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 stories we've covered.

February 2009

• Whole Foods is on the way. There's a front-page article, a 2 color full-page ad promising "early fall" and other mentions throughout.
• A priest is upset about an Obama candle at Just For Fun. (Ironic, no?)
  
• 24th Street merchants worried about closure of Bell Market, but optimistic that Whole Foods will bring more foot traffic to the area.
  
• Obits: Dave Cannata (co-owner of Hidden Cottage B&B); nice memorial to Blake Egoian.
• Cost of living in Noe: the national economic meltdown has hit Noe Valley, but only a little. It's still expensive to live here.
• Crime Beat? Still happening. But now, in the Age of Obama, NVV features a Peace Blotter "showing how neighborhood conflicts can be resolved without threats, litigation or a call to police."
• Short Takes: NVDC forum, Bethany moving to the Mission during renovation.
• Rumors: Not much...except: "Harry Aleo's estate was worth nearly $24 million," and many of his Noe properties are for sale now (we believe it's all the buildings with Barbagelata signs). The parking lot across from his office may be named for him, because he was the president of the Merchant's Association in 1959 and championed the purchase of that land as a parking lot for the commercial district.
• A full page (ad?) dedicated to the schedule at the Upper Noe Valley Rec Center. Also available online.
• Notably not in the NVV: pictures of Noe Valley residents who've schlepped the Voice to far off places. Sign of a soft economy?

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Incanto: Elevating The Brunch Conversation In Noe Valley

Sure ... Chloe's, Savor, Toast and now City Grill attract hoards of people looking for classic brunch for a value. But now Incanto is raising the bar -- according to Mark Pastore in his periodic Letters from Incanto:

The menu will showcase the best of Incanto and will prominently feature Boccalone meats including all of Boccalone's fresh sausages, guanciale, pancetta, and sanguinaccio.

This Sunday's menu will include a black truffle mortadella panino with potato-leek salad, house-milled whole wheat polenta with poached farm egg, and a brunch version of our legendary handkerchief pasta. We will also feature Incanto's award-winning Italian wine program and a not-to-be-missed Roman Bloody Maria.

Expect stretch Priuses to drop off savvy foodies this and every Sunday between 10am and 2pm.

Incanto
1550 Church St
(415) 641-4500

[Incanto]
[NVSF: Tweeting Offal]

Food Bites

A quick round-up of the latest Noe Valley food news:

Deep Sushi: No solid evidence (yet), but Eater is reporting that it's been sold. Possibly to people involved with Ozumo. At any rate, still closed.

Chocolate Covered: It doesn't come in a gold wrapper, and you can't win a trip to the factory, but you can track the progress of the cacao beans used in your $16 Chocolate bar. Your purchase will also pay for a new tree in the rain forest. Made locally, and only available at Chocolate Covered on 24th St or in the Financial District at Fog City News.

Bernie's is hosting girlbiz again this Saturday (Feb 7) from 9am-1pm.

1298 Church St: We checked in with Regent Thai about the "high end vietnamese" restaurant at Church and Jersey. A staffer said the owner has placed the project on hold, but we've been unable to get a hold of the owner. Anyone know more?

Contigo: Brett has recieved over 1000 applications for 16 positions so far. And? Still advertising.


[Eater SF: The Shutter]
[SFGate: S.F. chocolate-maker introduces $13 bar]
[NVSF: Shop Local: girlbiz!]
[girlbiz]

Whole Foods Responds

We sent a note to Andrew Calabrese, community liasion for the Noe Valley Whole Foods, asking him to keep an eye on comments related to the 24th St location. He just sent this update:

I’ve been reading the blog and will keep reading in order to investigate and find answers for any questions or concerns that arise. I’ve met with NVMPA, the Farmer’s Market, Upper Noe Neighbors and the Dolores Heights Improvement Club. So far most of the questions that have come up have been the same as listed from the Upper Noe Neighbors.

The primary concern, it seems, from most meetings was the access to food for the elderly during the construction. I can say that our Development Team has approved a limited service shuttle to take folks to other markets during this time. Currently we’re researching for a service to handle this and pricing for review and approval. NVMPA, along with Peter Gabel and Leslie Crawford from the Farmer’s Market, are also working on other options such as encouraging other local shops to carry additional items and setting up a smaller farmer’s market on another day during the week for a few hours in the afternoon/early evenings.

I did pass some of the other questions on as well and Glen Moon, our VP of Store Development has confirmed that the store aisles will be built wider to make stroller access easier. Also, regarding the parking lot will be for Whole Foods shopping only, but will not be so strict as to disallow customers from briefly visiting other local shops in addition. As far as an ongoing shuttle service once the store is open and/or a delivery service (to make it easy for customers to walk to the store without having to carry home multiple bags), we’re open to both of these ideas and will research.

