Noe Valley Voice April 2025

THE NOE VALLEY VOICE

St. Philip Church Celebrates 100th Year on Diamond

Parish Has Even Longer Roots—It

Dates From 1910

By Matthew S. Bajko

With Lent fast approaching and several baptisms scheduled the first Sunday of March, around 150 people chose to attend the 10:30 a.m. mass at St. Philip the Apostle Church. The Catholic parishioners represented an array of races and ages, nearly three dozen of whom were children.

During his homily, Reverend Father James Liebner spoke about the ills that might come from spiritual blindness, which could lead people to criticize others for problems they did not see in themselves. This idea was reflected, he said, in the scriptural line of “the blind leading the blind.”

“One needs to solve their own problem before they help others solve theirs, but we all know it is easy to fall into that trap,” said Liebner, of judging others. He advised his flock, “Jesus warns us to be wise in whom we choose to follow, listen to, and from whom we seek out advice. If we are blind in some area of our spiritual growth or personal life, seek out someone who can see.”

After the mass had concluded, church-goers were invited to gather in a

A Ride That Went From Scary… To Ordinary

My First Foray Into the Driverless World of Waymo

Story and Photos by Heidi Anderson

My earliest memory of ride-hailing services was back in 2013 when, after a dull first date, I wanted a ride home. My date pulled out his phone and said, “I'll get you an Uber.”

basement hall for coffee and donuts from the neighborhood shop Happy Donuts on Church Street.

Among those socializing was Erin Kissane, 53, whose wife’s family had long been members of St. Philip and who himself had been baptized into the church six years ago.

“Even though I don’t have hair, you can let your hair down and take a minute,” Kissane said about attending mass weekly. “You need that sometimes, to catch your breath and say, ‘All right, I can relax.’”

“Uber?” I asked. “Like the German word?” He shrugged. An awkward 10 minutes later, I saw a black Lincoln Town Car roll up to his Bernal Heights house.

I got home in minutes. The driver was polite and knew exactly how to get to my Noe Valley address.

About a year later, when I gave up owning a car (Noe Valley Voice October 2014), I surrendered to the world of Muni, BART, taxis, and the occasional Uber.

I am still car-less—and hooked on the low cost of being so in San Francisco—and I’ve been relying on Muni and ride-hail vehicles for over a decade—to get to work, to go to the farmers market, and to exit the occasional dull date.

Still, until just a few months ago, I clung to the notion that a human had to be at the wheel of any car I stepped foot in.

Like a lot of us, I dismissed the Waymo, Cruise, and other autonomous vehicles (AVs) that were creeping around our streets during the pandemic

For a century now, St. Philip’s church has welcomed parishioners through its gothic arched entry at 725 Diamond Street. The parish will mark the church building’s 100th anniversary with a fundraising dinner May 3 open to all, parishioners and non-churchgoers alike.

It will be a chance for attendees to celebrate the church and the community it has helped nurture, whether in its pews or via the pre-kindergarten

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

as, well, spooky. I’d watch as no-oneat-the-wheel passed by, made dreamlike left turns, and sailed down the city’s boulevards.

We all watched them screw up here and there. Do you remember, during the 2023 Outside Lands concert in Golden Gate Park, when the Cruise driverless network stalled a bunch of its vehicles in North Beach? Or worse, when in October 2023, a Cruise AV ran over a pedestrian who had just been thrown in its path by a human hit-and-run driver at Fifth and Market streets.

(Tech Industry Note: Cruise ended its self-driving operations in December 2024.)

But in that same month, as a late adopter, I took a big breath and signed up with Waymo, the Google “robotaxi” that has been in San Francisco since early 2021.

After downloading the Waymo app and providing required credit card and home address data, I was in.

Waymo's interface was almost identical to other ride-hailing apps. In fact, it was so similar to setting up a Lyft or Uber account, I started to feel more confident.

Just like the other apps, Waymo asked me where I’d like to go (“Where to, Heidi?”), gave me suggestions as I began typing the address, and estimated the cost of the ride.

For my very first Waymo, from Hayes Valley to Noe Valley, my charge

Anya El-Wattar Stirs Up This Season’s Top Chef

Restaurateur Bares Her CaliforniaRussian Soul in TV Competition

By Corrie M. Anders

Noe Valley resident Anya El-Wattar closed her restaurant Birch & Rye on Castro Street in March of 2024, after a roller-coaster of a two-year run. Thus, the acclaimed chef was delighted to be selected one of 15 contestants vying for the $250,000 grand prize on Season 22 of Top Chef: Destination Canada, airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo (streamed on Peacock).

The first of 14 episodes premiered March 13. Having more than just a gastronomical interest and with high hopes El-Wattar would win, the Voice decided to follow the series. Here is what we saw, starting of course with Week 1.

Week 1: Simple Is Complex

If chef Anya El-Wattar knows any food well, it’s cabbage. Cabbage was a staple in Soviet Russia, the country of her birth, from which she emigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1999.

Not so surprising, then, that Anya, as she’s called on Top Chef, picked the cruciferous vegetable from the show’s “pantry,” to produce a dish with two other chefs, using their pantry choices plus the hosts’ add-ons: tomatoes, chives, and clams.

Cabbage is a national treasure and “one I’ve cooked a million different ways,” she told the judges as her team collaborated to make an “aqua-pizza” from the ingredients.

But Anya was a bit peeved when the judges asked how the dish was developed and her team’s spokesperson forgot to mention the red cabbage.

“When you were sharing,” Anya later

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

™ How Dry We Are: With water turned off during a year of sewer upgrades on 24th and Castro streets, most Noe Valley imbibers have had to find fresh sources, such as this potable from Hetch-Hetchy Cola, Inc. But medical advisers are now warning that canned water may be unsafe— as are many of the recalled products on page 22 of this month’s Voice.

The First Incarnation: This photo shows St. Philip the Apostle Church shortly after it was constructed in 1925. With its Gothic Revival architecture, the church was an imposing building at the corner of Diamond and Elizabeth streets. The taller of the two towers houses the church bell, still rung today.

Photo courtesy Daniel C. Roddick

The Adventure Begins: Intrepid reporter Heidi Anderson takes a selfie as a driverless Waymo arrives at her door.

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Editor’s Note: According to these Master Gardeners, there is good news for those of us who yearn for a juicy red tomato.

Picture a crisp San Francisco morning, fog rolling over Twin Peaks, and a group of eager vegetable gardeners huddled around a collection of pots on a rooftop. This was the beginning of our tomato-growing adventure, an endeavor that would take four local residents from skeptics to true believers in the power of container vegetable gardening.

We’re your neighbors, Pat, Troy, Arjun, and Leslie. Our journey started last spring after we completed an intensive 16-week course at a UC Master Gardener facility in Half Moon Bay.

With our collective love for tomatoes, a plan to grow the fruit—or vegetable, if you prefer—in containers took shape. Containers were our choice because of their versatility, allowing us to create an ideal growing environment by carefully managing placement, soil, nutrients, and irrigation.

We selected nine tomato varieties, each recommended for cool weather or a short growing season. They included Sun Gold, Early Girl, Valencia, Northern Lights, Mortgage Lifter, Black Prince, Siletz, Cherokee Purple, and San Francisco Sunrise. Sun Gold and Early Girl stood out because of their ease of cultivation, productivity, and quick ripening time—from 55 to 65 days after planting.

Most of our varieties were “indeterminate” vining tomatoes, meaning they grow tall and produce fruit throughout the growing season. We also chose a few determinate varieties. These plants are more compact, bushier, and produce their fruit all at once.

Our first lesson? Location is everything. Tomatoes are sun worshippers that require six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Each of us needed to assess our space and determine a location.

Troy’s Castro District rooftop, Leslie’s southern-exposed yard in Noe Valley, and Arjun’s eastern-facing patio in Corona Heights offered ideal sun exposure.

Pat’s deck on 23rd Street in Noe Valley received morning sun on one side and afternoon sun on the other. By placing pots on roller caddies, she moved plants around to catch precious afternoon sun.

The containers we all utilized ranged in size from 15 to 20 gallons. This size provided sufficient space for roots to grow. We selected containers that were glazed or sealed to retain moisture. Porous containers like terracotta were avoided.

‘Cooking’ for Plants

Next came the soil. In container gardening, soil nutrients are confined to the original soil in the container, plus whatever nutrients are provided through the life of the plant. Tomatoes require a variety of nutrients to grow and produce fruit. All components were readily available at hardware stores and nurseries.

We mixed everything in a large plastic bin and blended it well. This was important to ensure that nutrients were evenly distributed throughout the soil. It was like cooking, but for plants. With an appropriate container and a freshly made batch of soil, it was time to plant. We filled each container halfway with soil, then nestled a tomato plant in a centered hole 4 to 6 inches deep, burying about half of the plant’s stem. Tomatoes develop roots easily along any length of buried stem, pro-

VALLEY VIEWS

Yes, You Can Grow Tomatoes in SF

By Pat Kramer, Troy Weakley, Arjun Banker, and Leslie Terzian

viding greater surface area for taking in nutrients.

This planting method helped roots grow quickly while keeping the plant securely in place. Additionally, the sides of the container provided shelter for a young plant at its most vulnerable time, especially in San Francisco’s windier climate.

Over the next two to four weeks, we gradually added more soil and installed a staking system to support upward growth. A variety of staking options were readily available.

Soil Recipe

We improvised a system using 4- to 6-foot plastic garden stakes and 24- to 36-inch sturdy metal rings (found in craft stores). Three stakes were placed deeply in the soil around the container’s edge, and one in the center next to the growing plant. The rings—two or three—were slipped over the stakes and positioned at varying heights. We secured the rings to the stakes using flexible garden ties. This tall sturdy conical structure worked well to support the limbs of our plants and the weight of the fruit.

Tip from Master Gardeners: Mix the ingredients in a large plastic bin, and blend well. Yield is approximately 17 gallons, per 2 cubic feet of soil. QUANTITY INGREDIENTS WHY

2 cu. ft. organic soil base

1 gallon compost

1 gallon earthworm castings

2 cups dry organic fertilizer

Finally, with staking in place and soil filled to within an inch of the rim, we covered the soil surface with mulch such as wood chips, or straw.

When to Water

Tomato plants require regular, deep watering. Determining when your plant needs water is important. We adopted the finger stick test. Stick a finger 1 to 2 inches into the soil. If the soil is dry, it’s watering time. We were careful to apply water only at the soil level, avoiding leaves.

As plant growth continued and blooms appeared, we added an organic liquid fertilizer to help support the onset of fruit production. Applying the fertilizer every one to two weeks per label instructions worked well for our plants.

For our indeterminate varieties, we found that pruning was necessary to curtail excessive growth and prevent nutrient depletion. Pruning to keep three to four main limbs per container helped direct plant energy toward the production of quality fruit, rather than continuous sprouting of new shoots.

Air flow around and throughout the plant is important to healthy plant maintenance. Low air flow, wet leaves, and high humidity, such as fog, are prime ingredients for mildew development. We routinely removed leaves that were yellow, dying, or crowding the middle of the plant.

Harvest August to October

The true magic happened in late summer when we started regularly harvesting our ripe tomatoes.

There’s something indescribably satisfying about plucking sun-warmed, perfectly ripe tomatoes, especially ones nurtured on our own little slices of San Francisco. Our peak production was August through October for all plants, with plenty to share with friends and family.

In the fall, we met to taste the best of our bounty. We agreed all the tomatoes were delicious. Some notables were the exceptionally sweet Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, the buttery and well-balanced Valencias, and the Cherokee Purples with a rich, earthy flavor.

So, to all the skeptics out there, we say: give it a try. Start small—one or two plants is plenty for a first-timer. And remember, you’re not alone. If you have questions or need guidance, don’t be afraid to ask a friendly Master Gardener (that’s us!). We’re here to help you every step of the way.

For more information, go to the “Ask a Master Gardener” link at https://ucanr.edu/site/master-gardenerssan-mateo-san-francisco-counties/askmaster-gardener. The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources site also has workshop schedules and a Master Gardener helpline, 650-276-7430.

Growing medium and drainage

Organic matter

Micronutrients and soil porosity

Macro and micronutrients (with kelp meal)

½ cup oyster shell

1 teaspoon mycorrhizal fungi

Calcium is a key mineral needed for productivity and fruit quality

Healthy root systems

Tip 2: When ready to plant, fill a 15- to 20-gallon container halfway with soil. Then nestle a tomato plant in a centered hole 4 to 6 inches deep, burying about half of the plant’s stem.

