bacon cheeseburger! The fried chicken was excellent, though. I'd like to go again, but after the grand opening excitement wears off.

Also, I noticed that they've set an opening date for the Salvation Army store next to the produce market on Geary & 4th for early June.

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day!

2008-05-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Ride your bike to work with our very own district supervisor Jake McGoldrick tomorrow morning at 7:30am starting at the Blue Danube. Will McGoldrick be wearing matching spandex bike jersey and shorts? One can only hope.

More info on the SF Bike Coalition website.

Love on the 31-AX

2008-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

SFGate has a cute story about a couple who met on the 31-AX and are having a Muni-themed wedding.

Best quote?

The happy twosome won't, however, be taking public transit to the nuptials. "We don't want to arrive late," Wu said, laughing.

Help the library renovations by stuffing your piehole!

2008-04-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday in April, the following restaurants will donate a portion of the day's earnings to support the completion of the Richmond and Anza libraries.

Angelina's Cafe & Catering
Bill's Place
Clement Street Bar & Grill
Katia's - A Russian Tea Room
Nibs Bakery
Old Shanghai Restaurant
The Richmond
Tommy's Mexican Restaurant
Troya

More info is surely at the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library website, which is down right now. Harumph.

More artists announced for the Outsidelands concert

2008-03-24T18:39:00.001-07:00

Tickets go on sale this Sunday at 10am for a whopping $225. Exhaustive information on the shows is here.

Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jack Johnson, Beck, Wilco, Manu Chao, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Widespread Panic, Primus, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steve Winwood, Café Tacvba, Broken Social Scene, Regina Spektor, Devendra Banhart, Cold War Kids, Galactic’s Crescent City Soul Krewe, Lyrics Born, Andrew Bird, Steel Pulse, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, M. Ward, Drive-By Truckers, ALO, Matt Nathanson, The Cool Kids Two Gallants, Dredg, Little Brother, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Donavon Frankenreiter, The Mother Hips, Black Mountain, Sidestepper, Nellie McKay, The Coup, Goapele, Bon Iver, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Sean Hayes, The Felice Brothers, Rupa & the April Fishes, Back Door Slam, K’NAAN

Big frickin' concert in August.

2008-03-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is coming to Golden Gate Park August 22nd - 24th.

The headliners? So glad you asked. Jack Johnson, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Radiohead, of all people.

I'm contemplating renting my driveway as a parking space. ;)

Hard Knox Cafe & Clementine news.

2008-02-26T16:47:00.000-08:00

The latest news from this week's tablehopper:

~HARD KNOX CAFÉ~ in Dogpatch is going to be opening a second location in the Richmond by the end of March, possibly early April! They are moving into the former Greco Romana space that sadly closed due to a fire a while ago. The menu will mostly be the same, with a few potential additions since the space will be twice as large as the current location, about 85 seats. There will be a mezzanine, and the plan is to keep the rustic roadhouse look. Their fried chicken is so good. Ditto on the spicy chicken sandwich! 2448 Clement St. at 26th Ave.

It's been over a month, and no one from ~CHAPEAU!~ ever calls me or emails back (I'll leave out my own word with an exclamation point) to discuss the changes at ~CLEMENTINE~. So, here's what I do know: a while ago Philippe Gardelle of Chapeau! took it over from Didier Labbé, who is off to Rio de Janeiro—in fact, you can still hear Didier's goodbye message on the old answering machine. (Uh, time to change it, don't ya think?!) And after a brief closure, it sounds like the new menu is supposed to have some differences from the Chapeau! menu, plus there's a full bar. My info is derived from this helpful blogger's post (thanks Fuzzy Chef), who also mentions, "a green color scheme with a copper bar." That's all, folks! 126 Clement St., at Second Ave. 415-387-0408.

OMG, big proposed changes to Muni.

2008-02-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Read it here.

Notable notes:

* 2-Clement would turn around at Clement & 14th.

* Our beloved Express buses would add a stop at Van Ness.

* The addition of a 5-Limited.

The public can comment through the website and at public workshops in March and April.

Purse-snatchers caught.

2008-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sheesh, I thought the Richmond was kinda boring, but it appears several people got mugged in broad daylight over the weekend in the Richmond and Sunset. They were caught on Monday.

Kabuto redux; and, benvenuti Tiziano.

2008-02-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

This week's tablehopper brings us news about Kabuto's well-loved original chef and what's replacing Karamanduka on Clement & 19th.

