Self-described “girl boss bakery” Butter & Crumble is opening its own brick-and-mortar space Wednesday after three successful years of pop-ups in San Francisco’s Marina District. For young baker Sophie Smith, the move to North Beach feels like fate.

Formerly the cooking school Tante Marie’s, the Francisco Street location is where Smith’s mother—who taught her to bake—learned to cook. The building stood vacant for years until Smith and her buttercream cakes, pistachio cardamom croissants and pumpkin cruffins moved in. 

“The neighbors are so grateful to have a business back in here again,” Smith said. 

Sophie Smith, left, and Nicki Volante, right, working on croissants in the bakery of Butter & Crumble in San Francisco. | Source: Julie Zigoris/The Standard

Smith has kept elements of the former cooking school: wooden cooking surfaces, an oversized whisk hanging above the entrance and a demonstration mirror suspended above the front counter. 

Yet the 27-year-old baker has added plenty of her own touches. She’s curated a selection of artisanal goods, including four versions of Butter & Crumble tote bags by local designers, lots of greenery courtesy of That SF Plant Guy and flowers by Urban Virgo in a space dominated with the pale pink of employees’ aprons. 

Smith honed her skills during the pandemic, at first baking only for family and friends. 

Covid “gave a lot of cooks and pastry chefs time to develop their craft,” she said. “It’s both a blessing and a curse.”  

The menu at Butter & Crumble in San Francisco includes croissants, cookies and pastries. | Source: Julie Zigoris/The Standard

She sold her pastries at weekend pop-ups that garnered round-the-block lines on Saturdays and Sundays, using empty kitchen spaces to up her production—including a partnership with the Marina bar Westwood. 

While she got her start with buttercream cakes—the logo of Butter & Crumble is a layer cake—she soon added pastries to her repertoire. Some of her most popular items include a croissant rolled up with bacon, a soft egg and herbs and her pistachio cardamom croissants. 

On Tuesday morning, contractors took care of the final touches before permitting inspectors arrived. Smith and fellow bakers Nicki Volante and Melissa Nuñez bustled about the kitchen, testing chai-scented buns and sugar syrups. 

The next creation? A new croissant that includes mortadella, Gruyère and pistachio pesto. 

“It’s an ode to our new North Beach home,” Smith said. 

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On Wednesday, October 25, Sophie Smith will open her dreamy North Beach bakery Butter & Crumble in the former Tante Marie’s Cooking School at 271 Francisco Street in North Beach. The road to moving the small business into a permanent space wasn’t smooth thanks to permitting issues, and neither was the road to becoming a pop-up due to the red tape Smith navigated while renting out a shared kitchen. But, ultimately, Smith’s is a story of triumph. She says the 1,300-square-foot shop is ideal for baking and teaching croissant-making classes — it’s also steeped in nostalgia for the former students of Tante Marie’s, who include Smith’s mother.

Customer favorites will fill the opening menu including Smith’s bacon, egg, and cheese croissant in all its yolky glory, plus sweet options such as a pistachio and cardamom sugar croissant, pain au chocolat, and a chocolate chip cookie, all of which will remain constants. Diners will also have sweet and savory danishes, including a potato-herb version, to choose from. A seasonal cruffin flavor will rotate, and to kick things off for fall Smith plans to debut a cozy pumpkin number. Smith will also offer one vegan and one gluten-free bakery item at all times, such as her popular gluten-free banana-cinnamon coffee cake.

Butter & Crumble

Smith and pastry assistant Nicki Volante traveled to Europe for inspiration during the buildout, sampling treats from bakeries in Florence, Paris, and Copenhagen. The popular cardamom croissant from Hart Bageri in Copenhagen inspired an item the team calls the Dirty Chai Situation, which is formed by a “cluster” of croissant dough scraps. Smith’s take on a cinnamon roll, meanwhile, gets formed as a knot to achieve more filling distribution without drying out the dough.

Those who first fell for Smith’s cakes will soon see pre-orders open up again, and the plan is to eventually offer cakes for walk-ins. With the extra space in the shop, Smith says Butter & Crumble will expand its seasonal offerings with Thanksgiving pies and Christmas cookies, as well. As for drinks, Smith is offering drip coffee and cold brew to start, with an espresso machine to be added later. She partnered with Ana Valle of Abanico Coffee Roasters to create a special blend for the shop.

