New Wafflemonger Will Bring Carmel-Glazed Waffliciousness to 331 Cortland

As you may have heard, Bernal Cutlery is moving on from it’s cozy space in the 331 Cortland marketplace. Now Bernalwood has learned that its replacement will be Suite Foods, a Belgian-style waffle kiosk.

Yes, you read that correctly: Belgian-style waffle kiosk.

Sivan from Suite Foods tells Bernalwood:

My name is Sivan Wilensky and am the owner of Suite Foods. I want to let you know that we will be replacing Bernal Cutlery at 331 Cortland. We have been in business since 2010, specializing in Liege waffles. Until now we have only been selling wholesale but are very excited to have this as our first retail location.

To the uninitiated, a Liege waffle s a type of sweet, snack waffle. It’s made from a yeast-risen dough that has bits of pear sugar mixed in, which provides a unique sweetness and crunch. We then hand-shape the dough before griddling them in our cast iron waffle makers. During the griddling, some of the pearl sugar melts, coating the waffles in a light caramel glaze. And of course, all waffles will be made-to-order.

We will be offering both sweet and savory waffles. Flavors that we will offer on a rotating basis will include espresso, brownie, mapbe bacon, and matcha. We will offer sweet and savory options as well, which will include poached eggs with smoked sea salt, frozen custard (from our friends at Frozen Kuhsterd), and fresh, seasonal fruit.

We are still working out the drink offerings, but so far we know we’ll offer fresh juice, pressed-to-order as well as hot chocolate, chocolate milk, and rich, thick European-style hot chocolate, all using TCHO chocolate. As a San Francisco native (I grew up in Ingleside) I spent a good deal of time in Bernal Heights. I always admired the sense of community and am excited to now become a part of it.

We will be opening the “Suite Foods Waffle Shop” on Saturday, June 1st. Our hours will be from 8am to 5pm and will be open all days except Thursday.

PHOTOS: Top, Liege waffles, via Suite Foods. Below, 2011 photo of Sivan Wilensky, by DevourBlog

Why You Should Drive Your Fun Car with Your Sporty Kids During the 2013 Bernal GT on Saturday

There is a popular stereotype which says that Bernal Heights is home to a thriving community of Prius-driving treehuggers who treat personal transportation as an expression of their personal virtue.

And to some extent, that’s true.

Yet as even a casual stroll up and down the avenues of Bernal Heights reveals, our eco-conscious neighborhood is also home to a ragtag fleet of very interesting old cars — and the unreconstructed gearheads who love them.

These cars — and the valiant moms and dads who cling to them despite the vagaries of street-parking and the demands of parenthood — deserve celebration too, which is why your neighbors from the Bernal Dads Racing Team have extend an open invitation for one and all to join the 2013 Bernal GT, this Saturday, for a fast-paced half-day of family-friendly motoring.

Neighbor Ben from the Bernal Dads explains:

Announcing the Fourth Annual Bernal GT on Saturday May 11th
(the day before Mothers’ Day!)

Join us for the fourth running of the Bernal GT 100. As in past years, this is a kid friendly (but not kid necessary) run beginning and ending in the vicinity of San Francisco’s Bernal Heights. The Bernal GT is simply a drive, not a race or competition for awards, trophies, or bragging rights.

Bring an old car *or* a newer car with a kid *or* better still– an old car and a kid. If you have something new and interesting that can work too, but no minivans or SUVs unless you’ve stuffed a blown SBC into it or something. This is a free event, and does not cost anything to participate.

There will probably be donuts and coffee when we convene for the start, but no promises.

Details:
When: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Time: 9:30am to mid-afternoon
Where: A to-be-announced starting point in San Francisco, and later returning to Bernal Heights.
Length: Somewhere between 80 and 120 Miles
Cost: Free!
We are looking for the following:
- Cars from 1980 model year or older  preferred. Any condition. – If you have kids 17 years or younger and/or kids in car seats, the 1980 rule can be waived. In which case, you still should try to bring a fun or interesting car.
- Rare and/or exotic cars from 1981 model year and newer welcome.

Wanna go? Send the following info to: BernalGT100@gmail.com

1) Drivers Name, Co Driver & other passengers
2) Phone Number
3) Kids Along: Yes or No
4) Your Vehicle’s Name:
5) Vehicle Info: Year, Make, & Model

Armando, Ben & Fiid

PHOTOS: Scenes from 2012 and 2011 Bernal GT, by Telstar Logistics

Bernal Hill at Night Is an Island in a Sea of San Francisco

Last night was one of those nights — clear and warm with no wind — that proved perfect for a quick jaunt to the top of Bernal Hill for a little nighttime photography.

Those kinds of nights are magical, with Bernal Hill cloaked in darkness while all the bright lights of the City shimmer and flow in every direction as far as the eye can see.  It feels like being alone on an a tropical island in the middle of an illuminated sea, and the experience is even more magical when the weather cooperates to make the illusion complete.

So last night was one of those nights, and these are a few of the photos I took while enjoying a perfect evening adrift on our faux-tropical urban island.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Palace Steak House Will Rise From the Dead… Again!

Let’s not be ashamed to say it: Despite our great hopes, the first attempt to revive the legendary Palace Steak House on the corner of Mission and Cesar Chavez turned out to be a big disappointment. But on the bright side, it was also relatively short-lived, as the reborn Palace Steak House returned to the realm of the dead about a year after it reopened. Now Bernalwood has learned that the Palace Steak House will be reborn – again!

The Inside Scoop blog reports that acclaimed chef Manny Torres Gimenez from Roxie’s Cafe plans to reanimate the Palace Steak House in the guise of a steak house he wants to call… The Palace!