Chowhounders have been reporting on sushi chef ~SACHIO KOJIMA'S~ guest nights at Isa in the Marina. Kabuto A&S fans will remember him from years back, before he sadly sold his restaurant on Geary and moved to Mt. Shasta due to his wife's failing health. The good news is his wife is doing better, and Sachio San is serving a special sushi menu at Isa every Monday–Thursday, until March 27. I took a peek at the menu, and there is a variety of nigiri and sashimi, including amaebi and sunazuri (yellowtail belly), plus some rolls, like outside/inside rolls, including one with avocado out and tempura shrimp in, and there is Sachio's spicy tuna too, as an appetizer, or a roll. Come by and say kanpai! 3324 Steiner St. at Chestnut, 415-567-9588.

...

Scheduled to open next Monday, February 25, in the former Karamanduka space in the Richmond will be a 50-seat Italian restaurant, ~TIZIANO~, from the same owners of Breezy's and Hayes & Kebab in Hayes Valley. The menu will feature Italian dishes from a variety of regions, although Tuscany will figure prominently. It will be open for lunch and dinner daily, 11am–2:30pm, and 5pm–10pm. 1801 Clement St. at 19th, 415-422-0502.

Does that part of Clement St need another Italian restaurant? Does America need another Tuscan restaurant? I can't say I'm not a fan of Italian, though...

Space for holistic practitioners.

2008-02-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

Dana Leslie on Arguello & Clement has taken over the lease of the building she works out of and is looking for a few good renters:

I will be looking for like minded holistic practitioners or therapists to share the space with me. I will have 3 offices to offer at rates from $700 - $850 a month all inclusive. Each office has unique qualities from size, sun exposure and street visibility.

I will retain my space and redecorate the waiting area with an oasis, zen type feel. Bring the outdoors in. Yeahhhhhh, so much fun. I am also considering using the wall space for an artist to show their work. I would like a 4 month commitment and together do an opening party for each new artist.

Interested? Dana's contact info is on her website.

Happy Belly Foods

2008-01-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

The crew that brought you Namu is opening a storefront on Balboa & 3rd. In its previous life, this was the place that sold mattresses and had hand-painted anti-Chris Daly rants on the side of the building. (Your guess is as good as mine, bub.)

According to their website, they'll offer: "Ciao Bella gelato, premium sake and wine, prepared meals and signature delectable foods!"

Starbucks' quarterback sneak.

2008-01-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

Curbed SF has the story on Starbucks trying to sneak into the Inner Richmond after the residents ousted them from Geary & 5th.

Two confessions: I didn't know that Safeway opened up again! Is it worth shopping at?

Also: I love the sugar and caffeine bomb known as Starbucks' Chai Latte. Nobody does it better. I would gladly sip local if someone did, but I haven't found anything even comparable in my neighborhood.

Fried chicken! Catfish! BBQ!

2008-01-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

It seems Hard Knox Cafe will be opening up a 2nd branch on Clement & 26th in the former Greco-Romana Pizza location! There's a banner hanging up on the boards.

I am, in a word, ecstatic. I can count the number of times I've had good fried chicken on my left hand.

The Return of Buffalo Burger.

2007-12-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

The newly expanded Buffalo Burger on Geary & 17th Ave re-opened its doors yesterday. Around noon today, the place was already filled: 3 nannies, a couple of lone men, and one very, very excited Washington High student and his companion. Things are not quite fully operational (the menu isn't hung up yet, and they didn't have any chicken today), but that isn't stopping people from filling up the place.

Bonus commentary: I think shabu shabu is going to be the next Asian food trend. There's a new place on Geary & 17th where the old Round Table used to be, and another one under construction a couple of blocks down.

Shopping for the holidays.

2007-12-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

A couple of shopping events are happening in the area for the holidays. First up:

To paraphrase the flyer:

A Special One Night Only Shopping Event at Clement Street
What: Participating boutiques and cafes will be open until 9pm.
Where: Clement St, between Arguello Blvd & 4th Ave
When: Thursday, December 14th, 2007

I received this flyer from April in Paris, a custom leather handbag shop. If you happen to have a few thousand dollars to drop on a handbag, this is the place to go. They do offer some more modestly-priced items, like these iPhone cases, which cost more than your iPhone.

