Emma’s Coffee Shop on Geary. Photo by Alan Turkus

Happy Wednesday everyone! Here’s some local links to keep you clicking…

• Thursday is Bike to School day so be mindful of more tots than usual out and about on two wheels.
• Just desserts: There’s a new dessert cafe in the outer Richmond, located on Clement near 32nd Avenue. It’s called Akiba, and reader Jason tells us: “Went in to check it out and was pleased to see that Japanese dessert does indeed mean crepes! Very fresh and yummy.” 50 Yelp reviews so far and they’re at a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
• EaterSF reports that Vietnamese restaurant Perilla is opening in the former Pho Clement 2 location at 5423 Geary. Like its other two locations, “the menu is pho-and-bun-centric, but also has a large selection of garlic noodle or rice plates with charbroiled meats and vegetables.” Owner Tin Truong also runs another restaurant in the Richmond District – PPQ Dungeness Island (2332 Clement).
• The Bold Italic has a colorful feature story on the ladies of Paul’s Hat Works. “As proprietors of a relatively new business, the four gals serve as their own best advertising, strutting their wares along with impeccable outfits. They temper Al Capone’s smooth outlaw style with a dash of feminine whimsy.”
• ScoutMob SF has a good deal for free treats at new Cassava Bakery on Balboa in the Outer Richmond
• Coyote hysteria? We had great pics of a Golden Gate Park coyote on Monday, but one woman’s scare with them is prompting the city to close off some trails in the park.
• A place for your next BBQ party: RichmondSFBlog reader Carolyn tells us that the Bazaar Cafe (5927 California) is renting out their lovely garden and new BBQ for group gatherings. You bring your own BBQ fixings, and buy your beverages from the cafe, plus pay $10 an hour to use the BBQ.

Sarah B.

Photo by forte

Happy Wednesday to everyone. Here’s some local links to go with the sunshine.

• Brewster Kahle, head of the Internet Archive on Clement at Funston, was profiled in People magazine recently. “Internet entrepreneur Brewster Kahle has made it his mission to collect – and preserve – one copy of every book published”. View article
• The Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park kicked off their extended spring/summer hours. They open at 9am and last entry is at 6pm, with the garden closing at 7pm. In other news, their huge annual plant sale is coming up on May 4th and 5th.
• Looking for good kosher food? CBS News says Israel Kosher Meat, Poultry and Deli (5621 Geary) is among the best in the city. “While it has built its reputation on offering a wide selection of kosher foods, it is the matzo ball soup that has people of all religious persuasions coming to the store.”
• In a totally unrelated list, CBS News also named Purple Skunk Board Shop (5820 Geary) as one of the best skateboard shops in the city. “Come on Purple Sundays wearing a Purple Skunk tee or hoodie and get 10 percent off your purchase.”
• Get a parking ticket for not curbing your wheels properly? Think it was bogus? This article from 7×7 explains how a little math and a city map of the street grades may help you get out of it.
• The de Young Museum has contributed images of 31 works of art from its permanent collection of American Paintings to the Google Art Project. “Thanks to Google, art lovers are able—with a few simple clicks of their fingers—to discover not just paintings, but also sculpture, street art and photographs.” View the de Young Collection in the Goodle Art Project
• Summer camp registration at the Richmond District Neighborhood Center has begun. Early bird signups save $200 when they register by this Thursday, April 5. There are camps for all ages that include activities related to history, art, cooking, exploring San Francisco, outdoor education and more.

Sarah B.

Photo by sf eyes

Some local links to perk up your Wednesday afternoon:

• We got word this week from a reader that the longtime owners of Joe’s Ice Cream on Geary, Mutsuhiko and Aki Murashige, have sold the business to another family. Their last day with scoops in hand will be this Friday. They’ve owned it for 33 years. With a calculation of them working 360 days a year and scooping 25 cones a day (conservative!), between the two of them they’re probably dished out at least half a million scoops. Thank you Murashige family!
• On Thursday night from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, the Richmond District Library will screen the documentary “In Search of Good Food”, featuring Antonio Roman-Alcalá, an urban farming activist from San Francisco, on his search for the “sustainable” food system in California. Supervisor Eric Mar will be there for the post-film discussion panel.
• Welcome Ingenious Salon to the neighborhood. Located at 389 Arguello near Clement, they specialize in precision haircuts and are certified organic color specialists. Video
• This Saturday, St. James Preschool (4620 California) is having a children’s used clothing sale from 8am until 12noon, gently used clothes for kids age up to 5 years old.
• This Saturday in Golden Gate Park there is a “March to End Capitalism” leaving from the County Fair Building. “Go around back to drop acid with John Zerzan and talk about robot sex,” they include in their description. No idea WHEN the march takes place because they didn’t specify, but if you’re into that type of thing, keep an eye on the 8 Days of Anarchy website for details.
• Also on Saturday in GGP: Join Park and La Puerta de Oro from 1pm until 3pm for a celebration event at the Pioneer Log Cabin Picnic Area, just north of Stow Lake, in a joint project to renew and revive Golden Gate Park’s historic “Arch of Colonial Trees.” Planted by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1896, the “Arch of Colonial Trees” is a graceful allée of trees, each representing one of the original thirteen American Colonies. Golden Gate Park staff will gradually replace the original trees as needed. The first new trees to be dedicated will be a magnolia for South Carolina and a hemlock for Pennsylvania.
• Kookle Toys (6 Clement) will soon become “Sparky’s Toys”. That’s because Sparky’s Balloons, located right next door, has decided to expand their business.