After we took a 16-week course with the UC Master Gardener Program, we got together to sample the tomatoes we grew.

Photo by Arjun Banker

Sun Gold tomatoes are easy to grow. This extra sweet variety starts to ripen two months after planting. Photo by Troy Weakley

The striated SF Sunrise tomato can thrive in summer fog. The smaller Early Girl ripens in less than two months. Photo by Pat Kramer

THE NOE VALLEY VOICE

P.O. Box 460249 San Francisco, CA 94146 www.noevalleyvoice.com

The Noe Valley Voice is an independent newspaper published in San Francisco. It is distributed free in Noe Valley and vicinity during the first two weeks of the month. Subscriptions are available at $40 per year ($35 for seniors) by writing to the above address.

The Voice welcomes your letters, photos, and stories, particularly on topics relating to Noe Valley. All items should include your name and contact information, and may be edited for brevity or clarity. (Unsigned letters will not be considered for publication.) Unsolicited contributions will be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The Noe Valley Voice is a member of the San Francisco Neighborhood Newspaper Association.

Email: Editor@noevalleyvoice.com or Sally@noevalleyvoice.com

Website: www.noevalleyvoice.com

Distribution: Call Jack, 415-385-4569

Display Advertising: Call Pat, 415-608-7634, or email PatRose@noevalleyvoice.com

Display Advertising Deadline for the May 2025 Issue: April 20, 2025

Editorial Deadline: April 15, 2025

CO-PUBLISHERS/EDITORS

Sally Smith, Jack Tipple

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND EDITORS

Corrie M. Anders, Associate Editor

Heidi Anderson, Matthew S. Bajko, Owen Baker-Flynn, Karol Barske, Michael Blake, Kit Cameron, John Ferrannini, Matt Fisher, Kathryn Guta, Emily Hayes, Liz Highleyman, Jeff Kaliss, Roger Rubin, Karen Topakian

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Art Bodner, Pamela Gerard, Najib Joe Hakim, Charles Kennard, Beverly Tharp

ACCOUNTING Jennifer O. Viereck

PRODUCTION

Jack Tipple, Sally Smith

DISTRIBUTION

Jack Tipple

WEB GURU

Jon Elkin

ADVERTISING SALES

Pat Rose, Jack Tipple

Source: Dataset titled “Map of Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present” at https://data.sfgov.org/Public-Safety/Police-DepartmentIncident-Reports-2018-to-Present/wg3w-h783/. This data includes police incident reports filed by

through self-service online reporting for non-emergency cases. Disclaimer: The San Francisco Police Department does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or correct sequencing of the information, as the data is subject to change as modifications or updates are completed. The Noe Valley Voice collected the February 2025 data on March 12, 2025. “Noe Valley” on the SFPD’s digital map is bounded by 21st Street, San Jose Avenue/Guerrero Street, 30th Street, and Grand View Avenue/Diamond Heights Boulevard. Noe Valley Voice, April 2025

CRIME SNAPSHOT

Notable Decline in Incidents

The February crime statistics for Noe Valley showed a significant drop in property thefts, as well as zero reported incidents of robbery, vandalism, and family domestic violence. But property thefts and burglaries continued to be problems, according to data from the San Francisco Police Department’s dig-

ital map of incident reports.

In the 10 categories that the Noe Valley Voice tracks monthly, there were 65 reported incidents, the lowest total since April 2023 (55).

The February count also was 24 fewer than in January (89), a decrease of 27 percent.

Most of the decline was in the larceny/theft category. Still, police recorded 26 incidents, including one alleged pickpocketing, five “smashand-grab” thefts from vehicles, and 16 shoplifting thefts in the area of Castro and Jersey streets.

In the burglary category, there were reports of break-ins at eight commercial buildings, five homes, and three “other”

locations, for a total of 16. That was consistent with January’s number.

As for vehicle theft, four cars and one truck were reported stolen in Noe Valley in February. One was recovered.

The Voice relied on the city’s data portal at SF OpenData, https://datasf.org/opendata/. We scraped the February data on March 12, 2025.

If you have an emergency in San Francisco (or anywhere), call 9-1-1.

To report recurring problems, call 415-553-8090, or contact Mission Police Captain Liza Johansen at Liza.tifee@sfgov.org or Ingleside Station Captain Amy Hurwitz at Amy.Hurwitz@sfgov.org.

—Corrie M. Anders, Sally Smith

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through eighth grade Catholic school affiliated with it, noted parishioner Daniel C. Roddick, a member of the parish council who is studying to become a deacon with the Catholic Church. Born and raised in Noe Valley, the attorney has been a parishioner of the church his whole life, as was his late mother, Nancy Roddick. His father, Robert T. Roddick, who recently retired and passed on ownership of his Noe Valley Law Offices to his son, converted to Catholicism a decade ago.

“It sounds weird to say, having us not be a part of Noe Valley,” Daniel Roddick, 48, told the Voice when asked what it would mean to not have St. Philip’s in the neighborhood. “We are as much a part of Noe Valley—the parish has been here since 1910—I think we are integral to it.”

(When first established, St. Philip the Apostle Church and Parish began holding services in a rented workshop in a house converted to a chapel at 4296 24th Street near Douglass Street. It then moved into a temporary church that had been built on Elizabeth Street and held its first mass there on September 15, 1912, with many of the statuary seen in a photo of the sanctuary from then still in the current church, said Liebner.)

From the families who have been parishioners over generations to the “thousands of people,” noted Roddick,

who graduated from St. Philip School of San Francisco, the church has deep roots in the local community.

“Even though people aren’t going to mass, or aren’t even identifying with the faith anymore, many of them went to St. Philip’s. Go any place in San Francisco and you will see alums of St. Philip,” he said.

While the numbers in the pews at mass have been in decline, and the demographics of parishioners have changed over time, with Irish churchgoers being replaced by Latinos to more young Caucasian families now in attendance, Roddick is sure St. Philip’s will remain a home for the faithful far into the future.

“We are not just looking for numbers. Every soul has value,” he said. “We want to stay open for everyone who is coming to us.”

Steps Toward Restoration

Banners celebrating the church’s centennial had been placed on both sides of the altar in time for the March 2 services. Architect John J. Foley oversaw construction of the church in 1925 on a corner lot at Elizabeth Street, with the first mass celebrated there held on November 15, 1925.

According to a history of the church on its website, the altar received the last major renovation to the building in 1964, when it was reoriented to face the parishioners and “was considerably simplified. The main altars and side altars of Carrara marble match in a modern style.”

Designed in the Gothic Revival style, the church has asymmetrical towers at each side supported by pier buttresses. Inside is a barrel-vaulted ceiling supported by large Corinthian topped marbleized columns forming “a perfectly symmetrical space and separate the center from each side,” notes the church history.

Lanterns hang from gothic arches that are symmetrically aligned with the gothic arched windows enclosing colored-glass images of selected saints, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus.

Choir lofts are built into the transept on either side of the altar to facilitate antiphonal singing. The lofts are adorned with stained-glass windows with different depictions of Jesus Christ and his mother, Mary.

Originally, the church façade was white, but almost 30 years ago it was repainted its current tan color. The paint has been chipping off due to increased reverberations from the church bells, which since the start of the Covid pandemic have been rung daily at noon on weekdays, before the Saturday 5 p.m.

mass, and before the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday masses.

Repainting the church is on the parish’s to-do list, as it is estimated to cost at least $40,000, with proceeds from the centennial dinner going toward its restoration fund. In time for the centennial celebrations, a number of the stained-glass windows have been repaired and several historic church kneelers have been repaired and reinstalled. The church piano is set to be tuned and several hard-to-reach ceiling lights replaced.

“We are promoting the centennial in everything we are doing,” said Roddick.

Seeking New Members

Raised in New York and New Jersey, Liebner, 72, a Catholic priest for 42 years, was first assigned to St. Philip’s in June 2020. Over those five years, he said, the number of people attending mass on Sundays has decreased from 250 to an average of 132. “That is a terrible situation to be in,” said Liebner, though he said he wouldn’t describe the parish as “struggling.”

Despite losing 20 of its elderly parishioners each year (who have passed away), the church saw 20 new people become regulars last year, which is “very hopeful for us,” said Liebner.

“This neighborhood is similar to what the European church is facing. It is very secular in its world view. To us, that is the challenge,” said Liebner, of reaching out to newer residents of Noe Valley. “If people give their time, talent, and treasure, then the church will just prosper like you wouldn’t believe.”

The church’s association with the parochial school, which is financially independent, helps draw in parishioners, noted Liebner. The former convent on 24th Street near the corner of Diamond now houses an international Catholic men’s community, which generates income for the church from rent paid by its participants. At the moment, there are 10 men in the convent, called Harbor, who may go on to become priests or secular leaders of the parish. “I thank God for 100 years on Diamond Street and ask God for another 100 years if that is his will,” said Liebner.

‘People Are the Draw’

As the residents of Noe Valley have changed through the decades, St. Philip’s has remained a focal point for many in the neighborhood. Hilda Kissane, 51, who grew up in Noe Valley, has been a parishioner at the church since 1977, as her late parents had been. She also serves on the parish council. Even after moving to Daly City with her husband, she continued to attend mass at St. Philip Church, and the couple sent their daughter to the just

parochial school.

“I can’t imagine Noe Valley without the parish,” she said. “The school and parish have a festival in the fall that everybody looks forward to in the neighborhood. So many people in the neighborhood went to school here.”

Asked why she didn’t change churches when she relocated to the Peninsula, Kissane said it was partly due to the familiarity with St. Philip’s building and also to the familial nature of the relationships she had developed with her fellow parishioners.

“The ritual you can get wherever you go. The people are the draw,” she said. “If you walk in here and don’t know anybody, it doesn’t stay that way for long. The people kind of draw you in, I would say. We have a friendly focus, and the donuts aren’t bad either!”

She is hopeful that St. Philip’s will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2125.

“I hope so. I would say there is a good foundation of families here,” said Kissane.

Her husband, Erin, told the Voice, “Without this church, there would be no neighborhood. It is strong because of this church.”

The centennial festivities on Saturday, May 3, coincide with the Feast of the Apostles Philip and James. The Catholic Church celebrates the day to honor two of the original 12 apostles. Doors to the Parish Hall at 725 Diamond Street open at 6 p.m., and an Italian dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. The evening will also feature music, trivia, and prizes.

Tickets cost $50, $30 for seniors, and $20 for children ages 6 to 13, if purchased prior to April 28. They will be $60 at the door. To RSVP, email cristinamagro@domino.it or call 415309-3463. For more information about St. Philip the Apostle, visit its website at https://www.saintphilipparish.org/.

This 1925 photo shows the southeast corner of Diamond and Elizabeth streets just prior to construction of a new church building at the site. St. Philip Parish children are walking to a temporary church to receive their first Holy Communion. On the right is a building that served as a rectory, or home, for the parish priest. Photo courtesy Daniel C. Roddick

In a 1964 renovation, the main altar at St. Philip the Apostle Church was reoriented to face the parishioners. The sanctuary seats 550.. 2025 Photo by Art Bodner

Father James Liebner invites the community to attend St. Philip’s Centennial Celebration and learn about the history of a major landmark in Noe Valley. Photo by Art Bodner

The façade of St. Philip’s at 725 Diamond Street has changed little since the Noe Valley Voice captured this image for a feature in our October 2010 issue. Photo by Jack Tipple

Saint Aidan’s Episcopal Church

A Joyful Community of the Spirit

Holy Week and Easter In-Person & Interactive Online Worship

Palm Sunday, April 13

8 am & 10 am

Monday & Wednesday in Holy Week, April 14, 16

Evening Prayer at 7 pm *

Maundy Thursday, April 17

Liturgy at 7 pm

Good Friday, April 18

Prayer & Meditation, Noon to 3 pm *

Stay as long or as little as you like Good Friday Liturgy at 7 pm

Saturday, April 19

Great Vigil of Easter at 7 pm

Easter Sunday, April 20

Feast of the Resurrection at 8 am & 10 am

* Online only. All other services online & in person.

