Say Cheese is excited to announce another cheese classes, "I like your style." 

Join them on Thursday, July 9 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Café Reverie 848 Cole St.

July's class will focus on broad topics related to the classification of different styles of cheese, based on flavor, history, and cheese-making technique.

Their cheese buyer, Steve Wooten, has designed this class to accommodate all levels of cheese knowledge. They will be discussing new technical developments alongside traditional cheeses.

Tickets will include a flight of cheeses and accompaniments, as well as discounted drinks at Reverie. 

Due to space restrictions we require advance purchase with a 48 hour cancellation policy.

Tickets are $25 in advanced and available at Say Cheese during normal business hours.

Starbucks announced earlier this week that it will l close all 23 of its La Boulange bakery-cafes, mostly in San Francisco by September 2015, saying the stores "weren't sustainable for the company's long-term growth" and that it had begun very difficult to operate two different chains at the same time. For many Cole Valley neighbors this is a tearful farewell.

Many still remember, Tassajara Bakery at Cole and Parnassus. The bakery came into Cole Valley in 1976 and sparked a bakery revolution in San Francisco. Interesting fact, Tassajara Bakery was spin off of the delicious breads the Tassajara Zen Center in Carmel made. Neighbors and bread lovers mourned the closing of Tassajara in 1999.

In 2001, a French-born baker, Pascal Rigo, rented the space for his bakery, La Boulange (formerly named Bay Bread). La Boulange, greatly known for their French-inspired decor and menus, and the pink envelopes, was sold to Starbucks in 2012 for $100 million. The deal was seen as a strategic move by Starbucks to gain a bigger presence in the food business, particularly expand their bakery and food products.  

"After more than 40 years, we will be able to say that we are bakers, too," Howard Schultz, CEO at Starbucks, said at the time.

But at what price? Pascal Rigo is now out of a job (is leaving his post as VP at Starbucks) and now Starbucks are bakers. And those tasty treats and French decor will only be a memory.

What do you think of this news? And next question, what will go into the La Boulange storefront come September? We're hoping for another bakery! 



http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/06/17/starbucks-la-boulange/28851063/

http://www.mistersf.com/farewell/index.html?fwtassajara.htm

Zazie has recently gone tip free as a way to bridge the gap between employees at the front and back of the restaurant and ensure a more equal pay scale. Owner, Jennifer Piallat has always put her employees first, with offering paid time off, retirement plans and health insurance.  With the new system, all employees will get a raise; servers will see a three to seven percent increase and the back of the house will enjoy a solid 35% boost.

In a recent SFEater article, Piallat tried to sway San Franciscans who might be on the fence about this new system. 
"The thing is," Piallat explains, "we’re not adding a 20% service charge. Servers are getting 11 percent. Plus, they don’t do the best they can to keep you happy because they’re worried you’re going to dock their tip. They want you happy so that you don’t call their manager and so that you don’t disturb their section. No one wants to deal with an angry customer."

Though this is great for the employees of Zazie, customers should be aware that with this new no-tip system, prices have increased by 15-20% so keep that in mind. All in all, we are happy that Zazie is putting employees first and setting an example for other restaurants as well. Great job!

Content for this article from SFEater. 

Two long time businesses are closing their doors in Cole Valley, quickly making Cole Valley somewhat unrecognizable. The laundromat at the corner of Carl and Cole has closed its doors after over 20 years of business. This came as a bit of surprise to residents since it seemed very sudden and without much notice. Owner, Doug Olssen, posted up a note mentioning that the business lost its lease and that his other laundromat, at 1101 Cole St, is still in business. For those that live near Carl/Cole and without an in-unit W/D, they must now venture a bit farther to clean their clothes and linens.

Cole Garage has also announced that they will be leaving because of the sale of the building. Most might recognize the building because of the colorful pet-filled mural on the front facade. The owner is currently looking for a new location for his business and possible storage location for the equipment.  The space has been rumored to become condos and businesses on the ground floor. We are hoping that the new owners will preserve the front of Cole Garage in the process. 

Once we wipe our tears away as more long-time businesses leave our hood, we always ask the daunting question, "Who will move into the space?  What do you want to see in the now vacant space? 

As part of the Sunset Tunnel Trackway Improvement Project, the SFMTA will resume the weekend construction on the Sunset Tunnel beginning on March 20-22. By replacing the aging track and other infrastructure inside the Sunset Tunnel, the project will help improve safety and reliability of the N Judah rail service for Muni customers.


In response to the concerns raised by some neighbors, the SFMTA has modified the work plan to better control the night time noise. Noise mitigation measures will include:

• Using both west and east portals for removal and handling gravel ballast
  
• Delivering gravel ballast to the job site only between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays
  
• Installing mufflers on the construction equipment and using acoustically attenuating shields or shrouds on impact tools
  
• Using new backup alarms with lower noise level
  
• Using electric powered rather than diesel-powered equipment whenever possible

The Sunset Tunnel construction is scheduled to take place on 15 weekends. Since there were several cancelations in January and February, additional weekends may be required. The tunnel work is expected to be completed in fall 2015. The next tentative dates are the weekend of March 27.

