Alexander’s Steakhouse Opens Casual SoMa Spinoff

Known for serving high-end Japanese beef at its Cupertino, Mountain View, and San Francisco restaurant locations, Alexander’s Steakhouse expanded into more casual territory yesterday with the opening of ALX Gastropub in SoMa. The idea, says executive chef Jessie Lugo, is to do “fast casual — still with the standards that Alexander’s has — but with more approachable, lower price point food.”

According to Caleb Pershan with SF.Eater.com, that means plenty of deluxe ingredients and elements. One example: A “Foie-gyu Burger” with sun-dried tomato jam and camembert cheese, the foie gras emulsified right into the wagyu beef burger for $35. Salads, flat breads, and shared items like go​at cheese tater tots with homemade ketchup and pickle mayo are more affordably priced from $8 to $15. You can now see the entire menu online.

To read the SF.Eater.com piece, and to see photos of the place and some of its dishes, please click here.

ALX Gastropub
680 Folsom Street, Suite 125
Lunch Monday to Friday, 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Happy hour Monday to Friday from 5 to 7PM
Dinner nightly from 5:30 PM to 10 PM

Free Rooftop Concert Series And More At Salesforce Park

The rooftop Salesforce Park just opened, and it’s already the place to be for free concerts and more. SF.Funcheap.com has posted a page that provides info on all the concerts taking place every Wednesday evening now through the end of October. Concerts start at 5 PM, with everything from blues to jazz to salsa to rockabilly being performed. Other musicians and entertainers take the stage on other days and at other times.

There are also free fitness and wellness activities taking place regularly on the rooftop, along with writing workshops, Litquake lunch breaks, and more.  To see all that’s being offered, including dates and times, please click here.

Weekend Events and the Weekly Real Estate Update

Eat Drink SF is now in its 10th year, and organizers say this is San Francisco’s premiere food and drink festival. It includes three days of curated programming today, tomorrow, and Sunday at Fort Mason, with 35 restaurants and more than 70 beer, wine, and spirits makers participating in the festival. On Saturday and Sunday the Vintage Paper Fair happens in Golden Gate Park — the last of three such fairs that will have taken place in 2018. And finally, on Saturday night, Lady Bird will be presented on a giant outdoor screen in Washington Square Park in North Beach. The movie begins at dusk, and it’s free, but donations are accepted.

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On the “Homes for Sale in San Francisco” front, here’s our report for this week, 8/19/18 – 8/25/18

Downtown San Francisco Continues to Grow

Of the record 67,800 residential units in the current pipeline of development across San Francisco, roughly 10,000 of the units, or 15 percent, fall within the boundaries of the City’s Greater Downtown, which now includes most of the burgeoning Transbay District but only a sliver of Central SoMa.

At the same time, according to SocketSite.com, citing the latest Monitoring Report for Downtown San Francisco, the number of people working within the boundaries of the City’s old-school Downtown increased 3 percent in 2017 to 288,000, which is up 23 percent since the end of 2011 (233,500) and now represents 40 percent of the total 711,000 jobs in San Francisco.

Welcome To Stagecoach Greens In Mission Bay

This place takes miniature golf to a whole new level. Welcome to Stagecoach Greens — an 18-hole course brought to life by more than 150 local artists and craftsmen.

According to 7×7.com, like Urban Putt, each hole represents a different bit of Bay Area culture, only here the theme is the West’s legacy of booms and busts — from a Barbary Coast saloon and the Gold Rush trail to the battle for the tallest building where the Transamerica Pyramid dukes it out with Salesforce Tower. Other landmarks in miniature include Chinatown’s Dragon Gate and Sutro Tower.

History buffs can read more about each story on the Stagecoach Greens website.

Located close to AT&T Park and the future Warriors arena, and right next to the food truck lot Spark Social, Stagecoach Greens seems perfectly situated for pre and post game adventures.

Stagecoach Greens
1379 4th Street
Open 7 days a week from 11 AM to 9 PM, weather permitting.

“Eat Drink SF” Takes Place Friday Night Through Sunday

Organizers say this is San Francisco’s premiere food and drink festival. Eat Drink SF (fka SF Chefs), now in its 10th year, features an impressive lineup of renowned tastemakers to celebrate the Bay Area’s world-class cuisine.

With three days of curated programming from August 24-26, the festival brings elevated VIP experiences from newcomers like Sorrel and Eight Tables; main stage demonstrations by luminaries like Chef Dominique Crenn and Chef Roland Passot; and bar programs from mainstay Pacific Cocktail Haven and Japanese-influenced Kabuki Hotel.

35 restaurants and more than 70 beer, wine and spirits makers will be participating in the festival, which takes place at Fort Mason all three days. For event information and tickets, click here.