For connection information: email: office@staidansf.org

Saint Aidan’s Episcopal Church 101 Gold Mine Drive, San Francisco, 94131

Phone: 415.285.9540 www.staidansf.org

As the season of Easter approaches, your neighbors at Holy Innocents Episcopal Church on Fair Oaks Street invite you to join us in worship.

Palm Sunday, April 13, 10am with a procession

Tenebrae, April 16, 7pm

Maundy Thursday with Agape meal , April 17, 6pm

Good Friday, April 18, 12pm (St. Francis House Chapel, 3743 Cesar Chavez)

Good Friday, April 18, 7pm

The Great Vigil Youth-centered service, Saturday, April 19, 4pm

The Great Vigil Traditional service, Saturday, April 19, 8pm

Easter Sunday with Egg Hunt, Sunday, April 20, 9am

Easter Sunday Traditional Service, Sunday, April 20, 11am

Who are we? We are young, we are old. We are straight, gay, lesbian and transgender. We treasure being family to all members of our congregation. We are a welcoming, open, and diverse church that values both tradition and creativity. All are welcome to receive Communion, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey.

Holy Innocents • 455 Fair Oaks Street • San Francisco

NOE VALLEY CHURCH

Noe Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church 1021 Sanchez Street at 23rd 415-282-2317

Sunday Worship: 10:30 a.m.

Rev. Dr. Peter Choi, Pastor

Lent, Holy Week & Easter Events

Palm Sunday, April 13

Procession of the Palms A Worship of Joyful Noise!

Book Group, April 14

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn Conference Room, 10 a.m.

Peaceful Labyrinth Walk

Take a Path that leads to Inner Peace Monday, April 14, 7 p.m.

Maundy Thursday, April 17

Soup Supper & Communion Service with Handwashing, 6:00 p.m.

Easter Morning, April 20

Worship Celebration with Guest Musicians! Dara Phung and the NVM Choir Festive Refreshments After Worship.

Excelsior Food Pantry, April 26

10:15 AM -12:30 PM, 302 Silver Ave Join us & Mission Bay Community Church in distributing food to SF families

Anya of Birch & Rye Competes To Be Top Chef

told her colleague, “I wish you had folded me in, because cabbage is such a Russian ingredient.”

In the he judging, Anya’s s team and three other trios lost out to the Yellow ellow Team, eam, which used apple, fennel, and corn. The Yellows shared a $15,000 cash prize.

That was the first challenge. The second was an elimination round. After working as allies, each of the chefs had to duke it out against one another

Asked this time to use three items from a northern Canadian pantry that included beets, crowberries, oats, potatoes, carrots, and the local fish Arctic char char, Anya was more comfortable.

“The north of Canada reminded me of the cuisine we have in Russia. So I made an ukha,” she told the judges, a clear Russian soup.

The potatoes and char flavored the broth. Also, Anya added a rye cracker with a dollop of caviar made with beets that she cured in vodka.

The judges loved the medley

“As soon as I took a bite, it reminded me of Russian Inuit soup,” one guest judge said.

“It’ “It’s s really beautiful,” said another on the panel, “the connection that Anya has made with the north of Canada. The sourness of the soup is fantastic.”

Her last review was the best.

“Ostensibly “Ostensibly, it looked like overly simple food—a bowl of soup with crackers on the side,” said a third judge. “But simple is hard to do, and you did that extremely well. Good start.”

It was a bad start, though, for executive chef Mimi Weissenborn of Sur Lie in Portland, Maine. Judges didn’t t savor her allegedly overbaked pork and undercooked potatoes.

“Mimi,” said host Kristen Kish, a previous Top Chef winner winner, “please pack your knives and go.”

Anya and 13 others lived to cook another day

Week eek 2: Bir Birch ch and Pine Cone

Poutine may be a dish rarely seen in the Bay Area, but not in Canada. Take ake some french fries, cover them with cheese curds and gravy, and you have one of Canada’ Canada’s s comfort-food passions.

In the “Quickfire” challenge in Week eek 2, the remaining 14 contestants were asked to prepare their version of poutine, using a starchy vegetable, a sauce, and cheese. The plate had to be assembled in 30 minutes, with the winner pocketing $5,000.

The chefs scrambled to make their variations. Anya made what she called “poutine à la stroganoff.” f.” The stroganoff used chanterelle mushrooms, herbs, and sour cream. Strangely Strangely, the judges didn’t t offer fer a critique of her

ef effort.

But they weren’ weren’t t reticent about what Anya dreamed up next.

In the more critical second challenge of the show—in which another chef would be eliminated—the competitors had to create a brunch dish using maple syrup.

The competition consisted of two seven-person teams, each preparing a seven-course menu. Each chef had to come up with one dish on the menu, and each serving had to have a maple syrup component.

Anya was keen to run with the idea. “I love maple syrup,” she told the judges. “I spent my childhood tapping birch trees on the edge of Moscow Everyone had the same 200 rubles a month, which is about $20, so by necessity necessity, we had to go out into nature and find what you needed to survive.”

Anya opted to make a “syrniki,” which she described as “essentially a fried cheesecake” or a “slightly sweet Russian pancake.” She used macerated strawberries, whipped maple syrup, and with a touch of whimsy, Siberian pinecone jam. “Y “You can really taste the forest,” Anya explained.

“I liked it a lot. It tasted like cheesecake, which is interesting,” said Top Chef host Tom om Colicchio with a smile.

“I’m going to put cheesecake in my pancake,” a guest judge said playfully

Sarah Levy Levy, a Ca Canadian nadian actor from the popular TV series Schitt’ Schitt’s s Cr Creek, eek, liked it too, saying, “The pine cone was a trip. I’ve never eaten something that reminded me so much of a smell. I didn’t t think I’d be eating the smell.”

However, Anya’s s team lost the over overall challenge. (The winning team shared $35,000.)

Anya’s s teammate, Bailey Sullivan, executive chef of Chicago’ Chicago’s s Monte Monteverde restaurant, was judged to have made the “worst dish.”

Bailey was sent packing.

Week eek 3: Felt Like Siberia

Anya got far more airtime during Week eek 3.

The fast-paced “Quickfire” challenge called for the 13 remaining contestants to prepare a “snack” based on a Jamaican patty patty, a hand-held pie popular in Toronto.

After making her own dough, Anya considered but then discarded the idea of filling it with chicken and bacon. Instead, she made a Russian pir pirozhok, her version of a meat pie, with ground beef and ajika spice.

The snack was “amazi “amazing,” ng,” said one judge, but it seemed tame after Anya’s s rivals presented their more exotic patties, such as one with shrimp and banana filling. Anya’s s creation failed to snag the $10,000 reward.

The elimination round was another shootout.

Contestants had to make a cold dish using one of a list of ingredients the show took pains to associate with ice hockey The food items included a bis-

cuit (“a puck”), a muf muffin, an apple, grapefruit, peanut butter butter, licorice, and Anya’s s draw draw, an egg (“a game ending in zero”).

She relished the challenge. “My repertoire of cold dishes is really rich. I love the cold so much I go swimming in San Francisco Bay in 50-degree water Cold is definitely my element,” she said

Well, ell, maybe not cold as in refrigeration.

She decided to make cake and ice cream. Unfortunately Unfortunately, her first try at the ice cream, which was infused with pine-needle powder, was brick hard, and she had to melt and refreeze the dessert to make it fluf fluffy She also had to redo the frozen cake to make it chif chiffon-style fon-style and lighter

The critics were chilly chilly

“The presentation—it was like a frozen pond… I’m ready to go skating,” said one guest judge.

“And then you fell through the ice,” complained Colicchio, adding, “The ice cream didn’t t set up properly The cake was not made properly There was no flav flavor in it.”

Another judge told Anya, “The pressure to bring forth the elements that represent your cu culture lture got in the way of proper technique.”

The panel agreed it was their least favorite dish.

In the night’ night’s s final elimination, after appearances on only three episodes, Anya was sent home.

“I feel stunned and heartbroken,” she said in a post-exit interview “This was my one and only chance to be on Top Chef and tell my story.” .”

Still, she said, “I was able to show Russian cuisine as something soulful, as something that has a heart.”

Congratulations, Anya!

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In the first episode of this season’ season’s s Top Chef op An Anya El-Wattar was smiling. attar She warmed up the judges with her tasty tasty, Russian-influenced soup and crack crackers. ers. Photo cour tesy Br

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A Waymo Ride in The Rain to Noe Valley

was $16.06. Out of curiosity I checked my Uber app for the same trip, and the charge was about $12.

The average cost to ride Waymo is a few dollars more than Uber—my Uber rides within San Francisco have ranged from $9 to $45, on one dark and stormy night. However, you don’t have to tip on Waymo.

Waymo does have surge pricing, so the price of a ride can increase during periods of high demand. But so do Uber and Lyft. The apps will note when they are extra busy and surge pricing is in effect.

A few days before my first ride, I consulted with one of my 20-something kids to ask about his Waymo experiences.

Aaron was happy to oblige. He said he loved the clean cars and high-tech ambience.

On his very first trip, he recalled that his car “freaked out” when it tried to assess how to deal with a person loading something into their car trunk on Guerrero. Aaron said the Waymo registered the trunk loader as a pedestrian trying to cross the street. Aaron’s car waited for a long time before finally pushing through the intersection without incident.

Other than that, he said, his rides were “very gentle.”

According to Google, Waymo drives more cautiously than human drivers and avoids freeways.

First-Night Jitters

The big night arrived for my first Waymo. I had plans to meet up with Noe Valley Voice editor Sally Smith for dinner at Dumpling Kitchen at 24th and Sanchez and then go to Comedy Night at The Dubliner bar down the street.

I opened the Waymo app and was greeted with the cheery “Where to, Heidi?” I typed in The Dubliner’s 24th Street address. The app estimated an eight-minute wait time for my car to arrive.

Panic set in. I started feeling attached to my Uber routine. For safety, I always read the license plate indicated on the Uber app and checked it against the arriving car. I always greeted the driver as I opened the door with a friendly “hello!” as I seated myself. Then I would note how clean (or not) their car was, say a few more words to the driver to see how chatty (or not) they were, and fumble for the seat belt. Finally, as the driver checked their phone to learn my destination, I would sense how happy they were for my fare. Or not.

Like all humans, ride-hail drivers are a crapshoot. They are chatty. They are taciturn. They drive like grandmothers. They drive like bats out of hell. Climbing into their car is much like a blind date. It’s exciting, but it’s scary. What’s it like to “meet” a Waymo for the first time?

Well, I’d already ordered the car and paid for it, and the app was cheerfully telling me it was two minutes away. I headed to the front of my Octavia Street building to wait for its arrival. Like on all ride-hail apps, I watched the car navigate its way on my phone, then in real life as it drove toward me.

As the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUV made its ghost-like appearance on my block—all Waymo cars are white— I watched it pull over just like all Uber cars do. Here was something different,

though: my initials, “H.A.,” appeared on the spinny thingy on top of the car.

(Tech Note: The spinny thingy on top of the car is a Light Detection and Ranging [LiDAR] sensor. It uses lasers to gauge the distance of objects.)

As I approached the car, the door handles popped out.

(Tech Note: Once the now fifthgeneration Waymo arrives to pick you up, you can use the app to open any door you want. I chose ahead of time to have the back doors unlock for me. Both options are in the app’s Bluetooth settings.)

And just like that, the lever on the back door popped out. I let myself in.

Climbing Into a Sound Bath

I felt as if I had entered a dream state. The car was clean, clear of clutter, and full of large cheerful screens. I was surrounded by spa music.

The car was talking to me before I could put my purse down.

“Hello, from Waymo,” said a soothing female voice. “As we get going, just give us one minute to cover a few

I felt as if I had entered a dream state. The car was clean, clear of clutter, and full of large cheerful screens. I was surrounded by spa music.

“Hello, from Waymo,” said a soothing female voice.

riding tips. This experience may feel futuristic, but the need to buckle up is the same as always. So keep your seat belt fastened, please. We’ll do all the driving, so please don’t touch the steering wheel or pedals during your ride.”

The voice gave me a quick review of the infotainment screen available to me, situated between the driver and front passenger seats. It was a touch screen that showed video-game-like live images of the streetscape all around us, plus buttons for “play music,” “pull over,” and “support.”

I fastened my seat belt.

“We may use interior cameras to check on riders to improve our product and more,” the voice continued. “But our microphones are only on when you’re connected to rider support.”

