However, I think the main issue is that hip restaurants have a lot of hard surfaces, popularity ratchets up the noise, noise becomes associated with the hip restaurant, restaurateurs seek out noisy designs and we are in a deafening cycle. Elite Cafe has a great setup: You like noise? Sit at the tables. You want conversation: Try and grab a booth.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

Another noise-related phenomenon: Restaurants are often putting tables so close to each other you can't walk between them - like at Gialina in Glen Park, which I left the other night with a splitting headache. But restaurants will continue ignoring their noise ratings as long as customers keep coming, and not complaining. They need to be called on this.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

I left with a headache and a sore throat from shouting. I will never go back. Really, I don't mind some ambient sound, but if I want to stick my head in a speaker at a Stones concert, then I will go to the concert and not to Andalu.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

But the reaction is sometimes different at Mijita, her Ferry Building taqueria that was built with environmentally friendly materials and uses organic ingredients whenever possible.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

Traci Des Jardins, who won a James Beard Award for best chef in the Pacific region last year, finds customers happy to pay more for sustainably sourced foods at Jardiniere, her fine-dining restaurant near San Francisco's Civic Center.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

"People say, 'Why should we pay $3.75 or $4.50 for the same taco you can get in the Mission for $1.75?" Des Jardins said. "It's shocking to me that there is so much price resistance when our food is so carefully prepared, using natural ingredients, in the environment of the Ferry Building. People don't understand what food costs."

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

"People say, 'Why should we pay $3.75 or $4.50 for the same taco you can get in the Mission for $1.75?" Des Jardins said. "It's shocking to me that there is so much price resistance when our food is so carefully prepared, using natural ingredients, in the environment of the Ferry Building. People don't understand what food costs."

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

By comparison, the Turkish food of his youth seemed like a book with chapters missing. Here, Sonmezsoy reveled in garlicky Italian fare in North Beach, dim sum at Ton Kiang and the "double-double animal style" burgers at In-N-Out Burger.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

Most of the scaffolding and wrap has been stripped from Argenta, located at 1 Polk Street, off of 10th and Market. Argenta consists of 3 parking levels, ground level retail/commercial, and 179 condos spread out over 20 floors. The central location is convenient to City Hall, U.N. Plaza, Symphony Hall, the Opera House, [...]

Published by SF New Developments blog on June 10, 2008.

No Bay Area ZIP code has pumped more money into the campaign than San Francisco's Laurel Heights/Presidio Heights ZIP 94118, which has given $976,000. This wealthy enclave ranks third in California for the money it gives to the presidential contenders - following only by Beverly Hills ZIP code 90210 and wealthy west Los Angeles zip code 90049.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

The 7 p.m. crash at 34th Avenue and Ortega Street was so loud that firefighters stationed two blocks away heard the noise.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

∙ Listing: 396 Hermann (2/1) - $779,000 [MLS]

Published by SocketSite on June 10, 2008.

From Warehouse, To Squat, To Sweatshop, To Condos: 935 Folsom

Published by SocketSite on June 10, 2008.

Greg Dewar of NJudahChronicles seems to be everywhere lately. Check out the latest gem he snapped up today over on Duboce and Church.

Published by SFist on June 10, 2008.

8 p.m. // The Garage (975 Howard) // $12-15

Published by SFist on June 10, 2008.

7 p.m. // Booksmith (1644 Haight) // free

Published by SFist on June 10, 2008.

9 p.m. // The Independent (628 Divisadero) // $16

Published by SFist on June 10, 2008.

The 7 p.m. crash at 34th Avenue and Ortega Street was so loud that firefighters stationed two blocks away heard the noise.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

The boy was shot at 12:30 p.m. at Mansell and Somerset streets, across from the campus that houses Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School and the Leadership Academy. He died a short time later at San Francisco General Hospital.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

S.F. corner completed: Better late than never. That's what Richard Cerri says about the northwest corner of Seventh and Mission streets in San Francisco, where city workers finally installed a curb ramp.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

A man is in critical condition Monday night following a three-vehicle crash at 34th Avenue and Ortega Street in San Francisco, police said.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 10, 2008.

The shooting took place across the street from Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School, located at 400 Mansell St., at about 12:10 p.m., according to San Francisco police Sgt. Wilfred Williams.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 10, 2008.