Building out the Butter & Crumble bakery has been a testament to Smith’s strong following. She’s posted on Instagram about the issues she encountered while getting the bakery open, and customers have stepped up to help get her across the finish line. Butter & Crumble’s many fans funded the shop through SMBX, an investment company that allows the public to buy bonds to support small businesses and receive repayment plus interest; helped with design; facilitated contractor introductions; and more. “There’s always unexpected challenges that have tested our budget and our sense of timeline,” Smith says, “and navigating that process has been tricky, but I’ve had a really great support system and team helping me do it.”

Butter & Crumble

Butter & Crumble

Former Tante Marie’s students will notice Smith kept a few elements from the school. For instance, a ceiling-mounted cooking demonstration mirror remains, angled so customers can follow along as the Butter & Crumble team rolls out pastries. It’s one of Smith’s favorite features, and perhaps an invaluable teaching tool once Butter & Crumble returns to offering classes. Smith kept much of the school’s character, maintaining what she calls “this nice combination of a commercial kitchen with more homey touches.” Other homages include a metal whisk at the bakery door, a remnant from Tante Marie’s. A pastry sheeter will sit prominently in the front window, and the open kitchen will show customers the not-so-behind-the-scenes baking process. “It’s always been a dream of mine to create in an open format bakery,” Smith says, “because I think it’s so cool for customers to see the process behind our products. Especially with something like laminated pastries, where a lot of love goes into those pastries — they’re quite labor intensive.”

Smith is also adding a retail shop highlighting local small businesses. Ceramics from Altar Ceramics, bouquets from Julie Enright of Urban Virgo Flower Truck & Events, plants from That SF Plant Guy, and greeting cards from Missive will grace the shelves. Smith worked with artists Jasmine Nguyen, Blair Stingley, Asra Sarfraz, and Kathy Dong on Butter & Crumble totes to be sold at the store. While the retail area is not quite the dine-in cafe Smith first envisioned, it does create an opportunity for a sweet break outdoors. “I’ve just fallen in love with this area of North Beach,” Smith says. “It’s a really cute neighborhood and Washington Square Park is super close, I’m hoping people will grab their pastries and go on a nice walk.”

Butter & Crumble (271 Francisco Street) debuts on Wednesday, October 25 and will be open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

Sophie Smith, owner of San Francisco bakery Butter & Crumble

Butter & Crumble

Four tote bag designs for Butter & Crumble

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It was a scene not witnessed in Downtown San Francisco for some time: a line behind black velvet ropes that wrapped around two city blocks, with passing cars and curious pedestrians stopping to inquire about the draw. 

The opening party for Chotto Matte—likely San Francisco’s largest restaurant—was the venue to celebrate the city Friday night, and more than 500 people waited as long as 45 minutes to be part of it, entertained by a taiko drum performance that continued on the rooftop. 

Taiko drummers perform at the rooftop restaurant Chotto Matte. | Source: Julie Zigoris/The Standard

The conversation on people’s lips at the Nikkei dining destination was that San Francisco is poised for a renaissance. The verdant rooftop escape with views of the twinkling skyline certainly seemed like evidence that the city’s best days are ahead. 

Restaurateurs, real estate brokers, luxury retailers and city stakeholders rubbed shoulders at the leafy, tropical venue that evoked hot nights in Miami Beach. Well-dressed guests angled to snag Paloma-inspired highballs and French 75s at a fern and monstera-covered bar before moving into the main space, anchored by a DJ booth, cafe tables and banquettes under a mirrored ceiling. 

The rooftop restaurant Chotto Matte in San Francisco has a plant-decorated bar. | Source: Julie Zigoris/The Standard

San Francisco—its woes, its hand-wringing, its frequent forecasts of worsening doom—seemed miles away from the airy 450-seat restaurant, where passing trays of dragon rolls, shrimp tempura, vegan crispy rice and soft-shell crab quickly vanished.  

The expansive space occupies the rooftop of Macy’s former men’s department and includes an open kitchen, a private dining area and a sushi bar, all of which flows into a wraparound roof terrace studded with dining tables. 

Partygoers were invited to serve themselves sake by dipping a ladle into a wooden bucket while others waited in line for flutes of prosecco. A laser cannon tucked around the side of the sprawling roof shot a blue beam skyward. 

