At coffeeshops around the Bay Area, caffeine fiends seek solace in the one-cup-at-a-time specialty coffee of Philz Coffee, knowing nothing of the historical dispute hidden in their cups. Inside the first “Philz Coffee” at 24th and Folsom streets, Phil Jaber, a man who has gone from owning a corner store to being backed by some $15 million in VC funding...
Café La Boheme has been around since 1973, and is absolutely a family affair. Owner Awad Faddoul has been here for 23 years, and runs the café with his wife, son and daughter. I used to come in here semi-regularly in the mid-90s, drawn in by a café that served wine (I’m not a coffee person) and great world music,...
The cutout at the 24th Street BART Plaza that looked like a walk-up service window drew considerable attention because it cut into an existing mural honoring a long-time businessman and children who have lost their lives to violence, according to VanishingSF. The cuts were made as part of renovations for a new cafe and, as it turns out, co-owner John Gavin says the hole will become a...
The Afternoon Report is back from the holidays! Here is today’s: Parklets are coveted features, but they often create controversy. Some argue that there are too many parklets in the Mission. Still, the businesses that plan them are convinced that they’re cool. The controversy lies in parklets prioritizing pedestrians over cars on streets already notorious for difficult parking. Not to mention their tendency to attract taggers,...
Coffee aficionados descended upon the corner of 18th and San Carlos this morning for the opening of Andrew Barnett’s long-awaited Linea Caffe. “It’s almost like going to see the Pope — this guy is coffee royalty,” said Tom Chips, 34, a coffee enthusiast who made a special trip from Pacifica for the opening. “I honestly expected a line around the...
Carlos Martinez, manager of Cafe La Taza on Mission Street, says business runs in the family. His father, Noel Martinez, managed a supermarket in his native Nicaragua before moving to the United States with his wife, Mayra, in 1979, and then ran a liquor store. When Carlos graduated from high school in 1997, his father decided to open La Taza,...
A strip of 16th Street between Mission and Folsom is dotted with random storefronts, an abandoned automotive shop that resembles an archaeological dig, and a trio of small cafes offering Chinese food, burgers and tacos. A towering Indian laurel fig tree, taller than the nearby palms, provides shade for a small empanada restaurant, Chile Lindo — this week’s destination for...
Coffee in the Mission is too expensive and, often, prepared so poorly that something must be done. A latte strike, a ban on careless baristas or a cap on the cost of a cup of milk flavored with caffeine? Maybe. Coffee is everywhere in the neighborhood, and the purveyors of overpriced drinks have a hold on innocent caffeine addicts. It...
