STREET BEAT
Up on the roof
Top Right Photo: Empty storefronts are filling up on the 1700 block of Union Street
Bottom Right Photo: Clyde welcomes Josh Spiegelman and Roam Artisan Burgers to Union Street
Sure, it’s a classic song by the Drifters, but we all dodged a bullet during June’s Union Street Festival when a reveler on a Union Street rooftop (not designed to hold more than a hundred partyers on it) tripped on the ventilation system and fell through a skylight above a Cow Hollow restaurant. Luckily for the stumbling drunk’s sake, a restaurant server training to be an EMT stabilized the klutz and took him to a medical booth set up by festival organizers near Union and Fillmore (smart move to have those set up, kids). The EMT-in-training told Clyde, “He had a three- to four-inch gash on his arm that was a couple of inches deep. I had him apply pressure and hold his arm above his head.” The restaurant’s manager was flabbergasted by many things, especially by how many people were on the rooftop and how the eatery had to close down to clean up (losing commerce) on what could have been an extremely lucrative day. The manager also told Clyde the crowds became very surly and drunk by the end of the day, “I saw two girls rolling down Fillmore.”
Also, some of the nonlocals who came to the fest should stay home – the streetwise manager said many festival attendees were sporting gang tats, which is an element we never really want here in Cow Hollow. Clyde’s pals at SFPD were aware of the house and rooftop parties but told Clyde they just don’t have enough officers to really crack down on them, despite the desire.
Danny Baker (partner), Aaron Little (head chef),
Dina Eppley (partner), Darren Matte (partner),
Sean Wells (contractor-partner)
and Sam Landrum (partner)
are excited to open a high-end,
healthful-food-focused sports bar and restaurant
in the space that was formally Bayside
So Marina-Cow Hollow landlords, it’s your turn to step up to the plate and keep the ragers off the roof during the festival, especially when many of these rooftops are not built to hold throngs of human beings. In our litigious society, if some drunk falls off your roof and hurts himself, guess who’s getting sued? Yep, the landlord. Festival organizers can’t be held accountable for the antics of idiots like rooftop boy and shouldn’t be, according to Clyde’s pals at SFPD. But if someone dies, that goes out the window.
Clyde is no stick in the mud, but if rooftop boy had really been injured – or God forbid, died – it’s the kind of black mark our community and the festival don’t need. An SFPD source told Clyde that last month’s festival was not as bad as other events in town, but Clyde’s man in blue went on to say, “It doesn’t matter what holiday or event it is, anytime you have really nice weather with alcohol consumption – and consumption was good this year – it can cause problems.” Yeah, just ask rooftop boy. Any large public event is one catastrophe from being put out of existence, and whether or not you like the Union Street Festival, it brought in a lot of money to 94123 during this recession. Many skeptical merchants who were so-so on the fest beforehand told Clyde they made bank this year, and that’s a good thing. So, let’s clean it up next year and keep it off the roof, not up on the roof.
after her workout at Crunch
Top Right: The Pub’s Buffalo Bleu Mac and Cheese rules
Bottom Right: The Pub at G-Square’s chef-owner Scott Broccoli is waiting to cook for you!
And how about asking festival vendors not to drop their grease in the sewers, which happens to be illegal? A friend of Clyde slipped and fell and hurt himself. We deal with this place all year, they don’t.
Things are Looking Up on the 1700 Block of Union
Josh Spiegelman rode the “rolling coffins” (Muni busses) downtown for years to go to his job as an investment banker. He got out of that racket in 2008 before the greedy thieves in corporate America blasted our economy with derivatives and took advantage of the only issue both Democrats and Republicans are truly bipartisan on: money. Yeah, good idea boys and girls, rolling back the financial protections FDR set up for us after the Great Depression so K Street and Wall Street fat cats can get obese. We’re all happy Josh walks to work now.