Servers prepare sushi at the rooftop restaurant Chotto Mate. | Source: Julie Zigoris/The Standard

The restaurant opened a month later than planned, and the exit stairwells still showed signs of construction at the Friday night opening party. The restaurant opened to the public on Saturday. 

The restaurant’s logo—a version of an Incan cross meant to represent harmony and balance—is echoed in the zigzag pattern on the black and white tile floor and sewn onto blankets draped over the outdoor seating and emblazoned on servers’ uniforms. 

The rooftop restaurant Chotto Matte has a view of the San Francisco city skyline. | Source: Julie Zigoris/The Standard

Guests left with black gift bags dangling from their fingertips. Inside? A sleek black box with Chotto Matte chopsticks and a rest in the logo’s cross shape, tucked among purple tissue paper.

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• Tory Trombley moved from London to California for work in 2022
• She now regularly posts on TikTok about the differences between the UK and US 
• In a clip shared to TikTok, she explained what she misses most about the UK

A woman who moved from London to San Francisco has revealed the things that she misses about living overseas. 

Tory Trombley, who is originally from the US, moved back to the States last year, after spending three years living in London – and she has now candidly revealed that she misses feeling ‘most herself’ in the UK.

The content creator – who works in the tech industry – opened up about the things she enjoyed the most about her time in London, and wishes she still had now that she is living in California. 

In one clip shared to her TikTok account, Tory laid bare the stark differences between the two cities, while revealing the steps she is trying to take in order to embrace her new home.

Tory Trombley moved from London to San Francisco and has revealed the things that she misses about living overseas She has moved back to the States after living in London and has shared that she misses feeling ‘most herself’ in the UK In a clip shared to her TikTok account, Tory revealed if she missed living in the UK and the differences between the two cities.

She captioned the clip: ‘It’s been one year since I have moved and I always get this question: do I miss London? Of course I do. 

‘I made great friends in London, I felt the most like myself. 

‘But moving doesn’t mean that you have to hate the place you’re in while missing the place you left. 

‘I am currently trying to find that balance.’ 

At the beginning of the clip, she explained that you have to keep in mind that she moved from one city to another. 

‘So the answer to the former question, do I miss living in the UK over the US is absolutely,’ she said. 

Tory noted that this was because many things ‘are more difficult in the US.’ 

‘One example is healthcare. It’s just so much harder to get good healthcare here and not pay a lot out of pocket for it. 

‘Another one is cultural. People talk about work way more and take way less vacation,’ she said of the US. 

Tory noted that she ‘misses’ the people she worked with in London and how ‘supportive’ they were of her taking time off. 

She noted that she enjoyed how ‘vibrant’ London was, adding that San Francisco is a lot smaller. 

However, she said that she has made California her home and has found parts of it to love. 

Tory noted that she ‘misses’ the health care in the UK and the people she worked withTory noted that she ‘misses’ the people she worked with in London and how ‘supportive’ they were

In another video, Tory opened up about the truth about her life in San Francisco, hitting back at the increasingly grimy view that many people have of the city – particularly in the wake of rising crime rates. 

She insisted that not every area of the city is overrun with homelessness and crime, noting that many people who live in the city reside in neighborhoods that are much safer and more picturesque. 

‘If you go there, it’s such a different picture,’ she said. ‘San Francisco is one of the most visually stunning cities I’ve ever lived in in my life, and I’ve lived in London and I’ve lived in New York City.’ 

She went on to highlight the city’s ‘unparalleled’ access to nature, as well as its great weather. 

As for the job differences, Tory said there are several stark contrasts between corporate life in the UK and the US, explaining that differences exist in every aspect of her job, from vacation time to office culture. 

Despite the fact that she still works at the same company she was employed by in the UK, she said that things are very different now that she’s back in the US. 

‘So the first thing I noticed is an obvious one, but it’s true… vacation,’ she said in another video. ‘On the whole people get a lot less vacation here than they do in the UK and Europe. 

‘What this means is that people just don’t have as much free time to come on friends’ trips or to go on weekends away or time with their family or partner.’ 

Tory went on to note that the concept of ‘work/life balance’ is also viewed very differently between the countries, particularly when it comes to their vacation time. 

‘For example when I worked in Europe, someone would go on vacation and they would not be available at all,’ she explained. 

‘Whereas here in the US, it’s very common for people to leave their personal cellphone numbers in case you need them, or to take their laptop on vacation.’  