Sarah B.

Playland on the Great Highway, 1948. Photo by Eugene Gallagher

Some hot and spicy local links for you all – happy Thursday!

• Jean Paul Gaultier, the fashion god behind the new de Young museum exhibit that opens this week, took in the view from the tower. His review? “The view from the @deYoungMuseum tower is absolument magnifique! #iLoveSanFrancisco” he wrote on Twitter.
• Snow ice, a popular Taiwanese dessert, is growing more popular according to the Chron. You can try it for yourself at 100% Sweet Cafe (2512 Clement & 26th). It looks like a crepe but it’s not, as “snow ice starts out closer to ice cream.” At the cafe, “the dessert comes as a mountain of snow ice drizzled with a choice of sauce, such as strawberry or chocolate syrup. It’s finished with three toppings – anything from lychee to red beans to grass jelly.”
• Art studio and shop Foggy Notion (275 6th Avenue) will be celebrating their grand re-opening on Friday night with a party from 6-9pm. The shop will feature jewelry, recycled vinyl and leather goods, and showcase designers and artists from SF and beyond who create handmade, organic, and environmentally-conscious products.
• Vietnamese restaurant Le Soleil (133 Clement) has re-opened after closing for renovations, including the addition of two new ADA-compliant restrooms. They were one of the many restaurants in the neighborhood who had been sued for ADA violations. Glad to see they were able to afford the upgrades and re-open.
• Hey guys, need some brownie points to get you out of the doghouse? 7×7 recommends Pacific Cafe (7000 Geary at 34th Avenue) as a good place to take your lady as thanks for putting up with your March Madness debauchery. “No need for reservations because they don’t take them, but they provide friendly pours of red and white wine while you wait to be seated, and the seafood dishes are delicious.”
• Ethiopian chef Eskender Asegad tells 7×7 readers to stop by Assab Eritrean Food (2845 Geary) for their lamb dish. “Amazing with a spice mixture that’s more sweet than spicy hot. It’s very intriguing, with a generous amount of garlic—a very soul-warming dish.”
• SFWeekly named the “fish fillet with explosive chile pepper” dish from Spices! (294 8th Avenue) as one of their top 50 for 2012. “The audible crunch of the batter, which masks the delicate fish, is only part of the dish’s crackle. That comes from the citrus buzz of the Sichuan peppercorns, the pain-inducing warmth of the chiles, the nutty flashes of toasted sesame seeds, and the electric jolt of the cilantro scattered across the top.” Woah, pass the Tums!

Sarah B.

Grubstreet’s got the scoop on a newcomer to the neighborhood. Japanese restaurant Yuubi will be opening this Thursday at 501 Balboa Street. It will also include a sushi bar.

No menu has been posted yet on their website or on their Facebook page, so you foodies will just have to be surprised. They did throw out this tagline on one of their Facebook posts: “Where fresh fish meets good price!”.

The nice corner location was formerly home to King Sing Chinese. Namu used to be just down the block but since they moved, perhaps Yuubi will pick up some of their former customers.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Yuubi! If any readers stop in to try them out, leave a review in the comments.

Sarah B.

Come on, this is in our backyard!? Awesome.

Little bits of Richmond District randomness in today’s list of hyper-super-seriously local links:

• Cal’s Pet Supply’s owner, Tricia Principe, is celebrating her first year in business with a party this Saturday. Stop by the shop (Calif. & 22nd Avenue) to enjoy cake, refreshments and prizes from 10am until 6pm. Bring in this flyer and get $10 off a purchase of $100 or more (good thru March 31).
• Get zen… for free at the Westside Art House (540 Balboa) this Sunday from 10am until 12noon. It’s a “Mind & Meditation” workshop (view flyer) put on by the Art of Living. Can’t make it? The next one is on April 8.
• Wash & fold… and win! Amybelle’s Wash & Dry (3220 Balboa) is running a promotion where customers can win an Amazon Gift Card. Use the change machine and when you get a blue quarter, and use it to wash your clothes. Then visit Amybelle’s Facebook page and tell them which machine you used. Once they retrieve your blue quarter and confirm it, you’re a winner! Just like lucky Brian Delaaney. Who knew washing clothes could be so rewarding!
• Remember Foggy Notion, the art studio and shop that popped up briefly in December on 6th Avenue near Clement? They’ll be officially returning on March 21 and celebrating with a grand opening party on Friday, March 23 from 6-9pm. The shop will feature jewelry, recycled vinyl and leather goods, and showcase designers and artists from SF and beyond who create handmade, organic, and environmentally-conscious products. Bonus points if you know who inspired the shop’s name…
• Know someone who could use help with their English skills? The Richmond Village Beacon offers free ESL classes every Tuesday and Thursday night at George Washington High (6-8pm). Additional evening classes will soon be added at Roosevelt Middle School on Arguello. For more details, call 750-8554 or email sarah@rvbeacon.org.
• Let it bleed: There’s a blood drive at the VA Hospital (4150 Clement) on Wednesday, March 14 from 9am until 2pm. Schedule an appointment online or drop-in (after a good meal and lots of water beforehand of course).
• The darling of the food blogs lately has been Cassava Bakery, which just opened on Balboa at 36th Avenue. Grubstreet has pics and says they’ve “got a daily changing menu of unique sandwiches, soups, Ritual coffee, pastries (think peanut-butter-cornflake cookies and other fun stuff), Japanese-style breakfast items, and more.” Closed Tuesdays.