So “sing your heart out,” said the voice. “We can’t hear you.”

We were on our way.

The Confidence Is Comforting

What struck me first was how confident the car was. It turned right on a red light without hesitation and then changed lanes to turn left.

We headed toward Noe Valley on Gough Street. It was a warm night. I normally ask an Uber driver if it’s okay if I open the window. This time I had no one to ask. I hit the button, and the

window went down.

A few feet ahead, I saw a car making a three-point turn in our path and a bicyclist making a very quick maneuver around it. I gulped and imagined being late to dinner.

But Waymo didn’t even hesitate. It slowed, calculated, veered into the next lane to pass the mess, and then back to our original lane. I watched the whole thing on the screen. The illegal Uturner, the bicyclist swerving—all was noted and avoided. Confident!

A block later, a car was doubleparked. Waymo sashayed around it, then back into our lane. The spa music continued. Then an Amazon truck loomed ahead and parked in our path. Again, Waymo calculated and negotiated around the vehicle.

When we were stopped at a red light on 23rd and Guerrero, a half-dozen pedestrians crossed in front of us. Most were looking at their phones. I gulped, remembering the run-over pedestrian of 2023. “How will you handle these people in the crosswalk when the light turns green?” I asked no one.

No problem. The video game images on my screen again had noted all the pedestrians. As a courtesy and as if it had heard me, the screen noted that it was yielding to pedestrians.

Not only was this bodyless driver confident, but it was considerate to let me know of its decision!

At My Destination

A few minutes later, the car told me we were close to The Dubliner.

Oh no! In my nervousness, when I’d ordered the trip on the app, I had forgotten that I wanted to meet Sally at Dumpling Kitchen, not The Dubliner! I made the decision to not bother Waymo at this point.

(Tech Note: To change your destination in a Waymo, in the app go to “My trip,” and choose “Edit trip.” There

you can tap “Options” near your current drop-off location to choose a new drop-off point. Or you can adjust the pinpoint location directly on the map.)

“Almost there!” the car now told me. “Don’t forget your phone, keys, and wallet!”

Aw, thank you, Waymo!

“For your safety, the doors will remain locked when you arrive,” the voice warned me. “Pull the handle twice to exit. The first pull will unlock, the second opens the door.”

The car slowed to a stop and doubleparked, leaving just the right amount of space to step out.

“You’re here! Please make sure it’s clear before exiting.” I pulled the door handle, then pulled again. Yep, I unlocked my door.

A man smoking outside The Dubliner watched me as I closed the door and walked past him. Did he know the ride was my first time? Did he know I was too chicken to change my destination to Dumpling Kitchen?

I will never know. But I did know right then, in front of The Dubliner on a random Friday evening, I was hooked on my new friend, Waymo.

Driving uphill. Photos by Heidi Anderson

Navigating a construction zone.

Yielding to a pedestrian while making a right turn..

Stopping at an intersection as a pedestrian crosses the street. Rain on the windshield.

The Cost of Living in Noe

A ‘Grande Dame’ on Dolores Goes to a Couple

By Corrie M. Anders

Residential shoppers looking for a new home in Noe Valley may have given themselves the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift.

On Feb. 14, the buyers, who were a couple, closed escrow on a pair of condominiums in a majestic “Grande Dame” at the corner of Dolores and 24th streets.

The building was erected in 1900 and underwent a major renovation in 2012. The two condos, each on two levels, both touted luxury amenities, including Gaggenau appliances, Bose

speakers, oak hardwood floors, marbletiled bathrooms, and walkout decks with views of the city.

The three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom “penthouse,” with 2,345 square feet of living space, sold for $3.3 million, or 14 percent more than its asking price ($2,895,000).

The lower three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit, with 1,856 square feet of interior space, sold for $2.3 million, a hefty 28 percent above the list price of $1,795,000.

The new owners were so enchanted, according to Venkat Ramasamy, a Silicon Valley real estate agent who participated in the sale, they engaged in a bidding contest to make sure they won both units—in other words, the whole house.

It was the views and the volume of light flooding the interiors that tugged at the buyers’ heartstrings, said Ramasamy, a broker with Real Estate Source in Los Altos.

“The upper unit has skylights. All of

Noe Valley Rents**

WHO TO CALL AT CITY HALL

San Francisco Information Line SFgov.org or SF.gov.

NVV 4/2025

3-1-1 or 415-701-2311

San Francisco Police Dispatch in a emergency: 9-1-1. From a cell phone:. . 415-553-8090

San Francisco Police in a non-emergency

Burned-out Streetlights, streetlights@sfwater.org (PUC).

District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, mandelmanstaff@sfgov.org

District 8 Community Safety Liaison (SFPD)

415-553-0123

415-554-0730

415-554-6968

Dave.Burke@sfgov.org

Graffiti, fallen trees, street cleaning (DPW) 3-1-1 or zerograffiti@sfdpw.org. . 415-695-2017

Homeless Services Street Outreach Services (SOS) medical care.

Lost or Injured Animals Animal Care and Control

Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services sfmayor.org

415-355-2250

415-554-6364

415-554-7111

NERT Neighborhood Emergency Response Team sffdnert@sfgov.org. 415-970-2022 or 2024

Parking Enforcement (blocked driveway) DPT Dispatch

PG&E Gas or electrical issues

Pothole Repairs potholes@sfdpw.org.

3-1-1 or 415-553-1200

9-1-1 or 1-800-743-5000 or 1-877-660-6789

Recycling Recology San Francisco (free pickup bulky items).

Rent Board San Francisco phone counseling

Sewer Problems, Overflows .

SFMTA or Muni Call 311 or email MTABoard@sfmta.com.

Tree Planting urbanforestry@sfdpw.org

415-554-5810

415-330-1300

415-252-4600

415-695-2096

415-701-2311

415-554-6700

24th Street Community Benefit District (Noe Valley Association . 415-802-4461 or 519-0093

Water Leaks, Water Pressure, Adopt a Drain

3-1-1 or 415-554-3289

“Lincoln was probably a great president, although I’ve always said, why wasn’t that settled? You know, I’m a guy that—it doesn’t make sense we had a civil war.” —Donald J. Trump, Fox News, Oct. 21, 2024

Noe Valley Home Sales*

the floors have windows, and you have windows on all four sides of the house, which is very unusual in San Francisco,” said Ramasamy. (The buyers did not wish to be identified.)

The Dolores Street acquisition was among four condos, six “single-family” detached homes, and six apartment buildings purchased in February, according to data supplied to the Noe Valley Voice by Corcoran Icon Properties.

The most expensive of the six houses was a $5.5 million Victorian on Diamond Street. It was an “absolutely stunning” home that sold quickly in a private sale, said Christine Lopatowski, manager of Corcoran’s 24th Street office.

Located in the 600 block of Diamond

Street between 23rd and Elizabeth streets, the four-bedroom, three-bath residence, with 3,310 square feet of space, offered a living room with a gas fireplace, Viking kitchen appliances including a Sub-Zero refrigerator, marble countertops, a wine room, sauna, a walkout deck with a firepit, and two-car r parking.

Lopatowski noted that typically real estate activity is slow in January, the month February buyers would have been looking for homes. She said Noe Valley’s inventory of only 10 homes for sale in January also curbed sales.

Still, Lopatowski said, the January house hunters were “very serious buyers,” who may have considered themselves lucky they “didn’t have a ton of competition.”

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SHORT TAKES

Participants in the Noe Valley Then & Now Photo Hunt on April 26, from 1 to 5:30 p.m., will take photos from historic vantage points, such as this one captured in 1925 at 28th and Noe. Photo courtesy OpenSFHistory.org/wnp36.04063

Walk in Cow Pastures

Who was José de Jesús Noé and where did his former residence stand? What about John Meirs Horner, and why did he create Horner’s Addition?

Those who’d like to learn the answersto those questions should gather at the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Library, 451 Jersey St., on Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m., for the Noe Valley Then & Now Photo Hunt, co-sponsored by Shaping San Francisco and the San Francisco Public Library.

“It’s sort of walking tour meets historical treasure hunt,” says organizer LisaRuth Elliott, of Shaping San Francisco.

From 1 to 3:30 p.m., participants will be invited to walk certain trails in the “then” of Rancho San Miguel, of which Noe Valley was a part, and to capture the “now” views of today, using their own cameras. Along the various routes, says Elliott, historic images will be posted near where they were originally taken in the early 1900s. “They will reveal how this neighborhood’s industry, landscape, and demographics have changed over time.”

Then, between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m., the hikers are invited to return to the library to share their photos, tell tales, and enjoy light refreshments. They also will receive a keepsake “zine” designed for the event, says Elliott. The new “then-and-now” photos will be preserved in Shaping San Francisco’s digital archive at FoundSF.org.

RSVP to Elliott by email to shaping@foundsf.org.

Nanci Reese and Ben Pax

Want to bring more color into your life? Go see the latest exhibit at Gallery Sanchez in the Noe Valley Ministry, featuring two of Noe Valley’s most engaging artists, Nanci Reese and Ben Pax. Pax is famous for his delicate inked flower images, and Reese regularly stops passersby on 24th Street when her cartoon-like art is in the window at Art Haus SF.

The show, simply titled Nanci Reese and Ben Pax: Paintings, will take place April 25 to July 7, with a reception on Friday, April 25, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Ministry, located at 1021 Sanchez Street near 23rd Street. For information, email reeseartsSF@gmail.com or office@noevalleyministry.org.

Asawa Community Day

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will offer a free Community Day on Sunday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to celebrate the exhibition Ruth Asawa: Retrospective, running April 5 through Sept. 2 at the museum, 151 Third St. All ages are welcome. The event, in partnership with the arts non-profit Ruth’s Table, will include special performances and hands-on art-making activities throughout the museum, presented by Bay Area artists.

The Asawa Retrospective, which is co-sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA), features more than 300 works by the late artist and longtime Noe Valley resident, ranging from hanging globes and baker’s clay sculptures to drawings, paintings, and scribbles in notebooks.

For more information and tickets, go to https://www.sfmoma.org/event/freecommunity-day-ruth-asawa/.

Noe Valley Dems Focus on City

The Noe Valley Democratic Club, with new leaders at the helm, plans to focus on local concerns during the coming year. “We want to be the voice of Noe Valley around city issues,” said new club president Sam Maslin.

The group won’t ignore the “things that the national administration does that affect San Francisco,” he said, “but the primary focus has been and will be city of San Francisco issues.”

To that end, at its next meeting, Tuesday, April 9, Maslin said, the club will host a discussion on homelessness by “two key figures in S.F.’s effort to decrease suffering on the streets”: Kunal Modi, the mayor’s homelessness policy chief, and District 8 Supervisor

Night Markets Set To Expand in June

By Sally Smith

Asthe weather gets warmer, the crowds keep getting bigger at the Noe Valley Night Market, held on the last Tuesday of the month (April 29 this month) in the Noe Valley Town Square at 3861 24th Street.

“To me it looks like there are 1,000 people,” said Leslie Crawford at the peak of the March event. And she should know. Crawford coordinates activities at the square in conjunction with the city’s Recreation and Park Department.

In the view of Kathryn Gianaras, organizer of the Noe Valley night markets and vice president of the Noe Valley Merchants & Professionals Association (not to mention co-owner of Novy Restaurant), the number of visitors was lots higher in March than her estimated 500 at previous markets.

Gianaras and Manny Yekutiel of the nonprofit Civic Joy Fund, the event’s main funder, took the stage March 25 to thank the visitors, vendors, and volunteers, and to announce their plan to expand the market to the street. Within days, Yekutiel confirmed, “In June, the event will expand outside of the Noe Valley Town Square, to 24th Street between Vicksburg and Sanchez Street.” That is assuming the idea gets a positive reception from merchants,

neighbors, and city officials.

Meanwhile, for the April 29 fair, Gianaras said, the vendors will increase to 15. Among the food booths will be Casa Mexicana, La Copa Loca, Novy, Todo el Día, Trad Bone Broth, and new this month, Cure SF, a barbecue popup. Also new will be Lehr’s SF from Church Street, Pinckney Clay, Auriga, and the Imperfect Potter. They will join regulars Urban Scout, Colors4Love, Sam’s Gourmet Jams, TayTay (handknit children’s wear), and Celine Turkish Towels.