German Beer Hall “Radhaus” Opens at Fort Mason

According to a recent Hoodline post, Radhaus comes from Aaron and Matt Hulme, the team behind  Biergarten and Suppenkuche in Hayes Valley.  As you would expect, the beverage selection runs heavily towards German beers, from Weltenberger dunkel to Andechs doppelbock. There’s also a small selection of largely German wines, and some beer cocktails like a radler.

On the food side, the beer hall serves up options like a chicken schnitzel sandwich, bratwurst plate, and a burger. There are also some smaller bites like cucumber salad and soft pretzels with Bavarian cheese dip.

Former Chronicle Rising Star Chef Timmy Malloy is at the helm of the Radhaus kitchen. According to the newspaper, the ultimate goal for the Radhaus team is to become an all-day destination serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with snack services in between. The location Radhaus calls home is Building A, near The Interval and the long-standing Greens restaurant. The Fort Mason folks wanted to pick a tenant that, when paired with events like Off the Grid, would increase foot traffic at the onetime military site.

Radhaus, at 2 Marina Blvd., Bldg A, is open from 11 AM–2 PM, and from 5 PM–10 PM daily.

How Apps Are Changing The Way We Tip In San Francisco

Great article on SFGate.com over the weekend on the changing culture of tipping in the City. Writer Filipa Ioannou puts it this way:

“The white iPads at the register at coffee shops, food trucks and bakeries across San Francisco now feel like a part of a standard procedure. Order your food or drink. Get your card swiped. Then, someone swivels around a screen and you’re often faced with a choice of a tip — 15, 18 or 20 percent? 18, 20 or 25 percent?”

We’ve seen these iPads, and so have you. Do you feel coerced, tip-shamed, or offended by this new technology and practice? Or do you find it a convenience?

So much disruption going on in every facet of our daily lives. This is just another example of how technology is impacting even the most innocent and unassuming aspects — like paying for that decaf, soy latte with an extra shot and cream you love so much.

To learn more about the technology and how it’s being received, please click here.

Weekend Events and the Weekly Real Estate Update

Noise Pop is presenting the sixth annual 20th Street Block Party to Benefit Mission Language and Vocational School. They expect 20,000 people will be there. It takes place Saturday, from noon to 6 PM, on 20th Street between Harrison and Bryant. The Polk Street Blues Festival happens on Saturday and Sunday,  from 10 AM to 6 PM both days on Polk between California and Sutter Streets. Lastly, the 6th Annual Aloha Poly Fest takes place on Saturday, from 11 AM to 5 PM on the Marina Green.

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On the “Homes for Sale in San Francisco” front, here’s our report for this week, 8/12/18 – 8/18/18

Our Aging Housing Stock

In San Francisco we celebrate our Victorian, Tudor Revival, and Edwardian Craftsman homes, among many other styles. This means though that our housing stock is older, certainly in comparison to much of the United States.

The entire country’s housing stock is aging however, as construction was hampered and slowed by the housing crisis, and has never fully recovered. According to MortgageNewsDaily.com, a nationwide survey puts the median age of owner-occupied homes at 37 years compared to a median age of 31 years in 2005. The aging trend accelerated during the Great Recession.

An aging housing stock means a growing market for remodeling. Old structures need new amenities, aging systems and components need repair and replacement, and rising home prices encourage home owners to spend more on home improvement. We see this in San Francisco, most often when properties are sold and bought. The transformations can be truly breathtaking.

This explains why there are construction crews busy at work in nearly every one of our neighborhoods. It may be inconvenient at times, but these makeovers are essential — keeping older San Francisco homes in pristine condition for the well-being and comfort of their occupants.

Breathtaking Time-Lapse Video Of Fog Over San Francisco

In July and August we see a lot of fog in San Francisco, but rarely from above as in this video. It runs just over two minutes long, and it’s just beautiful! The good news is you don’t have to layer up to watch it.

 

Noise Pop’s 20th Street Block Party Happens on Saturday

Noise Pop is presenting the sixth annual 20th Street Block Party to Benefit Mission Language and Vocational School. They expect 20,000 people will be there.

Organizers say the 20th Street corridor will be transformed into a free party to showcase and celebrate a diverse neighborhood that they say blends modern ideas with community traditions to create a new San Francisco experience. This free, delicious summer feast and dance party will feature some of the City’s best restaurants, local businesses and artisans, as well as a variety of indie bands.

Empress Of, Jeff Rosenstock, 
The Marías, The She’s, FAN (Meric Long of The Dodos), The Total Bettys, Small Crush, and others will be performing.

20th Street Block Party
Saturday, Noon to 6 PM
20th Street Corridor (between Harrison & Bryant)
FREE (general admission) – Suggested donation is $10 to benefit Mission Language and Vocational School (MLVS).