Confused yet? Inside Scoop explains:

Gimenez signed papers to take over the old school joint on the corner of Cesar Chavez and Mission. Along with his wife Katerina (who doubles as the GM), he will reopen the restaurant as a new steakhouse named The Palace.

“We’re gonna try to do like a take on a steakhouse, but more refined,” he says. “My goal is to create tributes to whole animals with affordable prices.”

The plan is to open the doors on June 1 after a little bit of renovation. He’ll be able to do animal butchery there — whole pigs, beef quarters — and will also bring over many of the favorite dishes from Roxy’s Cafe. Do note that he’ll continue to operate Roxy’s, and he’s hired chef de cuisine there to help out: Shawn Naputi, who worked for five years as a line cook at Incanto, among other places.

At The Palace, Gimenez will make his own sausages, cure his own meat and so on. He’ll offer both an a la carte menu and a tasting menu ($50 for five courses).

Barring the demonic effects of  an undead restaurant curse that haunts the Palace Steak House space, there is reason to believe that this revival will be more palatable and more successful then the last. The crankypants critics on Yelp give the Roxie Cafe four stars, while SF Chronicle food critic Michael “The Bauer” Bauer recently praised chef Manny Torres Gimenez while awarding Roxie’s Cafe two stars:

Manny Torres Gimenez is one of the new breed of chefs who cook from the heart and aren’t deterred by inadequate kitchens and inferior dining amenities. He earned a cult following creating arepas and a $20 four-course tasting menu at Mr. Pollo in the Mission, but in January he “upgraded” to a space in the same block that’s three times as large – Roxy’s Cafe.

At Roxy’s he offers a $25 chef’s choice menu; a $75 10-course tasting menu that includes Asian, Italian and South American flavors from his native Venezuela; and a short a la carte menu.

Before going out on his own, Gimenez worked at SPQR, Coi and Quince, and those influences are evident in what he ladles into his chipped soup bowls and arranges on his oversize white plates.

All this sounds promising… zombies notwithstanding.

PHOTO: Shuttered new Palace Steak House, October 2012, by Telstar Logistics. Hat tip: Neighbor Greg

Saturday: Bernal Author Hosting Cookbook Launch Party at Badger Books

Neighbor Kim Laidlaw lives on Folsom near the Alemany Farmer’s Market, and she just published a new cookbook for parents with kids who lead active lifestyles called Baby and Toddler On the Go: Fresh, Homemade Foods to Take Out and About. Neighbor Kim is having a book-launch party at Badger Book (500 Cortland) this Saturday from 3 to 5, and you’re invited:

I am having a launch party for my new cookbook, Baby & Toddler On the Go  at Badger Books on Cortland this Saturday May 4th, from 3-5pm. It’s open and welcome to everyone, and I’d really love folks in the neighborhood to come by! I live in Bernal, and the photographer of the book, Thayer Allyson Gowdy, also lives here in Bernal.

Bonus: Here’s a video of Neighbor Kim’s daughter commuting to work at a Bernal playground. Cuuuuuuuuuuute:

PHOTO: Neighbor Kim with her daughter

Tomorrow: Dunk a Teacher at the Junipero Serra Elementary School International Carnival

Neighbor Kristen invites Bernalese of all ages to the Junipero Serra Elementary School International Carnival Celebration, happening tomorrow, Saturday, May 4, from 11 am to 3 pm at the school, on the southwest side of Holly Park:

This rockin’ event will feature a jumpy house, homemade food from our diverse parent population, a dunk tank so we can dunk our principal and various teachers, dancing, a beauty salon, games and an impressive raffle (drawing will be at 2 p.m., need not be present to win!). Come on down and support your local elementary school. 625 Holly Park Circle, Bernal Heights, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It takes a village to raise our amazing students!

Average Bernal Heights Home Sale Prices Going Up, Up, Up

Residential real estate is booming throughout the Bay Area. Even more locally, San Francisco real estate is white hot, with a year-over-year price gain of 19 percent in February. Naturally, then, as one of the most glamorous neighborhoods in one of the nation’s hottest real estate markets, home sale prices in Bernal Heights are up, up, up too. That’s exciting news for current Bernal homeowners, but it is also also troubling to others (and Bernalwood will represent the latter point of view in a separate post to follow soon).

Still, until someone figures out how to repeal the ironclad laws of supply and demand, the market is what it is, and so we bring you this summary of March 2013 Bernal Heights home sales, prepared by Downing & Company:

As the seller’s market continues, it’s getting more expensive to buy a home in Bernal Heights. During March prices were up for the third month in a row. The rate of home price appreciation in Bernal Heights is starting to mirror the recent gains achieved in the nearby (very hot) neighborhoods of Noe Valley and the Mission District.

Eleven (11) single-family homes sold in Bernal Heights last month. The average sale price came in at an impressive $938,091. This figure compares to the average in February of $829,429 and the average in January of $820,125.

The homes that sold during March were on the market for an average of 31 days before going under contract.

A few notes: 719 Anderson Street and 3 Bennington Street were sold as fixer uppers. The home at 21 Bessie Street was a short sale. The home at 347 Mullen Avenue totals 3,000 square feet and was built in 2011. The lot this home sits on was purchased for $399K in June of 2008.

For whatever its worth, if you knock out that outlying $2mm house at 347 Mullen — the most expensive home sale in recent Bernal Heights history — the March average recalculates to $832,000, which is still uncheap.

There’s more specific sales detail on each of the Bernal homes shown above at Downing & Company.