Closed: Porcellino

After a very brief run as a local all-day restaurant/market serving small plates, sandwiches and pasta in the old Incanto space, Porcellino is closed for good.

A sign in the restaurant window and a brief post on the Porcellino site today announced the sad news:

Porcellino is now closed. Please accept our sincere thanks for the 12+ years of support and friendship. For salumi, please visit Boccalone in the Ferry Building or online at bocalone.com. For great Italian food and hospitality, we encourage you to visit our friends down the street at La Ciccia and La Nebbia. Wishing you and your families a holiday season filled with health, joy and laughter.

The closing is a sudden but not entirely unexpected (we’ve never seen a crowd there for lunch). No word on what’s going into the space next but chef and partner Chris Cosentino’s newest restaurant, Cockscomb, will be opening very soon in SOMA – which may have something to do with the timing of Porcellino's demise.

One bright spot: Locals looking for prepared meals will soon have another option nearby. The owners of Bom Dia Market at Sanchez and 29th tell us they hope to open this weekend and will have pre-made Mediterranean dishes for sale as well as organic produce, beer and wine. Eater has uploaded the opening menu here.

This Week In Noe Valley: Orange October, Harvest Fest, And Other Signs of Fall

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

• It was Harvest this weekend and Scott Wiener was there [@Scott_Wiener]
• So were Carol Kingsley and David Campos [Carol Kingsley and @DavidCamposSF]
• Orange October indeed: Beautiful Noe Valley sunsets [ktmow and andrewgodwin]
• And the hayride not operated by Uber [brianalvey]
• A short video of Trolley Dancers that rode the J-Church line this weekend [swim97]
• And an in-depth piece about said Trolley Dancers [KALW]
• Bom Dia corner market gets closer – and they're hiring [Good Food Jobs]
• Sorry #NoeDads – Hooters is not replacing Bliss Bar [San Francisco]
• A discerning review of Rare Device [SF Girl by Bay]
• After a recent facelift, Noe Valley Bakery launches a Kickstarter to raise $19,000 for...a facelift (because France) [Kickstarter]
• Man rear-ended, then pistol-whipped at 24th and Dolores [SF Examiner]
• KRON goes to the scene of the crime and interviews neighbors who feel less safe now [KRON4]
• Beware of this potentially dangerous Comcast scam [@paulettebleam]
• An in-depth review of Porcellino's pork ragu that survives from Incanto [SFGate]
• Meanwhile, Cosentino hopes to branch out at his new restaurant Cockscomb [SFGate]
• San Francisco and Noe Valley are tops for trick or treating once again [Zillow]
• Are there any grown-ups in SF? Yes, and they're all at Urban Putt [SFGate]

[Photo: NVSF]

This Week In Noe Valley: Sightglass Coffee And Rare Device Arrive, Mystery Street Faces Solved

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

• Rare Device is now open on 24th St [@raredevice]
• Blue Ova Health fertility center moving into the former FIMA Photography spot [Blue Ova]
• Stript Wax Bar opens 10th location - replaces Church Nails on Church St [Stript Wax Bar]
• Noe Valley Bakery will reopen Monday with a Sightglass Coffee bar [@noevalleybakery]
• Peekaboutique clothing store on Castro at 24th reportedly for sale [@shaketini]
• Mysterious "BINIs" arrive in Noe Valley in several spots – they're a project of local artist Bruce Hallman [@F6x and MissionLocal]
• My Little "Ponistry of Sound" cruises the hood [@rr]
• Don't mess with Monique Soltani: No love for Patxi’s [WineOhTV]
• Chris Cosentino's favorite offal in SF [Eater SF]

[Photo: Birds on a wire via Courtney Scott]

Destination-Worthy Incanto Closing, To Be Replaced by Neighborhood-Oriented Porcellino

If you want to visit Incanto, Chris Cosentino's Noe Valley restaurant at 1550 Church St, you had better go soon -- the 12-year-old dining spot famous for its whole beast approach is closing after dinner on March 24th. It will be reopen as Porcellino later this spring for lunch, dinner and  with retail sales. (If you're wondering, Porcellino ("piglet") is the Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar by Pietro Tacca.)

The menu won't be as adventurous as Incanto's snout-to-tail fare but look for salumi plates, sandwiches, salads and pasta plates that cater to the neighborhood. The retail portion will sell wine, olive oils, pasta and other take-out friendly items.

Cosentino will remain a partner of Incanto and guide the menu, but will focus mainly on his upcoming venture in the old Zuppa place in SOMA. Fellow partner Mark Pastore will remain in Noe Valley.

