This Week In Noe Valley: Whole Foods To Offer Wine Tasting, Incanto's Legacy, And "Twerps With 'Tudes"

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Whole Foods wants an "Instructional Tasting License" to go with its beer/wine license [CA ABC]
• Noe Valley NIMBY house makes the Wall Street Journal [WSJ]
• "In December, almost 40 percent of the home sales were all cash." [NYT]
• Our post last week prompted a lively discussion of parking etiquette (Curb Your Enthusiasm FTW) [SFist]
• More on the legacy of Incanto [Inside Scoop]
• Can't get over the queueing in this timelapse of shuttle buses loading [Paul Supawanich]
• Techies ruined San Francisco a long time ago and we all survived [Salon]
• Noe Valley is where it's at [@Kitty_Morgan]

[Photo: kslatzlifestyle]

What's Next For Noe Valley Deli?

The recent issue of the Voice rumored that Karim Balat has sold Noe Valley Deli, but didn't provide any details for what's to come. We did some digging and here's all we were able to find out:

• Karim isn't saying.
• The ABC license application was filed on Jan 14 and is transferring to Je & June, Inc.
• Je & June, Inc is incorporated in Lake Forest, CA, and as far as we can tell has operated a single business called T-Shirts Plus since about 2009 and has had mixed reviews.
• T-Shirts Plus has been sold and is currently in escrow set to close on 2/11.

So. No ideas other than it's unlikely to be a T-shirt print shop with a beer/wine license. Any crowd-sourced rumors for what we can expect at 4007 24th St?

This Week In Noe Valley: Tuggey's Clearing Out, Angry Birds Hit Big Time, Pup Photos

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• ABC7 gets emotional, highlights bathroom graffiti and can't spell "Tuggy's" [KGO; Also: KGO six months ago]
• O'Greenbergs to become Palladin with ABC license transfer [Grubstreet]
• NoPa, Outer Richmond and Parkside edge out Noe Valley for competitive bids [SFGate]
• Noe Valley's angry birds make the national news feed [MSNBC]
• Photos of your pup by Jesse Freidin tomorrow [K9ScrubClub]
• Set your child on the path to effective cyber security [NewsBiscuit]
• Insane promo filmed on San Francisco's streets [YouTube]

NVV: We Read It So You Don't Have To

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are highlights from the latest issue. Links are to items we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until mid-month.

April 2012

Front Page: The Town Square project is looking for a hero with $2 million or more to keep the dream alive; Alvarado school is getting solar panels; a Diamond St. couple has created Just Cook Foods, a specialty foods company (they make meat rubs) for busy foodies.

Letters: A reader decries the condition of the Harry Street steps (an extension of Noe St. from Laidley to Beacon) and calls them a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act; in memory of Sybil Abeyta; an M.D. advises how to approach dogs (ask before you pet) on 24th St.

Features: The over-the-top $3 million+ redo of the Dolores Playground opens March 31; a re-run of the exact same story that ran last month about the Jan 2012 appointment of Mission Captain Robert Moser (oopsie!).

Short Takes: Garden tour 2012 set for May 19; Easy Breezy frozen yogurt still coming soon.

Cost of Living in Noe: Still red hot.

Store Trek: Saru Sushi

Rumors: Lots of grouses and gripes. Also, the "commercial blogs" report Tuggey's is struggling and the building is for rent; Tuggey's owner Dennis Giovanoli loves Noe Valley so much he's considering "moving to the city;" Whole Foods has withdrawn its application for an ABC license to sell spirits; Luv a Java has received the go-ahead to serve more food; Scott Wiener's new chief of staff is Andres "Parklet" Powers.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Opening Saturday: Noe Valley Wine Merchants

We've been watching the space at 3821 24th St since last summer when Eater SF announced that Urban Cellars would become Noe Valley Wine Merchants. And while the space has been ready since last fall, the ABC license was finalized just last week. Today Eater announced NV Wine Merchant will open this Saturday:

The rebirth of Urban Cellar as Noe Valley Wine Merchants (3821 24th St.) is set for this Saturday. New owner and 24-year retail wine biz vet James Mead has renovated the space to include a tasting room where he plans on holding bi-weekly tasting events. Mead says the store will also stock some spirits geared toward the "home mixologist" as well as "99 bottles of micro- and craft-brewed beers."

[ESF: Coming Soon: Noe Valley Wine Merchants]

Tidbits: 24th Street Updates

While we weren't watching Raquel Settles Metalsmith opened up at 4128 24th Street -- once destined to be Noe Soup and before that part of the BJ Droubi Empire. The tiny jewelry store carries one-of-a-kind handmade items (earrings/necklaces made from antique glass buttons from the UK, for instance) and also does repairs.