When Clyde asked Josh if he thought Marina Cow Hollow needed a good burger joint, he said he did (Clyde sincerely apologizes to the Balboa Burger, the Perry’s Hamburger, and the Rocket Dou-ble at Johnny Rockets). “I live close by,” the soon-to-be burger tycoon told Clyde, “I wanted a neighborhood place, a family place.” (Yes, Marina moms, there is an extensive kids’ menu). So he opened Roam Artisan Burgers (1785 Union Street at Octavia, 415-418-4247, www.roamburgers.com) on a block that was on its way to seeing better days with empty storefronts. “I also wanted a place that was open late for those who work in the Financial District or who crave meat after a workout at nearby Crunch Fitness [1725 Union Street at Gough, 415-430-3399, www.crunch.com] like I do.” He’s open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until midnight. “Basically, you can have a burger, a side and a drink, and get out of here for under 15 dollars.” Clyde checked out the menu and there’s nothing over $10. One hundred percent grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, all natural bison, and housemade organic veggie burgers grace this easy-on-the-wallet spot. Bison? Now, that’s good stuff.
So what is Josh’s favorite item on the menu? “The Pacific Bleu – it’s got bleu cheese, caramelized onions, watercress, and steak sauce.” And your choice of veg, beef, turkey, or bison. Next door to Roam is The Brick Yard, and Josh tells Clyde they get along great and are copasetic. For more on the BY, Clyde turns to Cow Hollow insider Ed Attanasio.
The Brick Yard Opens
The former Bayside Bar & Grill space underwent a miraculous and rapid transformation to reopen as The Brick Yard Bar & Restaurant (1787 Union Street at Octavia, 415-400-4712, www.brickyardsf.com) during the Union Street Fair, and it is already packed wall-to-wall every night. The $5–$10 menu items are the big favorites so far, because they’re quick, fresh, healthful, and wallet-friendly. We recently hit the Brick Yard around dusk and the place was already rocking. We had a couple of Pura Vidas, their signature drink that consists of rum and watermelon juice. We followed those up with some pulled pork sliders, seared ahi tuna, and some thin-crust pizza. It was a great meal and we didn’t have to take out a small loan to pay the bill. The place is big enough for private parties and the leather booths can also provide intimate nights. The Brick Yard is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the atmosphere that existed at the Bayside. This place is a high-end sports bar that already seems to attract a slightly better behaved crowd. But the way I look at it, this a new group of owners and a new bar and restaurant and they deserve a chance. We hope the neighbors and the new owners of the Brick Yard will play nice and keep everyone happy, well hydrated and well fed.
The Pub at Ghirardelli Square is Here to Stay
In these economic times, The Pub at Ghirardelli Square (851 Beach Street between Larkin and Polk, 415-351-0500, www.thepubsf.com) has plenty to celebrate. Owner Scott Broccoli is stoked: “We are coming up on our one-year anniversary July 2nd.” He went on to tell the Clydester that Wednesdays rock at The Pub. “Our trivia night on Wednesday is a great one; Wednesday is also the night of the week where you can find me, the owner, in the kitchen cooking up a storm.” The affable New Yorker isn’t one to toot his own horn, but he is proud of the menu. “I’m not one to break my arm patting myself on the back, [but] the menu is good and it’s 90 percent my creation, my recipes.”
His newest and most popular creation, Buffalo Bleu Mac, rocks. How did the restaurateur vet create it? “I was in the kitchen one day and was having one of those internal struggles that only come from too many Budweisers the night before. I couldn’t decide if it was Buffalo wings or mac and cheese that was going to be the silver bullet for my hangover. Then the light bulb went off and the new menu item was born – if mac and cheese and Buffalo wings had a kid, this would be it. This one is straight from the brain.” Clyde has tried the BBM and we’re happy Scott’s brain is working its magic.
One thing Scott wishes would catch on with you 94123ers is that he’s open until 1 a.m. seven days a week. “The late night dining thing has yet to capture as many people as I would like. Where else can you get ribs or truffle mac and cheese in this town at 1 a.m. for under $15?”
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