As mentioned, the Planning Commission hearing is scheduled for February 19th. We are asking for members of the neighborhood to come and speak on our behalf to make the transition as smooth as possible.

As always, please post comments/concerns/suggestions in the comments.

[NVSF: Update: Whole Foods]
[NVSF: Confirmed: Noe Valley Whole Foods To Preserve Existing Building]
[NVSF: Noe Valley Democratic Club Town Forum]

Doorstep Menus: Lotus Garden

San Francisco restaurants are required to post inspection scores where patrons can see them. But not all restaurants cater to eat-in customers - they do most of their business as take-out or delivery. Here we report inspection scores for restaurants leaving menus on Noe Valley doorsteps. We'll update the post for each eatery as new information becomes available.

Name: Lotus Garden Vietnamese Restaurant
Address: 3216 Mission Street

Current Score: 96/100 (Oct 2008)


High Risk: none
Moderate Risk: none
Low Risk: Non-food contact surface unclean; Floors, walls, ceilings improperly constructed, in disrepair, not clean

Previous Inspections:

None.

Getting a doorstep menu that we're not? Send us a picture of the menu and we'll post about it.

[Health Code: SB 180]
[SFDPH Scores: Environmental Health]
[NVSF: All Doorstep Menu Posts]

Confirmed: Noe Valley Whole Foods To Preserve Existing Building

From a reader (emphasis ours):

First thank you for your blog. I live in Noe at the corner of Sanchez and Elizabeth and very much appreciate reading our neighborhood news. As many, I am very interested in the Whole Foods upcoming remodel. I received a notice of hearing from the SF planning dept over the weekend as I live less than 300 ft away from future WF.

I called Elizabeth Watty at the SF planning department to review the WF plans in advance of the public hearing scheduled on Feb 19, 2009.

She was very clear and told me that no other changes than interior remodeling were planned. No changes would be made to either exterior building or parking. The only outside change will be paint color. I hope this helps.

[NVSF: Update: Whole Foods]

This Week at the Planning Commission

A weekly look at Noe Valley projects in front of the Planning Commission. Information is provided by the Planning Commission, and taken from its published agenda. All hearings begin at 1:30pm, Room 400 in City Hall.

3645 23RD STREET - south side between Fair Oaks and Guerrero Streets; Lot 032 in Assessor’s Block 3647 - Mandatory Discretionary Review, under Planning Code Section 317 requiring review of residential demolition, of Demolition Permit Application No. 2007.10.10.5010, proposing to demolish a one-story, single-family dwelling in an RH-3 (Residential, House, Three-Family) District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and approve the demolition permit.

3645 23RD STREET - south side between Fair Oaks and Guerrero Streets; Lot 032 in Assessor’s Block 3647 - Mandatory Discretionary Review, under Planning Code Section 317 requiring review of the replacement building in association with residential demolition, of Building Permit Application No. 2007.10.12.5328, to construct a three-story over garage, two-family dwelling in an RH-3 (Residential, House, Three-Family) District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and approve the new building permit.

Also of interest is this item from the edge of Noe:

3398 22Nd street - northeast corner at Guerrero and 22nd Streets, Lot 028 in Assessor’s Block 3617 - Request for Conditional Use Authorization pursuant to Planning Code Sections 145.2, 303 and 710.26 to legalize a walk-up facility (ATM), dba "Swipe USA", that is not recessed 3-feet from the property line, in an NC-1 (Neighborhood Commercial Cluster) Zoning District with an 40-X Height and Bulk designation.

Preliminary Recommendation: Approval

NOTE: Will also include a brief informational presentation regarding Swipe USA's practice of installing ATMs within the City and County of San Francisco.

These machines are everywhere - there's even two within 10 feet of each other at 24th & Church. Is the City likely to start regulating where they go, or will they all be approved like the above location? And if approved, what's the point in the conditional use?

1260-1270 Dolores St: Under Fire

All of the windows at 1266 Dolores have 2-3 bullet holes in them. Random street gang target practice or have neighbors taken their disagreements to a new level? Besides taking sniper fire, there's been some more activity according to a neighbor's blog:

In November the builder began working on the second building again laying down the floors and breaking up and laying down the sidewalk, and cleaning up and putting in a yard which all look nice but if you really look closely there are bubbles in the wood and the first building has been exposed to the elements for so long that the wood is rotting and peeling away from the building. You can see it from the back side of the buildings.
...
Is this the kind of builder we want in San Francisco? Would you want to buy a new home from these guys?

There have also been 5 new complaints at the Planning Department:

12/29/08: Unsafe bldg.
01/23/09: Installed gas fireplace w/o permit; Installed fire sprinkler w/o permit; Installed 3 gas fireplace without permit; Installed fire sprinkler w/o permit.

All previous violations are still outstanding.

[NVSF: For Sale: 1260-1270 Dolores & More Than A Few Headaches]
[NVSF: 1266 Dolores St.]
[NoeValleyNeighbors]