The jazz from vocalist Lambert Moss will continue, as will activities for kids at the back of the square. From a van on the street in front of the square, Valley Tavern/Vibe Events will dispense beer, wine, and cocktails.

“In addition to all of the funding from Civic Joy,” notes Gianaras, “we have a new co-sponsor, Perez Construction, who donated $750 towards tents and a generator, after our power failure issue during the February night market. We are always looking for more co-sponsors to donate items, like more tents and generators.”

You may contact Gianaras by email at Kathryn@novysf.com. Or come by the Novy stand at the next market, running 5 to 8 p.m. At the March one, customers were lining up for seconds at her tent. That’s because she and her sister (2025 NVMPA President Kristen McCaffery), and Novy general manager Travis LeMaster were offering bowls of delicious lamb meatballs.

and Board President Rafael Mandelman. The gathering starts at 6 p.m. at Todo el Día, 4063 24th Street.

In May, the club plants to sponsor a debate on housing issues, with multiple speakers, he said. Time and location are yet to be decided.

Maslin, 41, was elected club president during balloting last November. A resident of Castro Street since 2022, he is the CEO of Eddy Energy, a renewable energy firm.

He replaced Carrie Barnes, who did not seek re-election after three years as

president of the group.

The new officers also include vice president Sarah Montoya, a member of the city’s Human Rights Commission, and recording secretary Hilary Shirazi, vice president of an AI firm.

For more information or to become a club member—there’s a $30 annual membership fee—go to the website Noevalleydemocrats.org.

—Corrie

This month’s Short Takes were written by Sally Smith, unless otherwise noted.

M. Anders

Above: On the Couch with Dog, 2024, by Nanci Reese. Below: Lily, 2020, by Ben Pax.

These works and others will be on display in a show called Nanci Reese and Ben Pax: Paintings, at the Noe Valley Ministry April 25 through July 7.

Novy’s (l. to r.) Travis LeMaster, Kristen McCaffery, and Kathryn Gianaras ladled out a customer favorite, lamb meatballs, at the Noe Valley Night Market in March. Photo by Sally Smith

MORE FOOD TO EAT

Firefly’s Sweet

Potato Tostones and Daikon Radish Cakes

Firefly, tucked just off Douglass at 4288 24th Street, feels like a warm embrace. It reminds me of the type of cozy East Coast restaurants we used to duck into to escape a blizzard. Cloth-draped ceilings soften the space, warm lighting glows from every corner, and the dining room hums with conversation. It’s not just a meal here. It’s a refuge.

On a recent visit, while everything on the menu delivered, it was a couple of appetizers that stood out. Each one echoed the comfort Firefly is known for.

First, we tried the Japanese sweet potato tostones with citrus ginger glaze ($13). These weren’t your usual smooth round sweet potatoes. The potatoes had clearly been “roughed up” a bit—torn or mashed just enough to create craggy edges that crisped beautifully when fried. That extra surface area meant every bite had an irresistible crunch, balanced by a soft interior. The glaze brought the tostones to life: bright citrus, a touch of heat from red pepper flakes, and a scatter of green onions for depth. It was punchy and playful—we couldn’t stop going back for more.

Second, we ordered the grilled daikon radish cakes with mushroom and scallion stir fry ($17). Seared to a golden crisp on the outside, the radish cakes gave way to a soft, substantial warm interior. When the chewy delicious mushrooms bonded with the soft, yielding texture of the radish cakes, the dish struck a perfect balance.

Whether you’re seeking shelter or just good food, Firefly and these dishes can help you forget about the worries that live outside its walls.

—Matt Fisher, on the beat for More Food to Eat Have a suggestion for a dish to try in Noe Valley? Send an email to MoreFoodtoEatNoeValley@gmail.com.

drop-in Adult Advanced Volleyball games at Upper Noe Rec Center on Wednesdays, 5 to 7:30 p.m.

It’s Spring Loaded

Spring Session is under way at Upper Noe Recreation Center at Day and Sanchez streets, but you can still find class and team openings at the park. Go to sfrecpark.org/register or see what’s up in the schedule below.

Lots of classes and activities at Upper Noe are drop-in and free, as well as open to spectators. The drop-in Adult Advanced Volleyball (18+) on Wednesdays from 5 to 7:30 p.m. is attracting “a mix of men and women with serious skills,” says Chris Faust, of Friends of Upper Noe Recreation Center. “They do mean ‘advanced.’ It’s exciting to watch.”

Opening day for Junior Giants Registration was April 1. This free, noncompetitive baseball and softball summer league, for ages 5 to 13, features lessons on swinging the ball but also on integrity, confidence, teamwork, and leadership. League play begins in mid-June. For more information and to register, go to https://www.mlb.com/giants/community/junior-giants-leagues.

Two new park activities are Tot Futsal on Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m., and Shred & Butter for adults on Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m., the rec center’s firstever adult skateboarding class.

Call the office at 415-970-8061 or visit www.uppernoerecreationcenter.com for schedule updates. Call San Francisco Customer Service at 3-1-1 by phone, web, or the phone app, if you see something that needs fixing on the grounds Upper Noe Spring Schedule (March 24 to May 31, 2025)

Rec Center Hours, 295 Day St.: Tues. to Fri., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Outside activities only on

Tuesday

9 to 10 a.m. Zumba (outside) FREE

and

10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pickleball (all ages) FREE

12 to 1 p.m. Pilates (18+)

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Strength & Flexibility (18+)

2 to 5 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE

5 to 7:30 p.m. Open Gym (18+) FREE

6 to 7 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (18+) 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga Vinyasa (18+)

Wednesday 10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open Gym (adult) FREE

12 to 1 p.m. Feldenkrais (18+)

3 to 6 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

2 to 4:30 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE 5 to 7:30 p.m. Advanced Drop-In Volleyball (18+)

6 to 7 p.m. Tennis Beginning (18+)

7 to 8 p.m. Tennis Beginning (18+)

Thursday

10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pickleball (18+) FREE

12 to 1 p.m. Pilates (18+)

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Strength & Flexibility (18+)

2 to 5 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE 4 to 5 p.m. Petite Bakers (ages 3–5)

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (ages 9–10)

5 to 7:30 p.m. Open Gym (18+) FREE

6 to 7 p.m. Adult Shred N' Butter

6 to 7 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (18+) 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga Vinyasa (18+)

Friday

9 to 10 a.m. Zumba (outside) FREE

10 to 11

Website: https://stjohnseagles.com

Phone: (415) 584-8383

Email: officesj@stjohnseagles.com

Some Spike It Hot: Players joust at the all-gender

Photo courtesy Chris Faust

The Japanese sweet potato tostones (left) and the daikon radish cakes are two appetizers diners can warm up to at Firefly Restaurant. Photos by Matthew Fisher

OMNIVORE BOOKS ••• APRIL EVENTS

LACEY OSTERMANN • 3 DOUGHS, 60 RECIPES • 6:30

P.M. FREE! Master effortless, delicious baking with three versatile doughs (pizza, focaccia & sandwich bread) and creative recipe.

GEORGIA FREEDMAN • SNACKING DINNERS: 50+

RECIPES FOR LOW-LIFT, HIGH-REWARD DINNERS THAT DELIGHT • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Effortless, flavorful recipes for busy parents, couples, and anyone craving simple, satisfying meals.

POOJA BAVISHI WITH HETAL VASAVADA • MALAI: FROZEN DESSERTS INSPIRED BY SOUTH ASIAN FLAVORS • 6:30 P.M. FREE! 100+ vibrant frozen desserts blending tradition with innovation.

SARAH AHN WITH RANDY LAU • UMMA: A KOREAN MOM'S KITCHEN WISDOM AND 100 FAMILY RECIPES • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Generations united through Korean cooking— heartfelt stories, timeless recipes & wisdom.

KATIE REICHER • SEASONS OF GREENS: A COLLECTION OF NEW RECIPES FROM THE ICONIC SAN FRANCISCO RESTAURANT • 6:30 P.M. FREE! From the chef at SF’s beloved Greens Restaurant!

LAURIE WOOLEVER WITH SAMIN NOSRAT • CARE AND FEEDING: A MEMOIR • 6:30 P.M. A wild ride of a memoir! Purchase a ticket for an indoor standing spot at omnivorebooks.com, or join our free outdoor overflow area!

JOANINHA • RECIPES FOR A GOOD LIFE • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Vegetarian health-boosting recipes, menu plans, and nutritional insights for a vibrant, balanced life.

ALIX TRAEGER WITH ZOYA BIGLARY • SCRATCH THAT: EMBRACE THE MESS, COOK TO IMPRESS• 6:30 P.M. FREE! Fun, fearless cooking via 100+ recipes embracing kitchen chaos and creativity.

STORE TREK

Store Trek is a regular feature of the Noe Valley Voice, highlighting new businesses in Noe Valley. This month, we profile a restaurant that says it will “savor the soul” of Vietnam.

PHỞ LEQUY

1320 Castro Street near 24th Street

415-829-3442

https://www.pholequy.com/

Apopular South Bay Vietnamese restaurant is now serving up its traditional pho soups and bánh mì sandwiches in Noe Valley.

Ph

ở LeQuy, or LeQuy as it is simply referred to, opened in early November on Castro Street a few doors from 24th Street. Since then, it has drawn a steady dinner and weekend crowd.

A hit with customers is the Wagyu Pho, a dish served with thinly sliced strips of tender wagyu beef that diners add to a piping hot bowl of the restaurant’s savory beef broth.

Restaurant owner Phong Bui is proud of his unique take on pho, a signature menu item at Vietnamese eateries. He says he tried a variety of meat suppliers in the Bay Area before finding the right wagyu beef for LeQuy.

“I am the only one right now. It is a beef that is very easy to cut,” Bui told the Voice. “We have a good supplier in the Bay now.”

After Russian restaurant Birch and Rye shuttered at 1320 Castro Street last April, Bui spoke with building owner Nikos Troullinos about taking over the lease. The two then negotiated a deal for Bui to open his first restaurant in San Francisco.

“I didn’t have plans to open in San Francisco,” recalled Bui, who grew up in Vĩnh Long, Vietnam. “But I came to see the landlord, and I invited him to come to my restaurant to try out our food. He really loved our food, so I said I could work with him and take over this space.”

Bui is now trying to attract more lunchtime crowds by offering a dine-inonly special for $15 until 3 p.m. on weekdays. It includes a bowl of pho

and a cup of Thai tea or a soft drink. It covers any pho other than the wagyu, beef rib, or certain seafood options.

“Because in Noe Valley I think most customers like coming for dinner mostly, I want to motivate people to come for lunch,” said Bui.

LeQuy, pronounced “luh-qwee,” serves a variety of bánh mì sandwiches on soft French baguettes with a crispy crust (prices start at $11). Options include BBQ pork, chicken, beef, and a mushroom with tofu and lemongrass vegan option.

The menu is extensive and broken down by protein options (entrees run $13 to $23). The “Hot Beef Soup” section includes beef round heel muscle pho made with a “tender yet delightfully chewy beef tendon.” There are also eye round steak and flank or beef meatball options.

The pho soups with BBQ pork or free-range chicken have been popular with Noe Valley customers, said Bui. A spicy broth is available upon request, while fresh flat rice noodles can be

added to a pho dish for an extra $.50.

Also in demand is the garlic noodles dish served with soup, salad, and a choice of either salmon, BBQ chicken, BBQ pork, BBQ beef rolls, or the “rock ’n’ roll beef,” made with cubed filet mignon tossed in a savory sauce with bell peppers and onions.

Traditional spring rolls with a combination of shrimp and pork are popular too, said Bui. The appetizer can be made with just shrimp or BBQ pork, and there are tofu and avocado versions for vegan options.

The crab and shrimp egg rolls are another go-to appetizer for his Noe Valley patrons, said Bui. Other favorites include the fried shrimp and crab meat dumplings.

Diners often choose the crab fried rice entree, which comes with a cup of soup and salad. In addition, Bui recommends seafood lovers try the Chilean Sea Bass Fried Rice, with eggs, green peas, and carrots, as it is a uniquely Vietnamese dish ($19.50).

“Maybe our food is not familiar with other kinds of people. Every nation has different tastes. Some people like sweet, some like savory,” said Bui, who changes up his menu every two years.

He uses the same menu at all of his restaurants, with his fourth set to open at 1050 Valencia Street in May.