Raquel Settels Metalsmith
4128 24th St
(415) 821-9979
raquelsettels@gmail.com

Other happenings on 24th Street over the last few weeks:

• Two spaces are being painted (and no longer have For Rent signs): the old J+J Market and Bespoke. Workers on site were unable to provide any info.
• The former Urban Cellars storefront is also showing signs of life as it edges closer to becoming Noe Valley Wine Merchants -- plasterers set up shop inside this week. License still pending, BTW.

Food Bites: 3 Pending Licenses, 2 New Sushi Places And More Love For La Ciccia

Lots of food happenings around Noe this month: Eater SF reported today that the space at 3821 24th St will be another wine store. A wine/beer/liquor license is pending for Noe Valley Wine Merchants. No word on the expected opening date or if St Clair's will protest.

Kama Sushi looks about ready to open at 1497 Church St (formerly Amberjack). The awnings have been reworked, there is a monitor in the window presumably to show pictures of food (a new take on a classic) and they have a website pending. The beer/wine license is also pending.

In other sushi news, the space formerly known as Tamasei Sushi has a name (and also a pending beer/wine license): Akai Saru.

Finally, La Ciccia made Food & Drink's list of Top 10 Italian Restaurants in the World (page 103). Salute La Ciccia. Not so much to Food & Drink calling La Ciccia a "Mission area eatery."

Sign Of The Times: St. Clair's Liquors

A reader sent this note highlighting yet another business feeling the pressure Whole Foods is exerting on neighborhood businesses to step it up a notch:

So I started out today dropping off a pair of boots at Mike's Shoe Repair. Then picked up a nice bottle of scotch and some wine at Plumpjack followed by some fresh seafood and produce at Whole Foods. On my way to 24th St Cheese Co I passed the attached sign at St. Clair's Liquors. I stopped shopping there years ago because of high prices and mediocre selection -- long before Whole Foods moved in.

What's this all about? According to the ABC, Whole Foods is pursuing an off sale liquor license.

The sign reads:

Whole Foods Market is hurting many businesses in Noe Valley. However, they are not done yet. Whole Foods Market is determined to hurt more businesses in our community. Call supervisor Scott Weiner [sic] at (415) 554-6968 or email him at Scott.Wiener@sfgov.org and let him know that you are against Whole Foods Market selling LIQUOR in Noe Valley. Please, protest to the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control by filling a protest form.

Hmmm...Bell/Ralph's/Delanos sold beer/wine/liquor and St Clair's survived. And St Clair's has its own predatory history.

Meanwhile, Urban Cellars, Bell Market and GrayStone (24th/Castro) are all gone. Given that there are fewer places to buy liquor in Noe Valley than 10 years ago we're not buying St Clair's protest.

Little Chihuahua To Take Over Bistro 24

Yet another great tip from a reader:

...Some people have overheard the owner of The Little Chihuahua saying that he plans on opening a 2nd restaurant near 24th & Castro. It sounds like it might be the Bistro 24 space. Build-out to be complete in late May or June. Little Chihuahua, if you've never been, makes a damn good burrito... rivaling Papalote IMHO.

We sent a note to owner Andrew Johnstone but haven't heard back yet. But check this out: Stefano Coppola has (finally?) sold his beer and wine license to Andrew Johnstone, who intends to open The Little Chihuahua at 4123 24th St. Status: pending.

What to Expect? From Little Chihuahua's website: "Our goal is to make delicious, healthy, Mexican-inspired food, while at the same time, make choices that help protect our Earth. The key to our concept is preparing food fresh and in-house, with a conscience." And don't forget the beer and wine.

Stay tuned.

Update: we heard from Andrew Johnstone:

Yes! The rumor is correct.

Hopefully we will be open in May after some interior updates to fit the concept. We will be operating with the same menu and format as our Divisadero restaurant, with both takeout and dine-in etc. We will expand into our brunch menu once we are up and running.

We are very happy to be coming to Noe Valley. The bigger space will be great and we are excited to share what we have to offer to the neighborhood.

[The Little Chihuahua]

Urban Cellars: Busted Again

Urban Cellars' license has been suspended again for selling to a minor, and this time they've been shut down for 15 days. They'll reopen this Friday unless there's something we don't know. (Hmmm... is it really that hard to check ID?)

On a related note: That change of ownership mentioned in the comments last time? Application withdrawn. Anyone know more?

[NVSF: Urban Cellars: Closed By ABC]

Urban Cellars: Closed By ABC

As the sign in the window hints, Urban Cellar's license has been suspended for 5 days for "Operating Condition Violations" and "Exceeding license privileges". We've tried to contact the manager but haven't heard back, so we're left to guess that they likely got busted for offering tastings. Most other violations carry stiffer penalties. Anyone know more?