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SAN FRANCISCO — In a city still struggling to rebound from the pandemic, officials are pinning their hopes on an unlikely hero for the beleaguered downtown: plates of cheap Swedish meatballs.

Ikea — the Swedish retail chain known for affordable furniture, an assortment of beige foods and that one time a monkey in a coat was locked inside — opened a new 52,000-square-foot store on San Francisco’s long-troubled Market Street on Wednesday. Its grand opening in the empty mall has attracted more fanfare here than the average store, with a wall of media cameras, a DJ, employees waving Swedish flags and an appearance by Mayor London Breed.

“Like any major city, we know San Francisco has challenges, but we also know that people want to be here,” Breed (D) said at a Wednesday news conference. “As a result of opening Ikea here today … [the city is] showing our resiliency and our willingness to do everything it takes to bring back business to San Francisco.”

Lately, the narrative around this city has been grim: hollowed-out office buildings, a vexing homelessness crisis, and big chain stores such as Nordstrom, Old Navy, Gap and Whole Foods closing amid frequent crime and dwindling foot traffic. But the arrival of the Swedish furniture giant has brought a bit of joy and optimism to the downtown corridor, which has been largely ditched by the tech employees who once defined the area.

Ikea “not only creates an opportunity for people to shop, but it creates an opportunity for people to work,” Breed said. “That is important and a part of the fabric of San Francisco.”

While the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood — close to the iconic Union Square and one of the city’s cable-car routes — isn’t exactly San Francisco’s most famous tourist draw (there are no sea lions, and the burritos are expensive), it’s still seen as an important indicator of the city’s overall economic health. The mall that Ikea is moving into has long been considered one of the biggest failures of the area, as city leaders and the owners struggled to attract a tenant since its construction in 2016.

Officials were so desperate to fill it that, at one point, they briefly considered turning it into a homeless shelter.

The pandemic was yet another major setback for the neighborhood, as office tenants abandoned their leases and another major mall defaulted on its mortgage. But now, the city is cautiously optimistic that Ikea will attract a steady stream of foot traffic from people buying cheap furniture or just looking for an affordable lunch. Ikea executives called the area a “meeting place” and said it eventually will have co-working spaces available as well.

Local Maria Amunategui isn’t a fan of the meatballs but is delighted to have an Ikea closer to her home.

“I usually have to go to Emeryville, and it’s 23 minutes away,” she said. On Wednesday, she came to return something she bought at a different location, not expecting a wall of cheering employees, cameras and balloons. “It’s a surprise!” she added.

City officials have been desperate to get people back downtown, where office vacancy rates have remained stubbornly high since the pandemic. Breed recently passed a tax break to lure companies to sign new leases downtown, though it’s still too early to tell whether that will make a notable difference. Officials here are also trying to capitalize on the current frenzy of activity in the AI industry, with hopes that it could usher in another tech boom for San Francisco.

The mayor even went as far as to recently declare San Francisco the “AI capital of the world.”

At least for a day, the Ikea did lure more people to the neighborhood and improve the overall mood. After the mayor cut a giant purple ribbon that said “Ikea San Francisco,” employees greeted customers one at a time from a line that stretched to the end of the block. Shoppers danced into the store as Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” blasted through speakers, many stopping to pull on complimentary Ikea T-shirts and blue bucket hats. Nearby, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey danced and waved a tiny Swedish flag.

San Francisco’s smaller Ikea is designed more for a city center than its larger suburban hubs, which can be triple the size. The new Ikea sells basics you can carry out but doesn’t stock bulkier items such as sofas, though it will let customers buy them for delivery. It has the usual showrooms made up to look like real city apartments, cramped layouts and all. There’s a Swedish food court with all of the Ikea classics, including meatballs and vegetable balls, lox, pickled things, and poached salmon. The company said it specifically added more vegetarian and sustainable options — things San Franciscans are known to enjoy.

Agnes Caballero “was just curious” about the new store and came to do a little reconnaissance Wednesday. Weaving between aisles of bedding accessories, she said she was looking for a cabinet for her house but would have to wait for her husband to buy anything because he had the measurements.

The store also has its own teams of security guards in place to handle potential shoplifting — a common problem for the area, which has long struggled with homelessness and visible drug use.

San Francisco’s mayor told reporters Wednesday that the “area has always been a tad bit of a challenge.” Breed added, “We hope that with a lot of the people who are in this area, that many of them are being offered chances to work for Ikea and other businesses.”

