Help us take a bite out of crime

To make our papers more accessible to you, our dear readers, we’ve added news racks – rather, City of San Francisco administered pedmounts – on Chestnut Street. The Marina Times pedmounts are located at the northwest corner of Chestnut and Divisadero and the northwest corner of Chestnut and Mallorca. For our sister paper, Northside San Francisco, we have locations at the northwest corner of Chestnut and Scott, the northwest corner of Avila and Chestnut, the southwest corner of Fillmore and Chestnut, the southeast corner of Chestnut and Steiner, the southwest corner of Chestnut and Steiner, and the southwest corner of Chestnut and Pierce.

The problem is that we are the victims of recycling rustlers! Thieves take our papers to a recycling yard in Oakland, and you don’t get your papers. Friend-of-Clyde and S.F. Examiner V.P. of circulation Mike Costello has dealt with this problem with his papers as well. “The Examiner has arrested a couple of people who we caught stealing papers. We usually catch them using our field auditors. However, the Examiner, along with a group of other newspapers, hired a professional private detective and we did some stakeouts. But, because of the high cost, we prefer to use our own auditors.”

We can’t hire our own auditors here at the Marina Times, so we ask you, our dear readers, to keep your head on a swivel and report these thieves to SFPD at their nonemergency number (415-553-0123) or e-mail Marina Times columnist Captain Ann Mannix ([email protected]). But please, Clyde implores you, do not confront these thieves yourselves; they are sophisticated. According to Costello, “These people knew what they were doing and made a good profit off of it. However, they all were in the business alone as individuals. They take the time to learn what day and time your driver is there and they time it so that they hit when they think no one will be around. They were not the same guys as the large trucks with plywood sides with cardboard you see driving around town. [The thieves] have vans or pickup trucks.”

Enter Friend-of-Clyde and California Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, who is also a friend of Costello’s. “A coalition of Bay Area newspapers and a local refuse company worked with California State Assemblywoman Fiona Ma to pass AB 1778 that required all recycling centers to keep records on everyone who turns in recycle materials,” said Costello. “Cash payment could no longer be handed out. All payments had to go to the person’s home address. It also made it a crime to have in their possession a current edition of a publication with the intent of recycling it.”

Despite this great law, these bad guys are still up to no good, especially on Chestnut Street. Please help us stop them.

CITY TAVERN HERE TO STAY

Clyde has taken his shots at some Marina-Cow Hollow landlords and, frankly, deservedly so. Many charge dot-bomb astronomical rents and think this thing called the Internet hasn’t changed the face of retail. Not Pietro Management. According to City Tavern (3200 Fillmore Street at Greenwich, 415-836-3745) owner Andrew McCormick, he “just signed a lease for another 15 years and got a very good deal.” Kudos to Pietro for keeping a great neighborhood saloon around, and McCormick appreciates it in today’s economy. Don’t forget, you can escape Aunt Ida from Iowa on Thanksgiving for dinner at the Tavern where McCormick and crew will serve turkey with all the fixings.

THANKS FOR MAKING THE BREAST CANCER BLOCK PARTY A SUCCESS

 

Eddie Savino of the Brazen Head Restaurant would like to offer a very large thank you for the support of the 10th Buchanan at Greenwich Block Party Benefit for Breast Cancer benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Bay Area Affiliate:

“We all are touched by this disease and want to feel like we can make a difference.

“After taking a year off, the event was back with great weather, enthusiastic crowds, butterfly sky walkers, a creative face painter, and rocking music by the LP Band, Black Olive Jazz, and Ruckus with Simon Costa at the helm.

“We are so thankful for the support of numerous organizations including the Marina Times and Northside Publications, Hartman Studios, C.B. Hannegan’s of Los Gatos for those mouth-watering tri-tip sandwiches, Matagrano’s Budweiser distributors, BiRite Foodservice Distributors, V&C Foods, Bob’s Produce, FreshPoint produce, Svedka vodka, Tres Agaves Tequila, Heck’s Bar Supplies, and Sweet Things Bakery. Financial sponsors were S.F. Firefighting Union, Metropolitan Electrical Construction Inc., Nick Dutto, Chief People, UCSF Medical Center, Hill and Co. Inc., Golden Gate Restaurant Association, Briarcliff Wine Group LLC, and Horseshoe Tavern.

“The event could not have been successful without the hours put in from numerous volunteers including bar coordinator Shauna Matlin, auction and raffle coordinator Marcella Savino (who was thrilled to have help from the San Francisco Junior League once again), and food coordinator Nicki Harris and the kitchen crew.

“We were very pleased to get such great support in an unknown economy and feel that by hosting this event we can be bringing positive energy to the neighborhood while doing just a little bit to help fight breast cancer.”

By the way, someone stole a rented generator from the event. Marcella and Eddie put out the word and it was returned, no questions asked, saving the event some $1,100. See, even criminals care about curing breast cancer!