Gorgeous, no? It's funny, I never once wanted a Gucci or Fendi handbag, but would probably pass out with euphoria if I were to own one of Beatrice's bags.

And then, on the following Saturday:

Local, homemade crafts for you and yours. Fresh and hip designs! Wouldn't you love these plates under your tree?

I thought so. Check our the Bazaar Bizarre next weekend in the county fair building in GGP.

Clementine is sold to Chapeau.

2007-12-04T17:52:00.001-08:00

I caught this news item in SFGate:

Taking over: Didier Labbé, producer of some of Scoop's favorite and most reasonably priced French food at San Francisco's Clementine Restaurant (126 Clement St., near Second Ave.), is Brazil-bound to be closer to his kids.

Labbe is selling Clementine to Philippe Gardelle, who has an almost cult-like following at his restaurant, Chapeau (1408 Clement St., near 15th Avenue), 13 blocks up the street.

Gardelle plans to keep the Clementine name and signature pain perdu and warm blue cheese tart on the menu, which otherwise will be redone. He'll cook full time there when the new restaurant debuts in February after a face-lift.

In effect, Gardelle will move the Chapeau food to the larger Clementine. His wife, Elaine Gardelle, will spend her time at Chapeau, which will have a simplified menu and slightly lower prices.

Pot de Pho.

2007-11-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

(Is Geary & Parker still the Richmond? I don't think it is, but I won't quibble.)

In the space that was Spanish-Fly-that-was-Straits-Cafe, a new Vietnamese restaurant is coming. According to Tablehopper:

The project is from chef Khai Duong of Ana Mandara, who has transformed the former Spanish Fly space into a total pho headquarters, with room for 60. It will offer the magic combo of organic (whenever possible) produce, meats, poultry, and seafood, and affordable, traditional Vietnamese dishes, with entrées averaging $9–$10, topping out at $15. The pho will feature house-made noodles in rich broths made from Kobe beef and free-range chicken bones. There are six variations, with some featuring organic chicken or seafood imported from Vietnam, and natural grass-fed Black Angus beef. The house-made noodles will be made in the traditional Vietnamese manner, with bean sprouts in the noodles. Dishes will be served with traditional sides, like cilantro, scallions, basil, lime, pickled onion, and hoisin and chile sauces. The pho soups will start at $6; there will be a small and large size available.

There are other dishes like pork and shrimp imperial rolls; soft shell crab rolls in cold rice paper with avocado; braised organic pork belly with pickled bean sprouts; and rice chicken Hainam, a Chinese dish that is popular in Vietnam. The beer and wine license should be in effect any day now, but they might not have it in time for the opening next week, so you may be choosing from their selection of organic fruit drinks, smoothies, and coffees and teas in the meantime. Hours will be 11am–10pm, and until 11pm Fri–Sat, closed Mon. 3300 Geary Blvd. at Parker, 415-668-0826.

It sounds pretty good, but are people willing to travel to the nebulous neighborhood between the Richmond and Western Addition (Upper NOPA? Lower Laurel Heights?) for a bowl of noodles? Let's hope it's a bigger draw than Spanish tapas.

Sweet ride for sale.

2007-11-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

(original post at http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/489375004.html)

pedal cab for sale - $300 (richmond / seacliff)
Date: 2007-11-25, 6:57PM PST

rickshaw style pedal cab for sale. painted with the colors of the jamaican flag. has seen minimal use, and is working great. has a custom stereo built into the seat. the sky is the limit with this thing.
email me for a time to come ride it.
asking $300 or best offer.

Meta-news thingy for your neighborhood.

2007-11-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Your Street gathers news stories on the web and displays it on Google Maps in a cheerful, Web 2.0 format. It's kinda slow, and the Richmond district stories seem to be just about real estate. Still, kinda neat to play with.

Volunteer training for oil spill clean-up.

2007-11-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Lots more info at sfbaykeeper.org

Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Certification
Saturday, November 17th
County Fair Building
9th Ave & Lincoln Ave in Golden Gate Park
One Training at 8am-12pm and one at 1pm-5pm

RDNC honors Ruth Asawa.

2007-10-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

photo from ruthasawa.com

Ruth Asawa is an artist that builds elaborate wire sculptures, some of which can be seen at the DeYoung.

The Richmond District Neighborhood Center is throwing a little shindig to honor her on Thurs, October 18th from 6 - 8:30 pm. Gavin will be there!

More info at the RDNC website.