After moving to San Jose from his home country in 2014, Bui opened his

first eatery named Phu Quy in the late 2010s.

He then met the owner of Le Quy in Campbell, who decided to retire in 2018, so Bui took over that restaurant and changed the name of his San Jose location to match it.

He has since incorporated the restaurants under the name of Phở LeQuy Inc.

In 2022, his parents and younger brother emigrated from Vietnam to live with him in San Jose, though his sibling is currently attending San Diego State University. Bui makes the commute to San Francisco several days a week to check in with his staff in Noe Valley.

“The neighbors are very, very lovely, very friendly,” said Bui. “Everyone is amazing, super friendly, super nice.”

He is aiming to have a limited beer and wine license sometime in April. Meanwhile, customers can order cocktails from The Peaks bar next door, said Bui, as he recently made an arrangement with the tavern’s owner.

He has maintained the birch-treethemed interior design from the previous tenant, with its outdoor patio in back, main dining room, and six counter seats overlooking the open kitchen at the entrance to the space.

Phở LeQuy is open Wednesdays through Mondays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and closed on Tuesdays.

—Matthew S. Bajko

Building owner and restaurant patron Nikos Troullinos (left) stands with Phong Bui, owner of Pho LeQuy at 1320 Castro Street. Bui owns two other restaurants, in Campbell and San Jose, and he is set to open his fourth in May at 1050 Valencia Street.

Photo by Art Bodner

The Noe Valley Pho LeQuy, at 1320 Castro Street, retains elements of the decor of the former occupant of the space, Birch and Rye Russian Restaurant. Photo by Art Bodner

HANDYMAN SERVICES

• Custom & Refaced Cabinets

• Replacing Dry Rot Deck Planks

• Carpentry and Painting

• Refinishing Hardwood Flooring

Services

• Finish Decks 6 different stains lasting 6 to 8 years. Call Miguel (510) 333-0732 VSA Construction

Home Organizing

415.608.7634

Clear the Clutter Reclaim your Space! pat@patrosehomeorganizing.com patrose@gmail.com

General Contractor LIC # 990233 No job too small Old World Craftmanship (415) 877-1293 PAT ROSE

year member of Pet Sitters Intl. Cass Morgan • 415.513.9299 positivelypets1@earthlink.net www.sfpositivelypets.com

Troubleshooting/Tutoring Tune-Ups/Upgrades SFMacMan.com (415) 821-1792

April 1 & May 6: Join the ACTION-SF group, strategizing 6 to 7:30 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey; action-sf.com

April 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30: Noe Venable leads the Forest Voices CHILDREN’S CHOIR at 4 pm, at the Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. 282-2317; singmorefeelbetter.org

April 3, 10, 17 & 24: Family STORYTIMES are Thursdays, 10:15 am and 11 am. Space is limited to 20 kids. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

April 3, 10, 17 & 24: Chad Balch leads an intermediate level IYENGAR YOGA class. Noon-1:30 pm. Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. iyisf.org

April 4: A free interfaith LABYRINTH walk is accompanied by meditative music. 7 pm. Bethany UMC, 1270 Sanchez. 647-8393.

April 4 & May 2:The self-guided Castro ART WALK features the work of local artists on first Fridays. 5-8 pm. For a map: castroartwalk.com

April 5: Castro Community on Patrol offers a beginner’s SELF DEFENSE class (ages 18 and older). 1-4:30 pm. Most Holy Redeemer Church, 100 Diamond. castrocpatrol.org

April 5-26: The FARMERS MARKET has fresh produce, food, and music Saturdays, 8 am to 1 pm. Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

April 5-26: Pound the pavement with NOE WALKS on Saturdays. Meet at 24th and Sanchez 10 am.

April 5-Sept. 2: SFMOMA exhibits a retrospective of the artwork of RUTH ASAWA. 151 Third. sfmoma.org

April 6: ACOUSTIC SUNDAY at the Noe Valley Town Square features “Garden Rock” with The Buds. 1 to 3 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

April 6: City Guides offers a WALKING TOUR of Noe Valley, led by Cathy and Paul Staley, starting at the Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey, at 2 pm. Registration required: 375-0468 (sfcityguides.org)

April 8: It’s LEGO and Board Game Night at the Noe Valley Library. 6-7:30 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl. org

April 9: The Noe Valley Democratic Club hosts a CONVERSATION about mental health with Kunal Modi, the mayor’s Homelessness Policy Chief, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. 6-7:30 pm, at Todo el Día, 4063 24th. noevalleydemocrats.org

April 10: The Noe Valley SPRING WINE WALK runs from 4 to 7 pm; pick up a glass at the Noe Valley Town Square. noemerchants.com

April 10: Georgia Freedman discusses Snacking Dinners. 6:30 pm at OMNIVORE BOOKS on Food. 3885 Cesar Chavez. 2824712; omnivorebooks. com

April 10: SF NEON leads a Mission-Roxie walking tour. 7:15-8:45 pm. Meet in front of the New Mission Alamo Draft House, 2330 Mission. sfneon.org

April 10-June 14: CREATIVITY

EXPLORED exhibits a group show of sculpture. Reception April 10, 6-8 pm; Thursdays and Fridays, 3-6 pm; Saturdays, noon-5 pm. 3245 16th. 863-2108; creativityexplored.org

April 12: Danny Clay and the Living Earth Show perform at NOE MUSIC KIDS. 10:3011:30 am. Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. noemusic.org

April 12: Adriana Marchione from Art Cures offers a Zoom screening of her FILM about Hank Sultan, I Never Was a Hippie, I Just Looked Like One, followed by a selfportrait workshop. 1-2:30 pm. artcures.com/film-event-and-self-portrait-class/

April 12: The Civic Symphony performs CHAMBER MUSIC at the Noe Valley Ministry. 3-5 pm. 1021 Sanchez. 282-2317; sfcivicmusic.org

April 12: RHYTHM & MOTION hold a dance workout at the Square, 4-5 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

April 13: Join a free YOGA FLOW class, 11 am to noon. Bring a mat and water. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

April 13: SFMOMA and Ruth’s Table sponsor art-making at a free Community Day at

the RUTH ASAWA: Retrospective exhibition at the museum, 151 Third St. 10 am-5 pm. Tickets sfmoma.org.

April 14: Take a meditative LABYRINTH WALK at the Noe Valley Ministry, 7 pm. 1021 Sanchez. Noevalleyministry.org

April 16: Author SARAH AHN discusses A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom at Omnivore Books on Food. 6:30 pm. 3885 Cesar Chavez. 282-4712; omnivorebooks.com

April 18:The CASTRO Night Market features LGBTQ+ artists and live entertainment. 5-10 pm.18th at Castro.

April 20: Volunteers for the third Sundays Noe Valley CLEANUP DAY meet at the Town Square to pick up supplies. 10 am to noon. 3861 24th. TogetherSF.org

April 20: Kung Pao KOSHER COMEDY’s new series, Resistance Comedy, features Jeff Applebaum, Karin Babbitt. Samson Koletkar. and Lisa Gedildig. 7 pm. Eclectic Box SF, 446 Valencia. 956-9888; koshercomedy.com

April 25-July 7: Noe artists Nancy Reese and Ben Pax show PAINTINGS at Gallery Sanchez in the Noe Valley Ministry. Reception April 25, 5-7 pm. 1021 Sanchez. 282-2317; noevalleyministry.org

April 26: Shaping San Francisco and the Noe Valley Library co-host the “Noe Valley Then & Now” PHOTO HUNT; participants tour historical sites and take photos matching older ones, then share and celebrate at the branch. 1-5:30 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707

April 27: FOLK YOGA offers free Vinyasa class; bring water and a mat. 11 am-noon. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare. com

April 27: ACOUSTIC SUNDAY at the Town Square features Swing Shift, performing songs from the 1920s to today. 1-3 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

April 28: The Noe Valley Library’s TEEN BOOK CLUB discusses Brooms. 4-5 p.m. 451 Jersey. 355-5707

April 29: The Noe Valley Merchants Association’s NIGHT MARKET offers local

vendors, food, and entertainment 5 to 8 pm on last Tuesdays. Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th. See Noemerchants.com

April 29: It’s PAJAMA STORYTIME at the Noe Valley Library. 6:30 pm; reservations required. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl. org

April 29: OMNIVORE Books on Food hosts Alix Traeger, author of Scratch That: Embrace the Mess, Cook to Impress, in conversation with Zoya Biglary, who founded Fysh Foods. 6:30 pm. 3885 Cesar Chavez. 282-4712; omnivorebooks.com

April 29: The SF HISTORY Association hosts a discussion by Kathryn Ayres, “Relics from the Ruins: Chinatown After the ’06 Quake.” 7 pm. Sherith Israel, 2266 California. sanfranciscohistory.org

May 1–4: The Margaret Jenkins DANCE Company presents five performances of WHEEL. Thurs. & Fri., 7:30 pm; Sat., 2 pm & 7:30 pm; Sun., 2 pm. Z Space, 450 Florida. 626-0453; info@mjdc.org, zspace.org

May 3: Rob Thomson, past president of the Victorian Alliance of SF, talks about Victorian architecture and recaps the group’s 2024 Noe Valley house tour. 2-3:30 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707

May 3: Celebrate St. Philip the Apostle’s centennial at a DINNER featuring music, trivia, and prizes. Parish Hall, 725 Diamond. Doors open 6 pm. RSVP email cristinamagro@domino.it or call 415-3093463; saintphilipparish.org

May 4: Hear music from Saul Goodman’s KLEZMER BAND on the Noe Valley Library’s front patio. 1-2 pm. 451 Jersey. May 4: All ages and costumes will share space at the STAR WARS party. 2-3:30 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707

May 4: Music on the Hill presents a CONCERT by the Ives Collective. 7:30 pm. St. Aidan’s Church, 101 Gold Mine Drive.285-9540 x3; staidansf.org

CHILDREN’S FICTION

The Opossum family comes for a visit when Bunny was about to relax, in Bunny Made Tea by Amanda Baehr Fuller. Ages 3-6.

In Dot the Ladybug: The Perfect Spot, written by Kallie George and illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman, a mouse needs help finding the best spot. Ages 4-8.

Laurel Goodluck’s story about a family getting ready to move, Yaadila! (Good Grief!), is illustrated by Jonathan Nelson. Ages 4-8.

In Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim, by Kobina Commeh, with illustrations by Bárbara Quintino, a boy and his grandmother overcome their fear of water. Ages 6-8.

A girl named Hurricane gets stuck living with her aunt in The Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco. Ages 8-12.

CHILDREN’S NONFICTION

Learning to deal with emotions is the subject of Family and Feelings by Helena Harastòvá; illustrations by Katia Gaigalova; translated by Andrew Oakland. Ages 3-6.

A child born before women were allowed to vote rises in Doña Fela’s Dream: The Story of Puerto Rico’s First Female Mayor, by Monica Brown, illustrated by Rosa Ibarra. Ages 4-8.

All the original designs are recorded in Hot Wheels’ Ultimate Handbook: A Guide to 160+ Original Designs by Mattel. Ages 5-8.

The Usborne Stargazing Book by Sam Smith, illustrated by Lee Cosgrove, is an introduction to astronomy for ages 6 to 9.

Felipe Galindo Feggo and Tait Howard give a graphic history of the former detention center in Ellis Island: Immigration and the American Dream. Ages 9-13.

CHILDREN’S EBOOKS

In Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl, a girl finds there is magic everywhere. Ages 2-5.

Math-loving kittens build a robot in Catawampus! A Story of Shapes, by Ann Marie Stephens and illustrator Jenn Harney. Ages 4-8.

Lore of the Land: Folklore and Wisdom From the Wild Earth, by Claire CockStarkey with illustrations by Samantha Dolan, explores nature. Ages 6-10.

The Wild Ghost Chase, in the series InvestiGators: Agents of S.U.I.T., is by John Patrick Green and Christopher Hastings, with illustrations by Pat Lewis. Ages 7-10. Wahab Algarmi’s graphic novel Almost Sunset follows a Muslim boy learning to combine two cultures. Ages 8-12.

TEEN FICTION

Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth tries to recover from a childhood medical trauma by holing up in a small cabin in I Am the Cage by Allison Sweet Grant. Ages 12-17.

In Hunger’s Bite, a graphic novel by Taylor Robin, friends on a cruise investigate the ship’s mysterious new owner. Ages 13-17.