Paolo Luchese has the full scoop here.

[Inside Scoop: Incanto to close this month and be replaced by Porcellino]
[Image: Incanto]

This Week In Noe Valley: Town Square Reactions, Betabrand's Cosentino Clothing, Local Kale Chips and More

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

• The Chronicle notices Noe Valley wants a new town square [SF Chron]
• Grumpy person complains she'd prefer parking to a park (Ed.--note all the empty spots behind her on 24th) [ABC7]
• Betabrand wants input on a line of Chris Cosentino chef clothes including butcher briefs and meat socks (via @offalchris) [Betabrand]
• Those kale chips at Luv a Java? They're handmade by a Noe Valley entrepreneur trying to survive [SF Gate]
• Just how hot is Noe Valley? A realtor runs the numbers [Real Data SF]
• Easy Breezy makes a connoisseur's top froyo list [Froyo Girl]
• More kids in SF schools, and more parents pleased [SFUSD]
• A Victor Reyes mural on a Noe garage [via @ArtAround]

[Photo: Of Recreation: Fog creeping over Twin Peaks]

This Week In Noe Valley: Election Results, Food Truck Reform, And The Perils Of GPS Directions

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

• San Francisco voted (Certified results post December 4th) [SF Elections]
• Dennis Herrara helped clean up a blighted Noe Valley property [SF City Attorney]
• Truck driver follows GPS, gets stuck in Noe Valley [ABC7]
• Scott Wiener wants to make access to food trucks easier while protecting existing restaurants (and kids) [SF Biz Times]
• Chris Cosentino with Michael J Fox [@MeatMaven]

[Photo: @pud]

NVV Nov 2012: 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 notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories until the middle of the month.

November 2012

Front Page: Local authors roundup; neighbors rally to help families displaced by fires; interview with Top Chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto.
 
Letters: A complaint about a screaming child at a restaurant (and the rude backlash); a long explanation from Scott Wiener about tree removal as part of Glen Canyon Park improvements [PDF].

Cost of Living in Noe: Inventory is tight - which means most homes sold quickly and for more than their listed price (including this one with a checkered past that sold for 45% over asking).

Store Trek: Mill (3751 24th St.)

Rumors: The Town Square project has raised $435,000 of the $2 million needed; Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg bought a house near Noe; a vague unconfirmed rumor that the corner at 24th and Sanchez that First Republic had tried to occupy has been rented to "a retail store, probably clothing;" the owner of the old Mikey-Tom Market space that was most recently Kohler Jones wants to sell, not rent; Playhouse is closed; Crafthouse is replacing Joe's and planning to open Dec. 1.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV Oct 2012: 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 notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories until the middle of the month.

October 2012

Front Page:  Harvest Fest is coming on October 27th; praise for Scott Wiener (update to the sidebar: Scott is introducing legislation to ban public nudity in SF); diary of finding a rental in Noe; Dems think Noe will be Blue this election (again).
 
Letters: Newcomer to Noe has tons of suggestions for how things could better; remembering Missy, a sweet dog; a touching recollection of working at the Noe Bar & Grill during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.

Features: Meth-addicted copper thief's 24th Street house sells; stolen packages.

Cost of Living in Noe: Bidding wars are still driving up home sale prices, as much as 4-13% over asking. Rent? $5,500/month on the high side for a 2 bedroom.

Store Trek: Olive This Olive That (304 Vicksburg St.)

Rumors: Music in the Park was a hit, but no mention of how much it raised (Philz had a great day); the commercial space we've been watching at The Luxe will be a property management office, not retail; "by Halloween" Heliotrope will post an announcement that they're moving (Oh wait, they did that already); DavidsTea opening Oct 27; a Holey Bagel bagel "tastes better than it looks;" Chris Cosention of Incanto wins Top Chef Masters; Vietnamese-Thai fusion restaurant "appears to be ready to open" - or not. Farmer's Market reports a 52 person surge in attendance.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley: Top Chef In Noe Valley, Whole Foods Turns Three, And An Awesome Passive Aggressive Note

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

• Incanto's Chris Cosentino wins Top Chef Masters final; Mark Pastore pens a great Letter [Inside Scoop, Incanto]
• This neighbor doesn't understand some basic rules but writes a great note [@LarsenPro]
• Whole Foods Noe Valley turns three on Saturday and there will be a party of sorts [@immortalsrun]
• San Francisco is the best city to live in regardless of haters in the comments [Businessweek]
• A Lovejoys offshoot is opening in Pacifica [Patch]

[Photo: Penseroso]