UNION STREET RENNAISANCE

 

Friend-of-Clyde and Café des Amis executive chef Gordon Drysdale called what’s happening on Union Street a renaissance and Clyde tends to agree. The Clydester ducked into another new Union Street eatery, Marengo on Union (1980 Union Street at Buchanan, 415-441-2575, www.marengosf.com), and it was packed. Executive chef and co-owner Rayna Toomajian was not behind the line but out front helping her slammed servers. “We all wear a lot of hats around here, and I can still watch the kitchen when I’m serving.” Spoken like a true owner who’s not afraid to work for a living or mingle with us 94123ers. Co-owner Jim Gruettner was also on hand when Clyde slid into Marengo and he told the Clydester he looked at locations in the Fillmore, Polk Street, even Hayes Valley before settling on Union Street. While dealing with the City of San Francisco took about a year (he says, “Things could have been easier”) the affable Texan is happy to be on Union. “With the down economy, we were lucky to be on a great street with a lot of good shops.” Oh yes, knows the Clydester, the ever-so-important foot traffic is what all merchants crave. Although there is a stigma of the Marina-Cow Hollow being full of drunken frat boys, Jim told Clyde he’s finding that’s not the case with his clientele, despite being over the drunken frat boy mecca of Bar None. No wonder Marengo has a security guard on Fridays and Saturdays. Don’t worry folks, you won’t have to step over a passed-out dude in a USC sweatshirt who just had his first boilermaker when you go to Marengo.

Both Rayna and Jim don’t want to be known as a gastro pub or a sports bar, but just a good place “to hangout and have good food and drink.” Sure, they’ve got 2 TVs, but not 10, and when the game’s on you can enjoy it or not watch it at all. As a prominent San Francisco restaurateur has told Clyde, “Don’t call my place a sports bar, chicks don’t dig it.” The open-air roof was letting in a lovely night when Clyde was at Marengo and all the pieces for success seem to be there for the new joint. In fact, newfound regulars greeted Rayna and Jim with smiles as they sauntered in.

Ah, the food … the menu … let’s cut to the chase, huh Clyde? “We eat it every night, and we don’t get sick of it,” says Rayna. Jim, Rayna, and her husband Kevin saw a niche in our fair city for wine, whiskey and sliders, and thank God they did. Clyde had the jerk chicken slider – made with TLC by Rayna – and sucked it down with gusto. Very yummy. The best-selling slider? “The All-American made with Lucky Dog Ranch beef,” says the chef, “and you can even have it protein style.” Protein style, asked Clyde? The two owners politely told dunce cap Clyde that means wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. The owners said one surprise seller is the salads. “People like to split a salad and have some sliders,” says Rayna.

Marengo is all about being sustainable and organic. “Our meats come from a 150-mile radius, we bake our bread fresh daily, and we have organic produce.” Good food that’s good for you.

Now for the drink: Wine, whiskey and love, or maybe a pint of Stella like the Clydester consumed. The wine list is extensive with more than 80 bottles. Co-owner Kevin Toomajian has lived in Napa for 15 years and knows his stuff about the grape juice. “There are five or six glasses of wine for under eight dollars,” says Jim, “and we offer more than 20 wines by the glass, which is unusual for a restaurant of this size.”

What about the whiskey, wonders Hunter S. Clyde. Jim proudly showed Clyde his numerous Kentucky bourbon collections. In fact, there are more than 80 whiskies and Jim plans to have 100 soon. Heck, there are even whiskies from India and Japan! What a collection!
And what an idea for a new eatery. Marengo is blasting off – glide on down with Clyde and slide on up to the bar for a couple of sliders!

FLEET WEEK

 

October will bring the sound of freedom to our skies when we get to hear and see the Blue Angels screaming overhead during Fleet Week. They seem to like to fly over Cow Hollow and the Marina – the flyboys probably like the Marina girls! Instead of being packed like sardines on Marina Green, Clyde suggests getting out on the Bay on a boat … dates, times and prices may vary, so please call or go online and check out the following Fleet Week events:

Red and White Fleet cruises: $58 for adults, $36 for youth (5-17), includes appetizers and one complimentary beverage, Oct. 9 and 10 (415-673-2900, www.redandwhite.com).

S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien cruises: Clyde strongly recommends this one. $150, food, booze and entertainment included. The Blue Angels know there are lots of veterans of wars past on the O’Brien and will buzz the ship continually on both Oct. 9 and 10 (415-544-0100, www.ssjeremiahobrien.org).

Hornblower Cruises and Events: Clyde has been on Hornblower cruises several times and it’s a great time if you have a date!
• Friday, Oct. 8: Blue Angels practice lunch cruise.
• Saturday, Oct. 9: Fleet Week Bay-viewing brunch cruise, Blue Angels lunch cruise, and Fleet Week fireworks dinner dance cruise.
• Sunday, Oct. 10: Blue Angels lunch cruise
Prices vary (888-467-6256, www.hornblower.com).
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USS Potomac cruise: FDR’s yacht, Old Chap, and they’re actually doing a cruise on Friday, Oct. 8 with a gourmet box lunch and wine to watch the Blue Angels practice. Prices vary (510-627-1215, www.usspotomac.org).

E-mail:
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