Knucklehead: Poems, by hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr., calls on the power of language to transcend prejudice. Ages 14-17.

Luna investigates her twin sister’s death by assuming her identity, in The Girl You Know by Elle Gonzalez Rose. Ages 14-17.

TEEM NONFICTION

Connie Goldsmith’s Disconnected: Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease includes symptoms and treatments for the disease. Ages 11-18.

Authors Cynthia Levinson and Jennifer

MORE BOOKS TO READ

Groucho Marx said…

‘O

utside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” This is true. However, Adult Services Librarian Amy Lewis, Children’s Librarian Madeline Felder, Youth Librarian Cristal Fiel, and Branch Manager Mary Fobbs-Guillory of the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Library will gladly suggest books that are fun to read to your dog, even in the dark. How about the Usborne Stargazing Book? We thank the librarians for sharing the latest arrivals at the branch. To put them on hold, visit SFPL.org or get the app at https://sfpl.org/services/mobileresources/library-catalog-mobile-apps/. Or explore the beautiful building at 451 Jersey. Your dog will understand, but only if their walk comes first. If you need to speak with Lewis, Felder, Fiel, or Fobbs-Guillory, call 415-355-5707. Book descriptions on this page are written by longtime cat owner and Voice bookworm Karol Barske. She says cats like books, too. Especially book towers. Sally Smith, ed

Swanson try to answer an important question in Who Owns the Moon? And Other Conundrums of Exploring and Using Space. Ages 12-17.

In The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, a Legacy of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History, Karen Valby celebrates trailblazing dancers. Ages 12-17.

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds, by Rebecca E. Hirsch and Eugenia Nobati, examines dangerous flora. Ages 12-18.

TEEN EBOOKS

Sarah Crossan’s novel in verse, Where the Heart Should Be, is a love story set in Ireland during a potato famine. Ages 13-17. The editor of the school newspaper investigates killings on campus in Jessica Goodman’s mystery The Meadowbrook Murders. Ages 14-17.

A dead girl returns to life in the novel After Life by Gayle Forman. Ages 14-17.

In Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce, a new girl at school joins a Dungeons and Dragons gaming group. Ages 14 and up.

ADULT FICTION

A Calamity of Noble Houses by Amira Ghenim is a saga focusing on two women’s families in modern Tunisia.

An unlikely trio of men take care of a toddler in Going Home by Tom Lamont.

In We Do Not Part by Kang Han, two women maintain their friendship during a South Korean assault on Jeju Island, 1948.

A bio-prosthetist in a utopian future creates a personal AI to carry on her work, in We Lived on the Horizon by Erika Swyler.

ADULT NONFICTION

Perry Imani meditates on the meaning of the color blue in Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People.

In Cold Kitchen: A Year of Culinary Travels, Caroline Eden shares recipes drawn from her culinary experiences in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Ten people who are maintaining some say lost cultural traditions are profiled in Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive, by Eliot Stein.

A Black family in suburban Minnesota pursues the American Dream in Lee Hawkins’ I Am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free.

ADULT EBOOKS

Pico Ayer praises the calm to be found in retreats, in Aflame: Learning From Silence, a follow-up to The Art of Stillness.

In The Granddaughter by Bernhard Schlink, a German bookseller attempts to find his wife’s lost child.

Karissa Chen’s novel Homeseeking centers on a couple’s reunion after meeting in Shanghai in 1947.

Author Colette Shade takes on pop culture and the political economy in Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the Future That Never Was).

DVDS/BLU-RAY

Los Frikis (The Freaks),a 2024 film set in 1990s Cuba, stars Hector Medina and Eros de la Puente.

The Order (2024), a true-crime drama about bank robberies in the Pacific Northwest, stars Jude Law.

Director Jesse Eisenberg co-stars with Kieran Culkin in the comedy drama A Real Pain (2024), about cousins visiting Poland. September 5, a docudrama made in 2024 by Tim Fehlbaum about the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, features Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro.

Wicked, a 2024 musical set in the Land of Oz, is directed by Jon M. Chu, and stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

LIBRARY EVENTS

Storytimes are Thursdays at 10:15 a.m. and 11 a.m., April 3, 10, 17 & 24. Space is limited; tickets available at the reference desk beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The Aging Mastery workshop for ages 55 and older continues on Fridays, April 4 through May 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. Ages 7 and older can decorate a Mini Flower Pot, as well as get soil and seeds, at a workshop on Saturday, April 5, from 4 to 5 p.m. Supplies are limited; first come, first served.

Meet at the library for a City Guides Walking Tour, “Village Within a City,” exploring historic sites in Noe Valley, on Sunday, April 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Space is limited: registration required.

All ages are invited to a Painting and Poetry workshop, featuring readings from Rumi, on Monday, April 7, from 4 to 5 p.m. Space is limited: first come, first served.

Family LEGO and Board Game Night is set for Tuesday, April 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Children and their families are invited to learn Ebru, marbled-paper printing, at a workshop on Saturday, April 12, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Supplies are limited; first come, first served.

Get drop-in Tech Help from the library staff at the Noe Valley Library, on Monday, April 14, from 2 to 3 p.m.

The selection of the Noe Valley Book Club is The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka,on Wednesday, April 16, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Copies are held at the Noe Valley circulation desk for checkout.

The Short Stack Book Club discusses Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yu on Friday, April 18 from 3 to 4 p.m. Copies are held at the Noe Valley circulation desk for checkout.

Create a Seed Bomb, with native California seeds, on Wednesday, April 21, from 4 to 5 p.m. Space is limited; first come, first served.

Teens and middle-schoolers can bring their projects to Homework Hangout, using library resources (snacks available), on Tuesday, April 22, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

A Jewelry-Making Workshop for all ages is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, from 4 to 5 p.m. Space is limited; first come, first served.

Photograph city views at a Noe Valley: Then & Now Photo Hunt throughout the neighborhood, on Saturday, April 26, from 1 to 5 p.m. Reservations required.

A Compost Education Workshop happens on Wednesday, April 27, from 2 to 3 p.m. Space is limited; first come, first served.

The Teen Book Club discusses Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall on Monday, April 28, from 4 to 5 p.m. Copies are held at the Noe Valley circulation desk for checkout.

Kids and their families are invited to Pajama Storytime, on Tuesday, April 29, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Space is limited. Hear Rob Thomson, past president of the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco, talk about Victorian architecture and recap the group’s 2024 Noe Valley house tour, on Saturday, May 3, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Saul Goodman’s Klezmer Band performs Jewish folk music Sunday, May 4, on the library’s front patio, 1 to 2 p.m. May the 4th be with you at a Star Wars Party on Sunday, May 4, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. All ages and costumes welcome.

All events take place at the Noe Valley/Sally Brunn Library, 451 Jersey St. For information, call 415-355-5707 or visit sfpl.org. All library events are drop-in unless the item states reservations are required.

Minus 3 by Michael Blake

NO VOICE OF AMERICA

Riders to Board Underground Train to Canada

Trump Questions ‘Loco Motives’

By Anna Karenina

The SFMTA and DPW were shocked to learn via an April 1 text that a renegade group calling itself the Noe Valley Freedom Riders (NVFR) had commandeered the excavation project under 24th Street and coerced the contractor into widening the tunnel for a bullet train destined for Canada.

“Last Friday,” the NVFR manifesto read, “we received the tracks for the train we’ve built in the quarry up at Fred Douglass Park. So, departure to Canada is now 6 a.m. on April 31, from the J stop at Church and 27th Street.”

AI engineers said they designed the vehicle the same day Trump stripped San Francisco of its DEI, leaving No Vally in chaos. “Without the ‘E,’ who are w xactly?” asked local human rights activist Bott Winr.

In a private interview with the Voice, the Riders explained they were fleeing a country they could no longer recognize, run by a cruel dictator. They also cited the dust from jackhammering in Noe, spread by local Birkenstocks.

“We’re heading north where the air is cleaner and they have better syrup,” said light rail engineer Sonny Dale.

Dale noted the bullet train could reach speeds of 250 mph and would pick up riders every two blocks or so.

At press time, 537 residents had

signed up for the train's first run, which will seat 23 people comfortably.

“Not everyone is on board, though, especially those who learned that Canadians don’t speak the same English, have fewer Starbucks, and don’t use pennies,” said Dale.

On 24th, the train’s neighbors have already started complaining—about the metal train’s screeching brakes and the absence of dining cars serving nondairy options.

City OKs Daylight Parking Time

After a confusing rollout of its “daylighting law,” which prohibits parking within 20 feet of crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety at intersections, officials have announced a new plan, to be tested in the Mission.

Coyote Crackdown: When the President threatened to remove Noe Valley’s only DEI landmark the morning of April 1, saying, “It’s not even nice—I saw pictures of it,” residents let out a howl that could be heard as far as Glen Canyon. Within hours, 24th Street activists had changed the code on the all-gender bathroom and made replicas of the monument to ship to Eureka and other safe valleys. Meanwhile, police directed its Wile E. Coyote Corps to watch for DOGE agents in the Town Square. By midnight, however, Trump had rescinded the order (“countries are calling me up”), and the city’s most valuable asset was left standing. Photo S.S. & J.T

“We have scrapped the corner parking ban altogether,” said Minnie Driver, of the city’s Parking and Traffic Authority (PTA). “And we will now enforce Daylight Parking Time (DPT) on larger streets.”

From April 1 to Nov. 31 each year, the PTA will remove crosswalks and stop signs to allow motorists more time to find parking.

Then, from December to March, Valencia will be converted to a fourlane highway, so drivers can get back to work in Spain. At the same time, street parking will be banned to allow pedestrians a full view of oncoming traffic.

“We expect there to be some frustration during the two-year trial,” said Driver. “But we need to get started to coordinate with the San Francisco Zoo’s zebra-crossing plans on the Great Highway.

—Hallie N. Likely

Now in Noe Valley! Elon Musk’s Naboo X Æ A-13

The Latest in Self-Driving Strollers Automatically retrieves dropped pacifier, sock, or bagel!

Send your little ones to the market, the town square … or Mars!

Test model on display through April 1

See Jane Run Wild, 3984 24th St.

Slow Sanchez to Be Made a Fast Street

Gas Prices Decline at Dan’s Auto

By King Fisher

MostNoe Valley residents adore the five-year-old Slow Sanchez Street. It offers a family-friendly open space for children, bicyclists, and the like to enjoy. However, the slow street has not been without its detractors.

Now some of those opponents have found a way to add excitement to what is otherwise a sleepy thoroughfare.

Last month, they got the city to designate the stretch from 24th to 30th a Fast Street. Already, fans are calling it Sanchez Streak. (The speed limit on city Fast Streets is 120 mph.)

The change came about because local speedsters were getting bored doing wheelies at their regular sideshows at Dan’s Auto in the Square. “We’ve been going round and round in circles and getting nowhere,” said Dizzy Gillespie, a senior hot-rodder.

Tim Postor, a Tesla driver who parks all over Cesar Chavez, said, “I’m just thrilled we can hold races in a place that also has kids and dog walkers. That way, the events are more exciting,” he said. There are restrictions, however. Races on Sanchez Streak will be held only between 1 and 3 a.m., to avoid disturbing the Sanchez Bowling League.

IN NEXT MONTH’S VOICE

• Outbreak of Weasels Halts Family Storytime

• Voice Editor Denies Class Ads Were Actually Classified

• Alzheimer’s Said to Cure Doom Scrolling

Stiff Tariffs on Trade Stun Local Merchants

Noe Finds Multiple Partners

By Miss Leeding

Due to the government’s sudden imposition of tariffs on trade with Texas, Alabama, and Glen Park, Noe Valley merchants have been scrambling to find new partners for their popular bone broth, resistance bands, Howl-oWeen costumes, street murals, Martha’s coffee stirrers, estrogen patches, and used books.

“When the 45 percent tax on both exports and imports hit the news April 1st, I almost got sick,” said Marilee Wegovy, owner of The Green Stuff and current president of the Noe Merchants & Preservables Association. “Cases of The Green Stuff started piling up at our Plant Base, and we knew we had to find new markets fast.”

Wegovy said she and other local producers spent April haggling with counterparts as far away as Crocker Amazon and Russian Hill. “They have the best twigs.”

