Castro News Briefs

Starbelly Sous-chef Allyson Harvie (left) stands with chef Adam Tinney. Starbelly recently opened its doors at Market and 16th streets, taking over the former Asqew Grill storefront.

Restaurant Openings

This fall promises to be an exciting one for new eateries along the Upper Market Street corridor.

Starbelly recently opened at the site of the old Asqew Grill at 3583 16th St. just below Market Street. Owned by Deborah Blum and Adriano Paganini who also operate Valencia Street’s popular Beretta restaurant, the new eatery specializing in California comfort food has hosted packed crowds since opening in mid-August. The eatery serves brunch, lunch and dinner and has retained Adam Timney as its executive chef. Timney has cooked for Bacar, EOS and Boccalone in the city.

Plans are also in the works for new wine bar Cork at the site previously occupied by the Alliance Title Company at 2111 Market St. Business partners Maarten Bon and Maurice Farinas received the support of the Merchants of Upper Market & Castro (MUMC) at the group’s August meeting. Cork plans on serving tapas in addition to a large wine selection.

Another new eatery, Francis, is slated to open this fall at the corner of 17th and Pond streets under the direction of Melissa Perello, former chef at Fifth Floor. Francis will occupy space formerly operated by Palencia and Tita’s.

Before or after their meal, diners can grab a cocktail at new bar Blackbird located at 2124 Market St. Co-owned by Castro bar owners Shawn Vergara and the late Doug Murphy, the watering hole occupies the space recently vacated by the Metro bar.

For more information visit starbellysf.com or blackbirdbar.com.

Castro's 17th Street Temporary Plaza Gets Extension

The temporary 17th Street Plaza, which was erected at the Castro Street and Market Street intersection in May and extended through the summer months, will be around at least through October after a decision by the city's Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation (ISCOTT) to extend the temporary traffic closure of 17th Street so that it can continue serving as public space for the Castro community to relax and gather. The plaza has received strong support from the community through its proper management and minimal negative impacts on local streets and business.

Discussions about the plaza started about a decade ago though the current version was formulated in hearings in late 2008. The plaza has closed off through traffic onto 17th Street near Hartford Street and remade the area into public space with plastic tables, chairs and potted plants. Although the plaza has quickly become a neighborhood mainstay, centrally placed across the street from Harvey Milk Plaza and the rainbow flag, it continues to have reversible status.

Rainbow Honor Walk

The Rainbow Honor Walk is now underway in the Castro as business owner Isak Lindenauer, along with former union leader Allan Baird, has created a prototype plaque designed to honor renowned and integral individuals who historically were and/or supported gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender people and causes and who made positive impacts on societies. The Rainbow Honor Walk project proposes a list of 150-200 names that would be individually placed in rainbow colored plaques embedded into the sidewalks along and near Castro Street.

Cruisin’ the Castro Tours now includes a stop at Lindenauer’s shop on the “Historical Gay Culture Tour” to see the prototype and learn about the famous names that are to be listed. Once the entire project is completed, Cruisin' the Castro Tours will reportedly be adding an additional “Rainbow Honor Walk Tour”, which will focus on the personal achievements of these individuals.

Lindenauer said the Rainbow Honor Walk aims to educate all who see it about people whose true identities had been obscured in history.

Castro Bar Owner Dies of Swine Flu

Doug Murphy, co-owner of Castro bars 440 Castro, Moby Dick and the new Blackbird bar, died suddenly from cardiac arrest on August 21. He had recently been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus or swine flu. He was 41.

Murphy had felt ill in early August and flew down to a home he owned near Palm Springs to recuperate in the dry climate of the desert. When his condition did not improve, he went to the emergency room where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Further tests discovered that he had contracted the H1N1 virus. His conditioned worsened to the point where he had to use a respirator and suffered from kidney failure in the days before his death.

Murphy was a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and moved to San Francisco in his 20s where he worked his way up in restaurant and bartending jobs to become a successful owner.

A public memorial is being held on Sunday, September 13 at the three bars he co-owned. For more information, call Moby Dick at (415) 861-1199.

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