Nothing comes to this part of downtown these days without its host of challenges.

In 2011, San Francisco lured a number of tech companies — including X, formerly known as Twitter — to the rough patch of downtown in exchange for a tax break. The hope was that the companies and their well-paid employees would revitalize the area, as they spend their big paychecks at the cafes, restaurants and bars before and after work. But that dream never came to fruition, in part because the city didn’t anticipate the tech industry’s cushy culture of providing food and drink perks inside the offices.

Then a Whole Foods opened in 2022 with similar hopes of luring more foot traffic to the area. But it closed just a year later, after struggling with frequent shoplifting, drug use in and around the store, and at least one fatal overdose in the bathroom.

The hype around Ikea is counter to San Francisco’s mom-and-pop culture, which often chafes at any big corporate chains opening up shop. In many neighborhoods here, any corporation with multiple other locations worldwide must get special permission from City Hall to open. But downtown doesn’t have the same legislative hang-ups, which meant Ikea could open here without going through a gantlet of approvals.

On Wednesday, the first customers were welcomed by cheering employees wearing blue and yellow shirts that said “Hej!” Each person was handed one of Ikea’s signature blue bags filled with swag, including an Ikea bucket hat, shirt and watering can.

“I think it will bring more people downtown,” said Ruby Tsang, a recent San Francisco transplant who rents a studio apartment nearby. She plans to shop at the location for furniture for her small space and stop in at other times, too. “It’s great if I want to meet someone for coffee or lunch.”

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About a year after Eversheds Sutherland announced plans to incorporate in San Francisco, the global firm has opened an office that will serve as a hub for local and international attorneys. It is also Eversheds’ first office to experiment with hospitality operations.

The company signed a four-year lease for 5,806 square meters for the space, located at 101 California in San Francisco’s financial district, which opened provisionally in late December.

“We wanted the office to be an incentive for people to come here,” said Baird Fogel, executive partner for the San Francisco office. “The Bay Area and much of the country is struggling to get people back into the office. I have made it my task to make the office attractive. When it’s dark and dingy, people don’t come in very often.”

The room is newly renovated and has been individually designed and expanded. In addition to around a dozen individual offices, it has a central communal area and several conference rooms.

Baird Fogel, Partner at Eversheds Sutherland. Free photo

Eversheds currently has six attorneys and three partners in San Francisco. Although interest and recruiting activity has been “constant” over the past year, Fogel said the new office is another opportunity to attract talent to the company.

Fogel, a transactions attorney specializing in sports and energy matters, joined Eversheds from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius last March. He is one of the founding partners of the office, along with Evershed’s technology and data partner, Brandi Taylor, who relocated from San Diego. In August, the company hired Dan Brown, an insurance partner of McDermott Will & Emery.

The company plans to continue to grow aggressively and strategically, Fogel said, citing key practice areas including privacy, technology, litigation, corporate, antitrust and esports.

Eversheds, formed from a 2017 merger of UK law firm Eversheds and US Am Law 100 law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, is not alone in its ambitions in Northern California.

Since 2020, several companies with UK roots have set up offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, including Simmons & Simmons, Allen & Overy and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Freshfields, like Eversheds, are dedicated to creating enticing office spaces with an indoor-outdoor vibe. Meanwhile, other companies in Northern California are trying out hotel, open floor and other unique space concepts.

As for Eversheds, the new spaces will not only benefit potential recruits, but also international Eversheds lawyers, many of whom represent large tech companies like Zoom and Intel in the region.

“The idea is that it will become an international hub for Eversheds’ lawyers,” Fogel said. “As such, the office is a guinea pig for a new initiative that is underway at Eversheds: the hospitality industry.”

Fogel said attorneys could reserve an office for that day, but no one would have a permanent office. It’s a concept that Eversheds is considering in other areas in the future.

“Those of us in San Francisco will probably set up an office or two that we sit in quite often, but even those offices will be up for grabs when we’re not there,” Baird said.

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VOX at Cumulus. Image courtesy of TCA Architects

Carmel Partners VOX has opened at Cumulus, a seven-story, 910-unit luxury mixed-use development at 3333 La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles. The community is the newest and largest multifamily development in the Cumulus District, a masterfully planned development featuring 1,210 multifamily homes and 100,000 square feet of retail space.