What to Expect during Weekend Construction:

• Crews will work continuously from approximately 8 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Monday.
  
• The majority of the work will take place inside the Sunset Tunnel and at the tunnel entrances.
  
• Noise control measures will be implemented; however the work will be audible throughout the weekend.
  
• The streets near the tunnel entrances will remain open.
  
• To accommodate the tunnel work, parking restrictions will become effective from Friday 12 a.m. to Monday 5 a.m. on both sides of Duboce Avenue from Steiner to Scott Street, and on both sides of Carl Street from Clayton to Cole Street.
  

Weekday Work:
Prep work, such as wielding and moving the rails, will continue at the two staging areas by the portals during the day. In order to keep the local traffic flowing and maintain the N Judah rail service during day time hours, new rails will be delivered at night.  

Weekend Bus Substitution Service:

• Bus shuttles will substitute for the N Judah rail service between Church & Duboce and Ocean Beach.
  
• Bus substitution will start at about 7 p.m. on Friday and will be operated during regular service hours until early Monday morning.
  
• The bus shuttles will follow the N Judah Line making regular stops except for the tunnel portion where buses will be routed to Haight Street.
  
• Regular N rail cars will continue to provide service between Caltrain Depot and Church & Duboce.
  
• The N Judah stops at Church & Duboce will provide a transfer point between bus shuttles and trains for Muni customers.
  
• The weekend N Judah Owl bus service will not be affected.
  

Other Ongoing N Judah System Improvement Projects: 

Maximizing construction opportunities, the SFMTA has integrated multiple construction components under the Sunset Tunnel project in order to minimize the inconveniences for both N Judah riders and the community around the construction area.

The Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system upgrades are taking place at nine intersections sequentially along the N Judah Line. On the March 20 weekend, crews will be installing signal loops between the tracks at the intersection of Judah and 9th Avenue. The work will start approximately at 8 p.m. Friday and continue until early Monday morning. We will schedule the work to avoid late night time noise. During construction, the streets will remain open; however there will be lane closures and traffic will be diverted. Street parking at construction site will be temporarily unavailable.   

The TSP system will use technology to reduce dwell time at traffic signals for Muni light rail vehicles by holding green lights longer.

The construction of the westbound wheelchair accessible platform on Judah and 28th Avenue is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. The new stop will be in service as soon as the work is done. Construction of the eastbound stop on the other side of the street was completed in early February.   
The new platform will include longer boarding islands and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant curb ramps, making Muni Metro system safer and easier to use for all customers.

For concerns or assistance, please contact: Tess Kavanagh, Project Manager, at 415.701.4212, via email attess.kavanagh@sfmta.com or Jay Lu, Public Relations Officer, at 415.701.4387, via email at jay.lu@sfmta.com.

The newly renovated Kezar Stadium had it's grand opening late last week with Mayor Ed Lee as the keynote speaker. 

Funded with $3.2 million from the city’s general fund, improvements to the 90-year-old stadium are largely concentrated on the field (improved drainage, new pole vault and long jump areas) and the track, Also fun fact, some 1,000 reclaimed seats from Candlestick Park have been added to bleachers at the 50-yard line.

For some of you sports history buffs, you might already know that Kezar Stadium was home to the San Francisco 49ers until 1970 and served as the football field for high school games against Polytechnic High School and Lowell High School in the 1920s.

The track closed to the public for over 7 months. We're hoping to take a commemorative run around the new track sometime soon. See you there!

Content for this article was taken with permission from Hoodline.

Some might of Chariot's presence in Cole Valley because it came and went in a month. For those out of the know, Chariot is a new solution to get downtown during morning and evening rush hour. They debuted a line with stops in Cole Valley and Upper Haight last month and offered various free rides and discounts to new riders. Currently they have three different routes: Chestnut Bullet (Marina-Embaradero), SOMA Express (Marina-Civic Center/SOMA), and the Cole Valley Cruiser (Cole Valley/NoPa to FiDi). 

After some quick crowdsourcing, Chariot announced that starting February 24th, Chariot would not serving Cole Valley and focus more on NoPa and Haight. According to an interview with Hoodline and Chariot founder, Ali Vahabzadeh, they found, "that despite the overcrowding, intermittent delays under the tunnels and gaps in service, if all went well with the N Judah, it was marginally faster to downtown than Chariot." 

It seems a bit strange to us that Chariot only did a month trial period in Cole Valley. One would think it would require more data, i.e. rides and time, to really see how Chariot stacks up against Muni and other commuter options such as Lyft and Uber. 

Even with this short debut in Cole Valley, Chariot had some lackluster reviews from folks in the hood. Cole Valley is definitely at a huge advantage over other neighborhoods in terms of transportation options. We have the N Judah and the 6 to get downtown, not to mention the 71 on Haight. 