With any luck, she added, Noe can hammer out deals with some of the heavyweights, including Laguna Honda (cars), China Basin (plates), Dogpatch (puppies), Thrive City (Curry), the Excelsior (packing material), Cole Valley (slaw), Twin Peaks (bras), the Tenderloin (steaks), and Eureka Valley (rainbows).

“We also considered annexing the Mission, but thought better of it,” Wegovy said. That move had been tried and failed in the 1990s.

DOGE Axes Noe’s Group Surplus

By Allie Ants

The Department of Noe Efficiency (DONE), an offshoot of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has set its sights on streamlining the neighborhood groups in Noe Valley.

“We are just cutting out the fat,” said DONE head Butch Herr. “From now on, it’s going to be one neighborhood, one group. There are way too many Friends groups, like the FairmountWeather Friends and the Friends in High Places. We also said bye-bye to the Upper Noe Dog Talkers, Lower Noe Parents, and the Wild Noe Parrots.”

Wielding his chainsaw, Herr huffed, “And why is there a Noe Valley Demolition Club but no Proud Boys?” Herr also called out the Department of Redundancy Department, often featured in a popular Voice column. “They better zip it and button it up!”

Voice Layoffs Announced Fools Editors: Sally Smith and Karol Barske. Correspondents: Karen Topakian, Heidi Anderson, Matt Fisher, Emily Hayes. AI consultants: Elliot Poger, Suzanne Herel, Corrie M. Anders, Jack Tipple, Gemini. 2025

Expect Cable Car Delays: Work on 24th Street was halted last month after Mayor Dan Leery learned tech bros from In-Deep Construction had installed a bullet train in a tunnel normally used for garden hoses. Their plan? See story, left.

Photo courtesy Harvey Firestone

and now for the RUMORS

behind the news

In With the ‘In’ Crowd

By Mazook

SPRING HAS SPRUNG for me. My daily strolls have been enriched by having longer days to pound our pavement. Due to the much-needed repaving in Downtown Noe Valley, the digging and noise and street closures, and the atmospheric river of rain, wind, and cold pouring over Twin Peaks, my marching up and down on the 24th Street beat was quite a challenge last month. So this month I walked from Whole Foods down 24th to Church, then headed north, took a left on 22nd Street, where I marched up the stairs of 22nd to Vicksburg, then over the hill to Sanchez, down the hill to 24th, and back to Whole Foods. Whew.

THE ANNUAL NOE QUIZ: Answer true or false: (1) Basil Racuk has closed his shop in Noe Valley; (2) Fresca’s Peruvian restaurant will reopen by the end of April; (3) a new ice cream shop will open in Downtown Noe Valley; (4) Rin’s Thai restaurant is no more; (5) while the San Francisco Department of Public Works was digging up 24th Street, they found a vein of gold nuggets lodged deep in the soil by the curb in front of Mamahuhu; (6) the long-closed Noe Valley Cheese Company will have a new tenant move in by May; and finally, (7) there are 146 stairs up 22nd Street.

Before peeking at the end of the column, write down your true or false answers on a piece of paper. Neatness counts.

INCOMING AND OUTGOING: Meily Ly closed her Rin’s Thai Restaurant on the corner of 24th and Douglass on April 1, after taking charge of the eatery 18 years ago. Her mom opened Rin’s over 30 years ago, then retired, leaving her daughter to carry on. With tears in her eyes, Ly says the reason is she is burned out. “Now I am going to retire and enjoy life... I have enjoyed every minute I have worked here, but it is time to move on.”

She sold the business, and says, “The new owners will serve Thai dishes and with a completely new menu.” She says they plan on opening next month.

“I will miss all our regular dinner guests,” says Ly, “and will especially miss all the wonderful kids’ birthday parties that we hosted here. I watched those kids grow up and then return to have birthday parties for their kids.”

Uma Casa announced to all their customers that “after an eight-and-a-half-year run, Uma Casa Portuguese restaurant at 1550 Church St. will be closing March 29. And just like all things have a beginning, sadly this particular journey is coming to an end.”

The notice was signed, “Adeus and Obrigado, Telmo, Jessi, Rocky, and the Uma Casa Family.”

Leaving Downtown Noe Valley is creator and purveyor of women’s clothing and accessories Basil Racuk. He has moved his sewing machine and clothing creations from 3980 24th Street to 1089 Valencia Street (corner of 22nd Street), where he had his shop for many years until he moved to Noe Valley in 2019.

“I will really miss being in Noe Valley, my customers, and all my merchant friends on 24th Street that I met over the years and worked with on our many projects,” laments Racuk, ”but I will be close by… and have a wonderful clientele who have been well aware of my relocation.”

He adds, “Luckily, when I was informed by the landlord that I would have to soon vacate my studio and retail store for

Included in the Ruth Asawa retrospective at SFMOMA this summer will be this image of her with her granddaughter at the Japanese American Internment Memorial (PC 011, 199094), commissioned by the City of San Jose , 300 South First Street, San Jose; ©2025 Ruth Asawa Lanier, Inc Cour

about four months while the building was getting a seismic retrofit required by the city building department,” he had the opportunity to lease a larger store on Valencia. He smiled and said, “I had good timing and luckily the space was available.”

I will miss seeing him through the store window, pensively hand-sewing a garment he was creating. Ciao, my friend.

By now you may be wondering if the other store in that building next to Racuk, Just for Fun, will also have to vacate their space for the duration of the retrofit.

The Fun staff told me, “Not to worry, we are moving our store down the block to where Umpqua Bank used to be.” That would be 3938 24th. Umpqua closed that location many years ago, and then about two years ago, in March 2023, the ill-fated First Republic Bank leased the spot shortly before there was a run on their bank, forcing a takeover by the FDIC.

All I could say in response to that news was “Whew!” That’s good to know. The staff all agreed and we were grateful for our good fortune.

It was kinda like Passover, which will start its eight days on April 19. And Easter Sunday comes on April 20 this year.

PAVING THE WAY: Downtown Noe Valley is going through a two-year process to resurface 24th Street, from Douglass to Dolores. The San Francisco Department of Public Works has closed 24th Street block by block while they dig down to replace the wastewater pipes, which were leaking into the soil from some of the many buildings along the street, and then repave the roadway, curb to curb.

As part of this project, many of the crosswalks’ curbs are being rebuilt and painted with a yellow stripe to comply with current commercial street safety standards.

The only drawback to this whole process is that in order to remove the leaking wastewater pipes and fittings, the surrounding soil has to be dug up, put into dump trucks, and taken away. In that process, some of the soil is blown into the air by the wind swooping down from Twin Peaks. This creates an unhealthful environment for all of us.

I figured out the obvious when I was sitting in the Noe Valley Town Square soaking up the fresh air and sun after my afternoon walk. Soon I discovered that dust and dirt were being blown into the square, especially on those windy March days. I had to cover my face and immediately leave the otherwise blissful park.

So I went to a DPW site supervisor, who confirmed that the floating crud was the byproduct of the street work. She was wearing a face mask, and so was one of the bulldozer drivers. Realizing my civic duty, I then passed on the info to those sitting the square, many watching their

toddlers play on the slide in the rear. And yes, the folks headed for the exit, strollers and all.

GOUDA NEWS: I am happy to report that the long-vacant 24th Street Cheese Company will have a new tenant, who will be remodeling and moving into the space soon, at 3893 24th Street.

The location has been empty and for rent since spring of 2022, when the then 74-year-old owner, Charles Kung, told his customers he was ready to retire.

Everyone had hoped that a new cheese purveyor would take over the business, since it was a favorite stop for Noe Valley epicures.

No, sybarites will be the ones most delighted about the new business: it will be a day spa.

IT’S SUNDAE EVERY DAY: Ice cream is definitely an “in” thing in Noe Valley. We all scream for ice cream.

The many refrigeration units at Whole Foods Noe Valley provide a wide variety of brands. My favorites are the yummy flavors of Yasso frozen yogurt.

Noe Valley has several ice cream shops the locals love: Mitchell’s, which is available at Subs Inc. at 1300 Castro; Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt, 4028 24th, which expanded to West Portal and the Inner Sunset neighborhoods; the Hawaiian vegan ice cream business Banan (3862 24th); and La Copa Loca Gelato (1504 Church), which also participates in the Noe Valley Night Market on the last Tuesday of the month in the our Town Square.

Mamahuhu (3991 24th) has some fabulous ice cream sundaes for dessert (Mango Coconut, Malted Milk, Cherry Red Beam, and my favorite, Boba Tea Sundae).

As you slurp your Boba Tea Sundae, you might want to check out the famous Mahjong games played there on Monday nights. Junyao Yang wrote a wonderful piece for the Mission Local website on March 17, under the headline “Mahjong for All: At Chinese American Eatery, Masters and Rookies Play Side by Side.”

Well, we all scream for Ice Cream, so yet another I.C. parlor will be opening soon at 3751 24th, on the corner of 24th and Vicksburg, in the long-vacant store last occupied by women’s clothing store The Mill.

I am sure we will welcome Angela’s Organic Ice Cream. They currently have four locations in Marin and Solano counties: in Petaluma, Mill Valley, Forestville, and Healdsburg.

This is their first in store in San Francisco, which they plan to open May 1.

THE NIGHT OF THE MARKETS: Since it

began in January, attendance is growing at the Noe Valley Night Market in the square, open from 5 to 8 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month.

On March 25, the market was attended by many hundreds of people, and the next t one will be on April 29. There will be more than 15 merchants participating. A new addition to the market will be Whole Foods Noe Valley.

Plans are now in the making to expand the market outside the Town Square on the sidewalk of 24th Street, from Sanchez to Vicksburg.

Kudos go out to Kathryn Gianaras, who is the vice president of the Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association, and Leslie Crawford, who in the manager of the Noe Valley Town Square.

Don’t miss the Noe Valley Farmers Market music for April. Here’s the lineup:

On Saturday, April 12, from 9 to 10:30, Elliot Racine performs “funky, rockin’, trippy, jazzy, worldy music,” and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tom Huber’s String Herders s play. On April 19, the early performance is s by Suzanne Holland with solo guitar and vocals, and at 11 a.m., Silvia Acosta is on stage. April 26 brings Proceed To the Route at 9 a.m., and the late show features singer-songwriter Alie & Me. May 3 spotlights the jazz and classical guitar of Max Williams at 9 and Stray Muse’s Shelley Sorenson at 11 a.m., and on May 10, the early show features Terence Jack, and later on, a trio, Projecto Novo SF, will perform music from South America.

And don’t forget that Mr. Digby’s, on the corner of Church and 24th, features jazz on the first and third Tuesday of every month.

THE TARIFF BLUES: I had a great conversation with Noe Valley Whole Foods boss, Jack Douglas, about what to expect when the Trump tariffs are promulgated, if ever. He says that the store’s French cheeses s and wines will be much more expensive, as will all the imported chocolates. “Also all the olives will probably be hit the hardest, since we import all of them, which are now $12.99 a pound.” He also advises that the only meat that will be affected is the lamb they carry from New Zealand.

You should also note that the tariffs will greatly impact prices for all the Noe Valley flower shops, not to mention Whole Foods in the flower department.

ARTIST RUTH ASAWA: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition, Ruth Asawa: Retrospective, opens this month and d runs through early September. It showcases work she created throughout her long career, including drawings, sculpture, and works in clay, copper, electroplating, and bronze. And according to a press release from the museum, Google.org awarded a $1.5 million grant in support of f the show. The announcement notes that it t was the “largest corporate grant for a single exhibition in SFMOMA’s history.”

Ruth Asawa (Jan. 24, 1926 – Aug. 5, 2013) was a well-known, very active resident of Noe Valley. SFMOMA will be offering free admission on Sunday, April 13, so mark your calendars.

I think of Ruth every time I go to the the fabulous Seward Street Slide and Mini Park. The park and community garden were built in 1973 on a plot slated for development. The two steep concrete slides are the result of a design competition that Asawa put on. It was won by a 14-year-old girl named Kim Clark.

To get to Seward Street Mini Park from Noe, just take the Douglass Street Stairs past 20th and head toward Corwin.

IT’S TIME FOR ME to slide out of here. Before I go, the true and false answers of the Noe Valley Quiz are: (1) True. (2) False. (3) True. (4) True. (5) False. (6) True. True. You win?

That’s all, folks. Ciao. See you in May.

tesy David Zwirner ; photo Laurence Cuneo

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