Southern Belle

The pocket-size village of Glen Park is ready for its close-up.

posted April 17, 2008 5:44PM

Just four BART stops away from the bustle of Powell Street, Glen Park is nevertheless a far cry from downtown. Generations of SF natives are proud to call this village—cradled in a canyon at the bottom of Diamond Heights—home, and shop owners know their customers by name, but there are also plenty of reasons for the rest of us to cross town for an afternoon or evening. Three Boulevard alums bring foodies here: Diners squeeze nightly into year-old Gialina for specialty pizzas by Sharon Ardiana and fill up the reservations book at Chenery Park (a note to walk-ins: Don't let the 30-minute wait discourage you from sampling the "eclectic American food" from chef duo Gaines Dobbins and Richard Rosen). And with the late-2006 addition of Glen Park Market Place—a mixed-use development housing chi-chi Canyon Market, 15 new condos and a new home for the Glen Park branch of the SF Public Library—the neighborhood has evolved into a self-sustaining suburb-within-the-city, but with more charm than any suburb could ever muster.

Eat & Drink

An entire day, from breakfast to dessert, can easily be spent eating your heart out in Glen Park. Start with a visit to Café Bello where potent, bittersweet lattes come topped with intricate frothy artwork. Or try one of the organic blends, such as the nutty Guatemalan or the fruity Ethiopian. One block away is a neighborhood staple, 32-year-old Higher Grounds, owned by crepe maker extraordinaire Manhal Jweinat. If you're lucky, there won't be a line out the door—if there is, know that the Ghirardelli-chocolate-and-walnut crepes are well worth the wait. Tyger's mom-and-pop-style diner serves big portions at small prices to a diverse crowd of older neighborhood regulars, hungover hipsters and young families who come for fresh-squeezed OJ, scrambled eggs and sausage and the fluffiest pancakes in the city. At midday, stop by lunchtime favorite Pebbles Café to catch business types grabbing a fresh-crab sandwich to go or bulgogi (Korean barbecue beef) over rice. Fill your afternoon with a pint of Sierra Nevada, Abba on the jukebox, the usual Irish-pub characters and a round of darts at one of the last existing bars to carry a "liquor to go" license in the city, Glen Park Station. At Chenery Park, martini glasses chill with ice cubes in preparation of the dinner rush. Pair one of the delicious mojitos with a thick, grilled pork chop; try a currant-filled semolina pudding for dessert. If you're in the mood for something spicier, head to Gialina for the Neapolitan-style pizzas, but also keep an eye out for chef-owner Sharon Ardiana's chicken cacciatore, which she sneaks onto the daily-changing menu only because she "just loves making it." Gone a few days without your sushi fix? Newcomer Sangha's Latin-infused version (think cilantro-jalapeño-chile-sauce shrimp rolls) can scratch your itch. Across the street at Le P'tit Laurent, it's the decadent cassoulet of beans, duck confit and Toulouse sausage that's inspiring rave reviews. Eggettes devotees come to snack on the Hong Kong–style doughy waffle (tastes like fortune cookie; looks like egg crate) and stay for the neighborhood movie nights.

Shop

Find home accents from local designers to make your friends jealous of your nest at the newest gem in the neighborhood, Perch. The three-month-old shop smells like its sweet selection of candles and sensuous body creams, and the wall of stationery could keep you debating card selections for hours. A few steps away is the family-owned-and-run Cheese Boutique, which offers about 100 domestic and imported cheeses. Take home the freshly made hummus that's had customers coming back for 15 years. Directly across the street is ModernPast, owned by Glen Park magnate Ric López (of Sangha), a near-museum of vintage furniture offering rare Eames classics and Hans Wegner finds. New-and-used bookstore Bird and Beckett moved into the former home of the library last August, bringing with it a bit more entertainment. With a permanent stage and piano sitting among ceiling-high bookshelves, this communal hub packs in live jazz fans every Friday night. Critter Fritter's self-dog-washing station provides the apron, shampoo and stainless-steel tub—you just bring your pooch. Afterward, pick up some raw, organic pet food. Finally, stop into Canyon Market for a wide selection of natural and specialty foods and the occasional wine tasting. Don't leave without a baguette (freshly baked twice a day).

"We're the only place in the city where you can convert your open-mic reel to an eight-track tape—you know, for your car."

—Bird And Beckett owner Eric Whittington

Etc.

Your hips are waves and your hands are palm trees at Kiki-Yo, which offers classes on, among other things, prenatal yoga, belly dancing, the ancient art of hula and a boot camp at 6:30 a.m. for fitness diehards. After bouncing around between several neighborhood locations in its 70-year existence, the Glen Park Branch Library has settled into its new, permanent home with six times more space than it had at its last stop, plus lots of natural light. Step outside of your urban prison with a visit to Glen Canyon Park. With hiking trails and boulders used for practice by local rock climbers, the park is 70 acres of wilderness rarely found within a city.

RUNDOWN

EAT

Café Bello
Diamond St. 415-585-3457

Chenery Park
683 Chenery St. 415-337-8537

Eggettes
2810 Diamond St. 415-839-5282

Gialina
2842 Diamond St. 415-239-8500

Glen Park Station
2816 Diamond St. 415-333-4633

Higher Grounds
691 Chenery St. 415-587-2933

Le P’tit Laurent
699 Chenery St. 415-334-3235

Pebbles Café
2852 Diamond St. 415-333-2270

Sangha
678 Chenery St. 415-333-0101

Tyger’s
2798 Diamond St. 415-239-4060