Several stages of development

The development of VOX at Cumulus began in 2020 when Carmel acquired a radio station owned and operated by Cumulus Cumulus Media for $110.6 million, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. In August of that year, the Los Angeles City Council approved the zoning and construction of ARQ at Cumulus, the adjacent 300-unit residential tower, construction of which was completed in 2021. The former radio station is the tallest freestanding structure in the area.

Retail space in the Cumulus District. Image courtesy of TCA Architects

The construction of VOX at Cumulus took place in parallel with ARQ, the latter of which will be completed in 2022. Carmel Partners worked side by side TCA Architectswhich rendered architectural services, as well as PSOMASwho acted as civil engineer of the project. DCI engineers, Seal electrically, AMPAM, DFDA And MLA provided structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and landscape designs. Carmel tapped Griest to oversee the management and operation of the community.

ALSO READ: Secrets to an award-winning multi-family marketing campaign

A Green Point Platinum certified property, VOX at Cumulus features 1,736 solar panels, a walkable park with natural green spaces and a rainwater infiltration system, and electric vehicle charging stations in 20 percent of the parking lots.

VOX at Cumulus, in detail

Designed and marketed to a tenant base of Generation Z, entertainment and technology industries, VOX at Cumulus offers both apartment and townhouse style living arrangements, divided into studio, one, two and three bedroom, one space units between 504 and 1,456 square feet. Homes feature keyless entry locks, interiors with floor-to-ceiling windows and vinyl plank floors, open kitchens, and on-site laundry machines.

Lounge at VOX in the Cumulus. Image courtesy of TCA Architects

On the 14-acre community, residents have access to two separate swimming pools and clubhouses, indoor and outdoor play areas, a recording studio, a private dining area with attached bar, a fitness center, a yoga studio, and a co-working space with conference rooms. Additionally, half of the property’s 100,000-square-foot retail space is occupied by a Whole Foods market.

In addition to being within walking distance, VOX at Cumulus is only 100 meters from the La Cienega/Jefferson subway station, six miles from downtown Los Angeles and five miles south of Hollywood. According to Eric Olsen, vice president and responsible site manager at TCA Architects, these considerations flowed directly into the development of the property. “The community is midway between downtown Los Angeles and the beach towns. As more people return to the office, Vox at Cumulus has direct access to the La Cienega/Jefferson Expo Line. Residents can use the subway line to get to either downtown LA to the east or Santa Monica to the west in 30 minutes,” Olsen told Multi-Housing News.

Carmel’s current offers

Carmel has been involved in several high profile financial and investment ventures. In April, the company closed Carmel Partners Investment Fund 8, a $1.58 billion investment vehicle. In addition to opening the tallest residential building in its area, the company also closed the largest real estate M&A deal in April 2023, the $675 million purchase of Westlake Village, a 47-acre, 2,983-unit community outside of San Francisco.

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Mike Bartell wakes up every morning on Treasure Island to an amazing view of the San Francisco skyline through the gaping window of his studio apartment. But for Bartell, the landscape is not the main attraction.

For the first time since 2008, he has his very own sleeping space – no roommates to steal his art supplies, groceries or whatever else has been lost in recent years. And the sparkling new building he lives in is filled with fellow military veterans like him, who can relate to years of homelessness and feeling abandoned by their country.

Bartell, a 72-year-old former Marine who fought in Vietnam, was one of the first veterans to move into the new Maceo May supportive housing complex on Treasure Island for formerly uninhabited veterans. Rent is only 30% of the government grant check that residents receive.

When the 105-unit complex officially opens on Thursday, it will be a triumph for those falling through hard times after retiring from the military and for a building that once seemed doomed.

“There’s been a lot of construction going on in this place, but all I can say is that I’m grateful to be alive and to be here now,” Bartell said while standing in his tidy apartment, the walls of which were resplendent with the abstract art he’s decorating the island manufactures and sells. “Everyone here has a positive attitude. We already have a community of vets who know what each other is about.

An outdoor green space for residents of the newly constructed Maceo May Veterans Housing Complex on Treasure Island in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

“It’s the first time in my life that I can really relax and not feel the paranoia that I have to fight someone.”

Maceo May is the first 100% affordable housing development to be completed on Treasure Island, which is home to a construction boom. Swords to Plowshares, the city’s premier nonprofit that helps homeless veterinarians, and the Chinatown Community Development Center co-led the development, using mostly private and state loans from San Francisco.