Stay dry.

2007-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

The Chronicle's Mark Costantini took this gorgeous photo at Geary & 26th today.

WWII grenades found in creepy house on 22nd.

2007-10-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

Curbed SF has the story about the bomb scare on 22nd Ave last week.

That's not the most shocking part: that house sold for $900,000, according to trulia.com. ABOVE asking price! What!

I walked through during an open house and let me just say, there was caution tape.

More FUF plantings...

2007-10-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

I was reading the latest police newsletter and noticed the Friends of the Urban Forest are doing another tree planting in the Richmond. Sign-ups end on October 19th!

Straight from the horse's mouth:

Friends of the Urban Forest Tree Planting in the Richmond!

Registration Deadline: October 19th

Perimeter: Park Presidio Blvd to 25th Ave, Lake to Geary

Contact: Mark Phelan, Mark.T.Phelan {at} pjc.com

When: Saturday, November 17th

Details: You are invited to plant a tree in front of your house or business between Park Presidio Blvd and 25th Ave, Geary to Lake. Normally, the cost of planting a tree on your own would be over $300, but if you plant with Friends of the Urban Forest, the price is only $150!

Trees help to reduce air and water pollution, reduce energy costs, beautify the neighborhood, increase your property value, block wind, absorb noise, and build community spirit!

To contact FUF call 561-6890 x101.

Other areas that are working to gather more participants for a tree planning date include:

• Great Highway to 42nd Ave, Geary to Fulton: Chris Binstadt, binstadt {at} hotmail.com – aiming for Spring 2008.

• 25th Ave from Lake to Geary, Beth Lewis, balewis {at} cwnet.com – she has
special funding for 7 more trees only!

• Park Presidio Blvd to Arguello, California to Geary, Amy Molinelli, molinelli {at} rocketmail.com – she just started and is building a team.

• We are looking for someone to organize 38th to 42nd Ave as well

I hope nobody in the Inner Richmond wanted to call for a pizza.

2007-09-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

SFGate reports that a construction mishap killed the dialtone for 1,300 Richmond residents. Everyone should have service restored by Friday night. That's a long time without internet!

Some business news...

2007-09-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

I was on vacation and I missed the big news that the residents successfully repelled Starbucks from opening on Geary & 6th Ave. Wow!

Other things I noticed on a walk today...

- Video Cafe (Geary & 21st) brought down the partition separating the front and main areas and has replaced their prehistoric TVs with Toshiba flat screens. Now, if only they would get posters from movies after 1990...

- The work they're doing on Geary between 17th & 18th that is spanning a couple of former storefronts is for a deli/bakery called Royal Market.

- Buffalo Burgers (Geary & 17th) is expanding into the Healthy Heavens spot.

- John Campbell's Irish Bakery (Geary & 20th) has this thing called a snowball which is AWESOME. It's a round cake with a raspberry jam filling and then rolled in coconut. $2 a pop.

Did I miss anything else while I was gone? Send me an email!

Pay by cell.

2007-09-05T10:09:00.001-07:00

Matier and Ross report that there's a pilot program coming to 9 off-street parking lots in the Richmond, West Portal, and the Marina that allows people to pay parking meters by cell phone.

The big advantage? The service will text you when you're about to run out of time, and you can re-up from your cell phone. Neat!

There's a place to get pulled pork in Golden Gate Park!

2007-09-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

I read in this week's Tablehopper that there's a place to get souther-style BBQ in Golden Gate Park at Fulton & 47th Ave.

They call themselves Ironwood. I call myself, "So, so there."

SFist's Blocker on 3600 Balboa.

2007-08-29T12:27:00.001-07:00

SFist's Blocker decided to focus on the 3600 block of Balboa this week.

ANOTHER pedestrian hit by Muni.

2007-08-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

Story at SFGate.com, followed by a lively debate of who's at fault.

Three Bees Nursery celebrates the big 2!

2007-08-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

Their website is down, but their spirits are not!

Three Bees will be having a little shindig with music and snacks on Saturday, August 18th to celebrate their 2 year anniversary. According to the signage, "We're going to celebrate like it's 1999... again."

Contact info is also on Yelp.

Muni bus kills elderly pedestrian.

2007-08-15T15:42:00.001-07:00

SFGate has the story. I have to say that crossing Park Presidio at Balboa is scary for me during the day, and I'm much younger than the victim.