Here is what some Cole Valley residents have to say about their thoughts and experiences with Chariot:

"Love it. Usually only a few people on board, you always get a seat....more predictable and reliable than N" - TP

"People living in the CV want Chariot most when the N is not working right...For the past few weeks, the N has been relatively trouble-free, so Chariot has experienced light ridership." - JD

"While the N can often operate smoothly, try it during commute hours for a week. It is a cattle car. That's the attraction of Chariot." - MP

"The one aspect I could see being frustrating about Chariot is the passenger van. If it were more of an actual bus [small shuttle], it would be a lot nicer." - SS

"Nice to have options!" - RD

"Between traffic for Chariot, and random "why isn't the train moving" for the N, the times seem pretty even...If I can avoid [a crowded train], I'm happy sitting in traffic in a climate controlled van." - RJ

"Used it this morning to avoid the massive Muni delay and the resulting 2.6x surge priced Uber...It was actually a huge help to save me from being late to an early meeting. Worth the $5 if you need it." - KS

"I tried it and it was easy, fast and comfortable." - GA

"My ride in the 'Cole Valley Cruiser" Chariot was quite pleasant! Disco jams on the radio and the driver offered everyone water." - KS

"Chariot rocks. 21 minutes from Cole and Carl to California and Sansome. Comfortable, fast, efficient and friendly. Awesome" - MS

"I tried it once. It's my third choice after the N or the 6 and before Lyft." - MC

Content for this article was used with permission from Hoodline. 

As most in the hood are already aware, the SFMTA has been working for upgrading the tunnel between Duboce Park and Cole Valley, known as the Sunset Tunnel. Typically, construction has been on weekends, Friday PM to Monday AM., 24 hours, around the clock. Residents in Duboce Triangle complained about the constant construction noise, from beeping trucks, to pouring of gravel, and even jackhammers. Since the residents' complaints, there has been no tunnel construction. Happy for the Duboce Triangle residents, but not so much for the completion of this long drawn out process. This improvement project has been going on for years and we're hoping the Sunset Tunnel is the last project. 

According to  Hoodline, the SF Board of Appeals met and signed off on a new proposal that will allow construction to resume starting March 21st.

Here is the new changes in light of resident complaints:

• Install mufflers on its equipment
• Use lower-frequency broadband beepers that emit "white noise" sounds rather than beeps
• Take continuous noise readings while it's performing night work, and make sound logs available upon request
• Not use impact tools at night, such as jackhammers

Content for this article was used with permission from Hoodline. 

Have you ever taken a stroll around the hood and walked by this large Art Deco building and its twin at 639 Frederick and wondered, "What the hell did this used to be?" Also what about the housing complex that stretches the entire block on Frederick? The answer may surprise you. All these buildings were a part of Polytechnic High School. Poly was in operation from 1884 to 1973 and moved around a bunch before finding its place at 701 Frederick. 

Over those years, the school created a reputation for a ​"​cosmopolitan, diverse and talented student body, inspirational teachers and administrators, and exceptional football teams.​"

What about Kezar Stadium across the street? Well, it served as Poly's athletic facilities. One high school football game in particular, Poly vs. Lowell in 1928, was attended by over 50,000 people. This was the largest attendance for any high school football game in Northern California. 

If you want to learn more about Poly, visit The Polytechnic Memorial website here. 

Also side note, that housing complex on Frederick is actually an affordable housing complex and those qualified can apply to live there. Great way to use the old high school space and give back to the city. 

I'm sure you have seen all the food trucks that have popped up around the Bay Area in the past several years. But have you seen a music truck? After years of working in event and music production, Cole Valley local Robert Culos dreamed of running his own music venue. Rob and his wife, Liz Coglianese, had the innovative idea of making a food truck but for music, a mobile music venue retrofitted out of a vintage trailer. With Rob managing event production and Liz handling marketing and publicity, their new business was born! BandWagon officially launched last August [2014] at Noise Pop's 20th Street Block Party with major success. Rob was excited that BandWagon launched in San Francisco and at a hyper local street fair. He stated, "The people here love music, they love to be outdoors and they're truly supportive of new ideas." Since BandWagon's launch they have been seen at major festivals, such as Hardly Strictly and Treasure Island Music Festival. BandWagon seems to be transforming the local Bay Area music scene in a new and innovative way and telling folks to get outdoors and listen to some good tunes! 

 Can I rent it out for private events?

Rob informs us that BandWagon is available to rent for private parties, community gatherings, large festivals, corporate events, and beyond. Depending on the event, Rob, Liz, and team are happy to work with you to bring the entertainment or just have the stage, lights and sound. Got questions about rentals, you can contact them directly at thecrew@bandwagonsf.com or 415-742-5154. 

So Rob, what do you guys like most about Cole Valley?

We hope you aren't forgetting that Rob and Liz, and their son Jack, are Cole Valley residents . They love everything about Cole Valley. Although they settled into Cole Valley almost by accident five years ago, they definitely plan to stick around. Rob said, "I think if I had to put it into simple words, it's the sense of a real village community here" that makes it the greatest place to live. 

Hopefully we'll see BandWagon around the neighborhood, maybe even the Cole Valley Street Fair (pretty please!!).