However, it was difficult to get everything done.

The complex was due to be built by mid-2022, but the cyclone-fueled storms that devastated the Bay Area in October 2021 inundated the partially built-up site — made up of stacked modular units awaiting roofs — and delayed construction by an agonizing seven months .

The damage added more than $35 million to the project’s cost, bringing the final price to $110 million, while also exacerbating political tensions over the project.

There were bitter allegations between the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, which said the setbacks proved modular housing was shoddy, and the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, whose workers built the modular units in Vallejo and blamed bad weather .

The Trades Council has opposed modular construction since it was used in San Francisco a few years ago, saying that working on modular projects underpays and reduces quality because it reduces the kind of care that plumbers, electricians and other union workers would dedicate a building. project on site. The carpenters, who supply the units with much of the wiring and wiring already installed, stand behind their work as cost-effective, quality union work.

A grant of nearly $15 million in additional credit from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development saved the project, and the final nails were finally hammered in January of this year.

Hats lie on the bedside table of U.S. Army veteran James Kauffman, 62, at his apartment in the newly constructed Maceo May Veterans Residence complex on Treasure Island in San Francisco, Tuesday, May 16, 2023.Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Since then, the place has organized recruitment – primarily through Swords and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Some residents like Bartell have already come in, and the building is expected to be filled next month.

In stark contrast to most of the city’s public housing stock, which resides in often-understaffed, old residential hotels in crisis neighborhoods, the six-story Maceo May is a cutting-edge architecture on Treasure Island’s western edge, with huge rectangular windows, wide hallways, and unobstructed views of the city’s profile. The island was a naval base from 1940 to 1997, and San Francisco is currently overseeing a spate of construction that is expected to bring 8,000 homes to the island by 2036.

But this complex — named for the late Vietnam veteran who was Swords’ first housing director — offers more than housing for the underprivileged. It’s the latest installment in a successful attempt to get veterinarians off the streets, a rare bright spot in the city’s homelessness crisis.

With the help of federal veteran funding and a focused grant for housing and counseling, the city reduced the number of homeless veterans by 45% between 2010 and 2022. And that number is likely to improve at the next biennial census in 2024 — the city is currently estimated to have about 350 homeless veterans living in San Francisco each night, up from about 600 in 2022.

With lavish living quarters, patios, and meeting rooms, the complex is an architecturally soothing place for veterans who often suffer from post-traumatic stress from combat operations and years of instability from poverty without shelter. The Maceo May will have one case manager for every 18 residents, a ratio well above that of many other supportive housing complexes in San Francisco.

For vets like Bartell, who was orphaned at 6 and struggled with abandonment and anger issues during fighting in Vietnam and beyond, the sanctuary feels so complete it’s unexpected. Bartell lost his apartment after his body wore out a decade ago and he was unable to do any construction work. The Maceo May is the happy ending of a journey that took him through street dormitory and temporary homeless shelters that were either in dangerous neighborhoods or involved with roommates he couldn’t stand.

“For Mike, the key word is ‘surrender’ — releasing the anger, accepting the calm,” said Kayode Gbadebo, one of the complex’s case managers. Bartell, a stocky man with a tattoo of Yosemite Sam on his arm below the Marines emblem, laughed but then nodded gravely.

“He’s right,” Bartell said. I’m still learning to trust and I’ll never stop learning until I’m in the ground. But I’ll tell you one thing: in a place like this, learning is much easier.”

Air Force veteran Regina Record, 62, helps her father, Grant Record, 86, adjust his collar as they share their apartment in the newly constructed Maceo May veterans’ living complex on Treasure Island in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 is.Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Air Force Reserve vet Regina Record, 65, lives with her father, 86-year-old Navy vet Grant Record, at Maceo May. She’s his caregiver in their two-bedroom apartment — and moving in this month ended years unstable life where she eventually lived in her car and he surfed the couch.

Like Bartell, it’s the simple things most people take for granted that matter most to them: their own bedroom; all around calm; secure terraces for relaxed relaxation; her own bathroom.

“I can finally sleep through the night,” Regina said. “We never thought we could move in together like this.”

“You’ll be amazed at how creating a dignified housing that is new and that vets can be proud of helps keep them stable,” Colleen Corliss Murakami, Swords Chief Development Officer. “It’s not about putting them in an SRO with inadequate services, in an area where they don’t feel safe.

