It's been an ongoing saga at North Beach's Washington Square Bar & Grill (1701 Powell St., at Union) ever since founders Ed and Mary Etta Moose sold the Washbag to Guy and Rose Ferri in 1999. The Ferris turned it into Cobalt Tavern, but when that didn't last, they brought back the original name and concept.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

Well, PlumpJack might still be in the picture, but, according to Liam Tiernan of Tiernan's, located farther down the hill (685 Beach St., near Hyde), he and his wife and co-owner, Susan, have the key and are ready to get going as soon as the Washbag emerges from bankruptcy proceedings.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

Since then, several restaurateurs have expressed interest in bringing it back, including the PlumpJack folks, who have run their own very successful bar and grill - the Balboa Cafe - for more than a decade.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

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 11, 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 11, 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 11, 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. When his parents came to visit, he took them to the Slanted Door - "my most favorite restaurant in the whole world" - for clay-pot chicken and Vietnamese coffee.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

One autumn and winter-loving resident, however, adamantly refuses to acknowledge that the current month is not one that ends in “ber”: The balcony of one apartment at 2725-2727 San Bruno remains festooned with tiny little plastic jack-o-lanterns, Xmas lights, and a remarkably hardy wreath. All that’s missing is a cardboard cutout of a turkey in pilgrims’ clothing.

Published by SFist on June 11, 2008.

∙ Listing: 1081 Church (2/2) - $1,350,000 [1081church.com] [MLS]

Published by SocketSite on June 11, 2008.

Hats off to the developer for a job well done and having the cajones to see this project at 2542 Fillmore through. Had you seen the before, you’d realize how great is the after. Oh…we have the before:

Published by theFrontSteps on June 11, 2008.

Mayor Gavin Newsom chose a telling site for the June 2 release of his budget: the San Francisco Police Department's Special Tactical Operations Center at Hunters Point Shipyard. And if its relationship to Proposition G, the mayor's plan to let Lennar Corporation develop the southeast part of the city, wasn't clear enough, Newsom made it explicit.

Published by San Francisco Bay Guardian on June 11, 2008.

The shooting took place shortly after noon in front of Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School at Mansell and Somerset streets in southeastern San Francisco, according to police.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 11, 2008.

7:15 p.m., 9:25 // Red Vic (1727 Haight Street) // $8.50

Published by SFist on June 11, 2008.

7:30 p.m. // Davies Symphony Hall (201 Van Ness) // $32-$120

Published by SFist on June 11, 2008.

Coming Soon: 2950 Vallejo, it’ll only take you $25,000,000 11 06 2008

Published by theFrontSteps on June 11, 2008.

One of my absolutely favorite houses is hitting the market. You probably already know this, but I haven’t seen it on any of the blogs as of yet… 2960 Vallejo is now on Barbara Callan’s website for 25 million… that’s almost 5000k per foot, which is just astounding.

Published by theFrontSteps on June 11, 2008.

Police say the teen was gunned down a little after noon Tuesday outside the campus of the Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School and Leadership High School.

Published by ABC News (Channel 7) on June 11, 2008.

Training will be going on all week at San Francisco City Hall. To prepare, volunteers are going through a lot of paper work and details on California state marriage laws - it is all to prepare them for a job to perform same-sex marriages.

Published by ABC News (Channel 7) on June 11, 2008.

The woman allegedly "took a wrong turn" in her gray Toyota Camry around 10 a.m., stopping all underground Muni service to and from the West Portal and Van Ness Avenue stations, Muni spokesman Judson True said.

Published by ABC News (Channel 7) on June 11, 2008.

The woman allegedly "took a wrong turn" in her gray Toyota Camry around 10 a.m., stopping all underground Muni service to and from the West Portal and Van Ness Avenue stations, Muni spokesman Judson True said.

Published by ABC News (Channel 7) on June 11, 2008.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors opted not to hold an up-or-down vote Tuesday on whether to fund a new court in the Tenderloin, instead referring the matter back to the same budget committee that has already voted against approving the money.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

The court would prosecute misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods and would try to link defendants with social services. It is expected to cost the city about $2.8 million a year.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

The deepest secrets in San Francisco were lying on the beach Tuesday at Crissy Field, covered with sand and guarded from prying eyes. No peeking was allowed. Keep away. This means you.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

Sparks said the commission would require other officers of the rank of lieutenant and above to qualify on the department's pistol range at Lake Merced within 90 days. Sparks did not say why the commission now believes the rule is vague with regard to high-ranking officers, or how many of them have failed to take the tests.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

Funeral attendees say 31-year-old Milika Fields' had a personality that would fill any room. She was remembered as a woman with a broad smile and a deep sense of faith. Sadly, this mother of six was killed may 31st as she drove on the 101 freeway near the Mission-Duboce exit ramp.

Published by KTVU News (Channel 2) on June 11, 2008.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors opted not to hold an up-or-down vote Tuesday on whether to fund a new court in the Tenderloin, instead referring the matter back to the same budget committee that has already voted against approving the money.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

The court would prosecute misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods and would try to link defendants with social services. It is expected to cost the city about $2.8 million a year.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

Trayon Dixson spent his early childhood in public housing developments in San Francisco, but three years ago his mother had enough and decided to leave the violence-plagued projects behind.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

Sparks said the commission would require other officers of the rank of lieutenant and above to qualify on the department's pistol range at Lake Merced within 90 days. Sparks did not say why the commission now believes the rule is vague with regard to high-ranking officers, or how many of them have failed to take the tests.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on June 11, 2008.

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Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 11, 2008.

The woman allegedly "took a wrong turn" in her gray Toyota Camry around 10 a.m., stopping all underground Muni service to and from the West Portal and Van Ness Avenue stations, Muni spokesman Judson True said.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 11, 2008.

15-year-old Antioch boy fatally shot in broad daylight Tuesday across from a San Francisco high school has been identified as Trayon Dixson, according to the San Francisco medical examiner's office. The shooting took place shortly after noon in front of Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School at Mansell and Somerset streets in southeastern San Francisco, according to police.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 11, 2008.

15-year-old Antioch boy fatally shot in broad daylight Tuesday across from a San Francisco high school has been identified as Trayon Dixson, according to the San Francisco medical examiner's office. The shooting took place shortly after noon in front of Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School at Mansell and Somerset streets in southeastern San Francisco, according to police.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 11, 2008.

Nearly 100,000 San Francisco residents, including those in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and the Mission District, have since been using Meraki's network, called Free the Net, according to Chief Executive Officer Sanjit Biswas.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 11, 2008.

Valencia Garden Complex, a 260-unit residence located at 360 Valencia St. where Wednesday's announcement was made and part of the Mission Housing Development Corp., is the first low-income housing site to host free wireless Internet throughout the building, the housing development's Chief Executive Officer Larry Del Carlo said Wednesday.

Published by CBS News (Channel 5) on June 11, 2008.

As Amanda Witherell reports, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has been trying for years now to win approval for three city-owned combustion turbines that would generate electric power at a plant at the foot of Potrero Hill. The idea: the turbines, also known as "peakers," would generate enough power during peak-use periods to convince the state to shut down the dirtier Mirant Plant.

Published by San Francisco Bay Guardian on June 11, 2008.