San Franciscans James Gatts (front) and brother Timothy Gatts passed the time on a warm Monday playing fresco, a popular Brazilian paddle game, at Baker Beach in San Francisco, where temperatures topped 70 degrees. It was even hotter farther east, where the temperatures were in the 80s and 90s in Concord and Livermore. Today, San Francisco will be partly cloudy in the morning and then will become sunny.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

S.F. corner completed: Better late than never. That's what Richard Cerri says about the northwest corner of Seventh and Mission streets in San Francisco, where city workers finally installed a curb ramp.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

At least five people are being transported to hospitals after a multi-car collision at 34th Avenue and Ortega Street in San Francisco, a fire dispatcher said. The crash was first reported at 7:02 p.m. on Monday evening.

Published by NBC News (Channel 11) on June 10, 2008.

Mayor Newsom says he'll officiate their wedding on June 16th and says that will be the only wedding performed at City Hall that day.

Published by ABC News (Channel 7) on June 10, 2008.

Presidio managers want the public to share thoughts on plans to make over the 230-year-old San Francisco landmark.The main parking lot could be converted into sweeping lawns.

Published by NBC News (Channel 11) on June 10, 2008.

The shooting took place across the street from Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School, located at 400 Mansell St., at about 12:10 p.m., according to San Francisco police Sgt. Wilfred Williams.

Published by NBC News (Channel 11) on June 10, 2008.

However, Mission Delores Basilica, one of the oldest churches in the city, will not be marrying gay couples.

Published by NBC News (Channel 11) on June 10, 2008.

On a November day in 2006, Leticia Hernandez boarded a bus in San Jose looking for help and several hours later found herself at Eighth and Mission streets in San Francisco, looking at a sign for the St. Anthony Foundation's Marian Residence for Women.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

On a November day in 2006, Leticia Hernandez boarded a bus in San Jose looking for help and several hours later found herself at Eighth and Mission streets in San Francisco, looking at a sign for the St. Anthony Foundation's Marian Residence for Women.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

It ran on streetcar lines that have vanished forever, like the H, which ran from Army Street to the U.S. Docks at Fort Mason, and the D, which ran on Geary, Van Ness Avenue and Union Street.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

San Francisco's Municipal Railway has done exactly that - taken streetcar No. 162, which was built in 1914, cleaned and polished it up, added a few modern bells and whistles, and will put it back in service running on Market Street and the waterfront.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

The boy was shot at 12:30 p.m. at Mansell and Somerset streets, across from the campus that houses Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School and the Leadership Academy. He died a short time later at San Francisco General Hospital.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

The boy was shot at 12:30 p.m. at Mansell and Somerset streets, across from the campus that houses Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School and the Leadership Academy. He died a short time later at San Francisco General Hospital.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

French police officers were in San Francisco Tuesday, investigating the unsolved 2007 stabbing death of a 36-year-old French national in his Hayes Valley apartment.Hugues de la Plaza, a dual U.S.-French citizen, was found dead inside his in the 400 block of Linden Street on June 2, 2007.

Published by KTVU News (Channel 2) on June 10, 2008.

French police officers were in San Francisco Tuesday, investigating the unsolved 2007 stabbing death of a 36-year-old French national in his Hayes Valley apartment.Hugues de la Plaza, a dual U.S.-French citizen, was found dead inside his in the 400 block of Linden Street on June 2, 2007.

Published by KTVU News (Channel 2) on June 10, 2008.

A shooting occurred across the street from a Bayview District high school in broad daylight Tuesday, claiming one life and forcing a temporary lockdown of the campus, a San Francisco police sergeant said.

Published by KTVU News (Channel 2) on June 10, 2008.

The shooting took place across the street from Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School, located at 400 Mansell St., at about 12:10 p.m., according to San Francisco police Sgt. Wilfred Williams.

Published by KTVU News (Channel 2) on June 10, 2008.

De la Plaza's body was found inside his locked apartment on Linden Street in Hayes Valley. Police first said he may have stabbed himself after ingesting drugs, but no bloody knife was recovered and no drugs were found in his system.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

De la Plaza's body was found inside his locked apartment on Linden Street in Hayes Valley. Police first said he may have stabbed himself after ingesting drugs, but no bloody knife was recovered and no drugs were found in his system.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 10, 2008.

A shooting occurred across the street from a Bayview District high school in broad daylight Tuesday, claiming one life and forcing a temporary lockdown of the campus, a San Francisco police sergeant said.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 10, 2008.

The shooting took place across the street from Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School, located at 400 Mansell St., at about 12:10 p.m., according to San Francisco police Sgt. Wilfred Williams.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 10, 2008.

It isn't every day that a new vegan restaurant opens, even in veggie-friendly San Francisco, which is why The Usual Suspects Cafe (459 Broadway at Kearny) in North Beach is generating so much interest - and because word of mouth has it that the food is terrific.

Published by SF Weekly on June 10, 2008.