Sarah B.

Café Coco qwner Kamal Sulieman with his wife, Nisrin, and two children.

RichmondSFBlog reader Paulo alerted me to a new cafe in the neighborhood last week. I stopped in on Saturday to check out Café Coco, located on the corner of 6th Avenue and Geary.

Some of you may remember a medical uniform business that used to occupy the corner space. But when you walk in the remodeled cafe, it will quickly be a distant memory. The cafe is spacious with two inviting rooms, and boasts a colorful menu of beverages, sandwiches, salads, bagels and breakfast pastries.

I chatted with owner Kamal Sulieman, whose background is in retail construction. He said for years he’s been building cafes, always wanting to open his own. Café Coco started out as another construction project and as it came to completion, the original owner asked if Kamal wanted to take it over. He jumped at the chance.

Café Coco is a family run business, named for Kamal’s youngest daughter, Christine. When I dropped in, the whole family was there helping out, including his wife Nisrin.

The cafe has only been open a few days (“A soft launch” said Kamal), but is already offering up a full menu of creative sandwiches, espresso drinks and pastries. Kamal has a chef on staff, Megan, who “is an expert sandwich maker”.

Kamal’s favorite sandwich is the Zola – mozzarella, tomato, basil and balsamic vinaigrette on ciabatta bread ($6.99). The Diderot also sounds tasty – grilled ham with gruyere, pickled jalapenos and mustard on a ciabatta ($6.99). The Rabelais also gets my taste buds excited – salami, arugula, olive puree, pesto, prosciutto, and swiss on ciabatta ($6.99).

If you’re looking for lighter fare, try one of the salads on the menu – quinoa, spring mix, arugula and even a fresh corn salad just to name a few. All of them are just $5.

Pastries are fresh every morning, or check in the basket on the counter for day-old pastries that are just $1. If bagels are your thing, there’s plenty of variety and toppings to choose from including smoked salmon, hummus and chevre cheese.

Kamal’s warm handiwork can be seen around the cafe. He installed a faux fireplace to keep things toasty, and every cafe tabletop was handcrafted from reclaimed Alaskan pine. The cafe also offers free WiFi and will soon have a large screen television up on the wall.

Kamal and his family have lived in the Bay Area for 22 years and are excited to be opening their first business. They picked a great corner location with bus stops on both sides of the cafe.

Café Coco is open daily from 6am until 8pm. Stop in to welcome them to the neighborhood and if you drink or eat, leave us a comment to let us know how it was!

Sarah B.

Photo by Hot Mayo

Happy Tuesday to everyone! Here’s a few local links to attract your mouse:

• A report from an online survey run by SFSU found that the Outside Lands concert in Golden Gate Park generated $60 million in revenue last year. “The sales impact of Outside Lands 2011 on San Francisco’s economy was $60.6 million, with another $6.6 million for the rest of the Bay Area.” Another factoid: 73% of concert attendees live outside the city.
• Untapped Cities put an architecture spotlight on the Conservatory of Flowers.
• Like birds? Don’t miss the Birding the Greenbelt: Sutro Baths and Sutro Heights Park free tour on March 10.
• Tablehopper reports that a Cassava Bakery & Cafe is opening this week at 3519 Balboa at 36th Avenue. “The sample menu mentions some simple breakfast items (although there is also “Japanese Breakfast” with stuffed rice balls, miso soup, onsen tamago, and housemade pickles), while lunch brings soups (potato and ham, lentil), salads, and panini (like meatloaf on challah), plus fresh-baked cookies, empanadas, and quiches.”
• Still haven’t seen the Sutro Baths documentary (trailer)? Attend a free screening at the Sunset Branch Library on Monday, March 5 at 7pm. Director Tom Wyrsch will be there for a Q&A afterwards.
• Two tempting deals for ya: Spend $20 and get $40 worth of framing services at Cheap Pete’s on Geary. Or spend $10 to get $20 worth of delicious grub at Pizza Orgasmica on Clement.
• San Francyclo, the new bike shop on Arguello, had its first celeb sighting on Sunday. Comedian Robin Williams came in and purchased an ear flap Chuey Brand cycling hat.

Sarah B.