New installation at Park Life.

2007-08-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

An opening reception for artist Chris Ballantyne's installation at Park Life is this Friday, August 10th from 6-10p.

The website describes Ballantyne's work thusly:

Chris' work focuses on the spaces our eyes ordinarily overlook - culverts, roadsides, and lawns.

Overlooked spaces? Sounds like the Richmond to me! ;)

Starbucks plans to another location at Geary & 4th.

2007-08-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

And, by God, these people are going to try to stop them.

I'm not anti-Starbucks, but there is a huge density of coffee shops around 6th Ave, so I don't see much of a point of opening one up there.

The Board of Supes will hear out opponents tomorrow, Tuesday August 7th.

Friends of the Urban Forest tree planting!

2007-07-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the Central Richmond FUF tree planting. Friends of the Urban Forest Planting Coordinator Christian Drake said it was the largest turnout of neighborhood support he'd ever seen! Go us!

More photos are here.

For the Eat Local types...

2007-07-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is probably old news to you, but I just discovered that 6001 California offers vacuum-packed Marin Sun Farms beef at their meat counter. I remember seeing ground beef, tri-tip, flank steak and stew meat (which I got two bags of.)

NextMuni signs are popping up!

2007-07-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

I spotted a NextMuni sign at the shelter for the 38 heading westbound at Geary & Presidio Ave! And it was predicting arrivals!

It seems SFMTA might make good on their promise to bring NextMuni to the diesel lines by the fall.

Au revoir, Coronet!

2007-07-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Over this past weekend, the Coronet was finally demolished. So sad!

So many memories, and now its rubble. It's a shame there wasn't more media coverage, I would've been interested in seeing the wrecking ball swing.

Children's Playground in GGP reopens.

2007-07-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today's SFGate.com article has photos of some pretty thrilled-looking kids.

Kids were given a commemorative cardboard for the cement slides!

Zazen Cafe is now Malisa's Coffee Shop.

2007-07-14T16:18:00.001-07:00

The change from Zazen to Malisa's just happened 3 days ago. The drink and food menus (including pasties, which I had today) seem to exactly the same for now. The books and crafts also sold in the cafe and the polite signage warning you not to browse are gone. On the other hand, it seems that the back patio will be spruced up and opened up for customers? We love outdoor seating!

The handover was friendly, it seems, as the new owner says the old owner still frequents the place.

Bargain Bank is closing!

2007-07-07T13:57:00.001-07:00

The Bargain Bank on Clement & 7th is closing for good. It's last day is July 28th.

As of today, it seems stuff is marked down 20%. I went today to see if they had anymore melamine bowls with the retro cereal box designs on them, but, alas, they did not.

Plenty of cheap wine and shampoo, however! And hats shaped like a birthday cake with candles.

Rest in peace, Beverly Sills.

2007-07-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

World renowned opera singer Beverly Sills died yesterday. I'm not an opera buff, but I recognized the name from Bill's Place menu. Did Ms. Sills dine at Bill's after a performance and a burger was named after her in commemoration? Did she fling bread crumbs into the koi pond at her visit? One can daydream.

Looking Back into the Future

2007-07-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

The opening reception of Park Life's new rotation of art is this Friday. See a preview here.

BeyondChron on recalling McGoldrick.

2007-06-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

An article about how trying to put the recall on the Feb 2008 ballot would be a big mistake.

New World Market: now with produce!

2007-06-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

New World Market on Geary & 21st is now offering bins of fresh produce outside. How're prices? I noticed lemons are 4 for $1 and cantaloupes are $0.89 each. Not too shabby.

Sure, Richmond Produce is only a block away, but if all you need is a carrot, you won't have to fight the crowds here.

Last chance for a tree.

2007-06-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

Considering I've just created this blog and exactly two people (my husband and myself) know about it, I doubt this message will reach the right people in time. Nevertheless:

You have until June 29th to contact Christian Drake at the Friends of the Urban Forest to get a tree in front of your house. Our neighborhood planting is on Saturday, July 28th, and I, for one, cannot wait.

Welcome!

2007-06-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

I always thought it'd be great to have a blog dedicated to news and happenings in my neighborhood, the Richmond district in San Francisco. So, instead of waiting for someone to do it, I'm starting it here!

Send in suggestions or volunteer to blog yourself if you live in the Richmond. (I promise not to check your water usage to prove your residency.)

Stay tuned!