Tidbits

The 24th St Cheese Co is helping to fill the gap while we wait for Whole Foods to open next fall. They've added local farm-fresh eggs and the "best" organic yogurt and cottage cheese. They are also a pick-up point for Fine Foods @ Home.

Win 2 cases of beer: Elizabeth Street Brewery is running a contest for the best photo featuring the ESP logo. Entires are due May 1. Details here.

The Noe Valley Nursery School is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a party and raffle on Saturday March 21st. A schedule of events, pricing and prizes can be found here.

The old Wells Fargo space at 4023 24th St. has been spruced up and is for rent. Looks much better -- less blighted.

City Grill's website has launched complete with menus.

[NVSF: Bell Market is Closed - Now What?]

Update: Glare Re-opens

The Noe Valley Voice reported the closure of Glare in December, and it's been papered over since. But this past weekend the doors re-opened.

The new mini-store is now carrying regular frames in addition to sunglasses. According to the Sprockets-looking dude inside: Yes, they re-opened and have re-imagined themselves as more of an outlet with discount frames and glasses. “We wanted to have something more in line with the recession.” The $300 glasses you wanted? Now just $225. He also said Glare is owned by the same people who own Spectacles for Humans. At Spectacles the friendly Brillen-wearing guy confirmed this – “This store is more of the now. The other store is more discount outlet. Same owners.” Now we dance.

Oh -- they have a blog.

Glare
4010 24th St

Spectacles for Humans
3858 24th St

[Spectacles for Humans]
[NVSF: NVV: We Read It So You Don't Have To]
[Photo: Glare, December 2008]

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.

March 12

4024 26th Street – between Noe and Sanchez Streets, Lot 006 in Assessor's Block 6553 - Request for Discretionary Review of Building Permit Application No. 2008.10.03.3318, proposing to construct a one-story vertical addition, a front horizontal addition, alter the front façade, and enlarge the rear deck of a two-family dwelling, located in a RH-2 (Residential, House, Two-Family) District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.

Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and Approve.

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.

March 2009

• Front page: Noe Valley housing market is slow, Whole Foods offering Tuesday shuttle, City College closing campus at James Lick, Upper Noe Rec Center not offering residents enough time to play, consignment stores busy.
• Cost of Living in Noe: slow market, slightly cheaper; rents down a little from last year.
• Letters: Bye-bye Bell; condemnation for evil candle-condemning priest; NVV attracts Fowler witch hunt, too.
• NVDC: full coverage of last month's meeting.
• Crime Beat: Capt Tacchini asking for more communication with residents; no Peace Blotter this time.
• Feature: Elizabeth Street Brewery.
• Store Trek: Just Awesome!, City Grill.
• Rumors: suggests the reader reference Google for more information on the Obama candle "debate;" picked up more Fowler info from the Fowler family blogs; Contigo opens; Noe Soup likely not opening due to investor pull-out [Ed.-- Perhaps Tuttimelon can buy their conditional use permit]; CSAA is closing; Cover-to-Cover to offer free delivery; Basso's giving seniors a 15% discount.
• Bonus: The Voice made it to Dover Castle, India, Thailand and even Florida, and the pictures to prove it are back.
  

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Incanto: Foie Gras, Sustainability & Free Choice

Mark Pastore is getting tired of dealing with "guests [who] ask pointedly whether or not a product we serve is 'sustainable,' ready to pounce on the slightest stutter in our response." In Incanto's latest Letter, Mark makes a strong argument for the right to serve (and consume) foie gras without guilt. We particularly like this paragraph:

Reasonable people can disagree over the ethics of one's chosen diet and the various practices of farmers, whether those farmers produce meat, fruits, or vegetables. Fundamentally, we believe that individuals ought to be free to determine how to live their lives, including their diet. If we live in a society that tolerates the death of 40,000 people to die each year for the right to convenient travel, how can we sacrifice our right to taste, to choice, and to dietary self-determinism?

Kudos to Incanto for injecting an adult voice back into the conversation around "sustainable" food. Follow the link below to read the entire article.

[Incanto: Shock & Foie]

SFGate: 24th St = Beer, Boutiques & Dogs

The Chronicle's Street Date took a swing through Noe Valley and concluded 24th St is "sunny and friendly, it's where residents take their dogs for a stroll. It's also the kind of place that treats you like one of the neighbors, even if you don't live here." Featured shops? SF Mystery Bookstore, Chocolate Covered, Le Zinc, Bernie's, Cradle of the Sun and The Dubliner. No mention of strollers.

Does that jive with what you shop for in Noe? What would you cross town for? What makes Noe Valley a destination? In the comments, please.

[SFGate: 24th Street, San Francisco]
[Photo: SFGate]

Whole Foods: Senior Shuttle

Following up on neighborhood concerns, Whole Foods will begin a weekly shuttle service for seniors and other Noe Valley residents without easy access to a grocery store.

This is an announcement that the shuttle for seniors and/or Noe Valley residents with limited access will be starting on Tuesday March 3rd. The hours will be from 9:30 to 1:00 pm.

The first shuttle will leave 3950 24th St.(site of the future Whole Foods Market Noe Valley) at 9:30 am and travel to Whole Foods Market Potrero Hill on Rhode Island St. The shuttle will make continual loops until approximately 1:00 pm when the last shuttle will depart Whole Foods.

The shuttle will be available every Tuesday morning for this schedule until the Whole Foods Market Noe Valley opens.

Previously, WF has indicated they'll increase service if the demand is there.

[NVSF: NVDC Town Forum: SFPD, Whole Foods & More]

Update: Noeteca

The owners of Noeteca sent us such a thorough description of what The Last Laugh is to become we're posting the whole thing. Emphasis is ours.

We plan for Noeteca to continue in the footsteps of The Last Laugh Coffee House and to continue to be a neighborhood focused café. The wine selection will be expanded, and the new menu will feature economical and flavorful comfort food in the style of small European cafes. The breakfast and lunch menu will feature items like Ham and Potato Hash with Poached Eggs, Challah French Toast, Duck Confit Salad, and house made soups and stews including French Onion Gratinèe. Dinners will be simple and wine friendly. The wine list will offer roughly twenty accessible wines from various regions – all will be offered by the glass and half-glass. We also plan to offer a variety of non-alcoholic drinks which will appeal to the younger crowd and those who aren’t in the mood for wine, but still want something unique and satisfying.

Noeteca is being created by Alex Kamprasert and me, Scott McDonald. Residents of Noe Valley may recognize Alex from his years at Chloe’s Café just a few blocks away at Church and 26th. I am providing creative and administrative support. Nathan Nam, of Demigogg Design is producing our logo and visuals. Again, in the tradition of The Last Laugh, the new café/wine bar is a labor of love and will be individually owned and operated. We expect that Noeteca will continue to provide the residents of Noe Valley and San Francisco with a cozy corner to relax with a latte and a bagel, pannini for lunch on the run, and soon, a place to unwind with friends for dinner and a glass of wine. …or two.

We're planning to do some clean-up and simple renovations throughout March and we hope to open (poetically) on April 1st, but one never knows. I'm trying not to jinx things by setting a firm opening day. We're also in the process of launching a small web site. We've spent many years working and relaxing in Noe Valley, so when the Last Laugh became available, we jumped at the opportunity.

Noeteca
1551 Dolores St @ Valley

[NVSF: Announced: Noeteca]
[Photo: Yelp]