“It’s an investment in human life.”

Reach Kevin Fagan: kfagan@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @KevinChron

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San Francisco’s newest Tunisian restaurant is excited to showcase an age-old cooking technique.

Gola will serve its customers a menu of modern Tunisian dishes on Wednesday April 19th at 819 Valencia St. But the main event will be the dishes, cooked in the eponymous millennia-old pots that nomadic tribes originally used to boil and transport water during desert migrations.

The restaurant is the latest venture from chef Rafik Bouzidi, who ran his former Tunisian restaurant La Marsa in San Francisco’s Union Square, which closed in 2022.

Dishes prepared at the Gola include halal lamb with vegetables, herbed chicken and a seafood and tomato stew with octopus, clams, mussels and prawns. Bouzidi uses Tunisian spice blends such as tabil, an aromatic mix of seeds, flowers and herbs, and three types of harissa – the prized chili paste considered Tunisia’s national spice. The harissa ranges from a smoky, umami-sweet blend to a fiery, spicy blend. Bouzidi’s mother made the tabil he uses during the opening of the restaurant.

“Whoever came from Tunisia, I asked them to bring me something,” Bouzidi said. His brother has brought spices and harissa, and Bouzidi will try to make his own harissa and tabil using dehydrators.

Tunisian chef Rafik Bouzidi will open Gola, San Francisco’s only Tunisian restaurant, on Valencia Street in the Mission District on April 19. The chef imported 180 gola pots to serve diners spicy lamb and seafood.

Felix Uribe/Special on The Chronicle

Golas will be available in three sizes: a small one for two to three people, a medium one for four to five guests and a large pot for up to 10 people. While golas are traditionally upright and opened from the top, those bought by Bouzidi lie on their side to facilitate food serving. Bouzidi puts the pots in his pizza oven to cook overnight and puts them in the fridge in the morning. At dinner, he warms up a pot in the oven to order and seals the opening with a thin bread dough. It takes about an hour to bring a pot to serving temperature and bake the flaky sealant.

Due to the lengthy process of preparing golas, Bouzidi explained, they are only served in limited numbers at dinner.

He could save time and space by simply cooking to order without golas, but Bouzidi insists the quicker process doesn’t allow for the flavors to truly blend and the meat to be served tender straight from the oven.

What’s more, serving regularly doesn’t have the same wow factor for guests as breaking the seal of dough and letting out a dish’s reawakened flavors.

Bouzidi imported 180 golas from Tunisia to be able to offer his dishes every night, but shipping two large pallets of fragile ceramics halfway across the world wasn’t easy.

Cocktails at Gola, San Francisco’s only Tunisian restaurant, will feature flavors like dates, prickly pear and figs.

Felix Uribe/Special on The Chronicle

It wasn’t until an Orange County importer friend found space in a container that the Golas found their way to the States. But transport delays added to what was already a months-long process. When the pots landed in February, he had to drive through a winter storm to pick them up.

“People asked me the name of the restaurant but I couldn’t tell them, even though I didn’t even know if the Golas would be here,” he said. Around two weeks after opening day, the restaurant will be offering its Golas.

Not every dish goes in a gola. Starters and small bites include the Bouzidi dishes offered at La Marsa. Popular 24-hour lamb ribs, a grilled squid salad with red onions and capers, and ‘Tunisian deviled eggs’ with prawns and a spice mix will all be making a comeback. La Marsa, the former restaurant’s eponymous dish, a turmeric cream with shrimp and scallops brightened with lemon zest, will also return. Other dishes include shakshuka, poached eggs in a fragrant tomato stew intensified with Bouzidi’s umami harissa, and a choice of seafood or sausage. Desserts include a crème brûlée scented with orange blossom water and a baklava with hazelnuts and almonds.

The cocktails will be traditional but with a “Tunisian vibe,” Bouizidi said, and will include flavors like prickly pears, dates and figs. A few beers are available. Bouzidi would like to introduce Tunisian wines and Boukha, a Tunisian fig brandy, but he hasn’t found a retailer who offers them. The communal table in the center of the dining room will accommodate guests coming in for a drink, leaving bar seating for groups of two or solo guests.

The revamped 49-seat dining room is quite a change from its previous tenant, the tech-savvy Brew Coop, with its self-serve beer stations and lots of monitors. Bouzidi notes that almost everything is imported from Tunisia – from the ceramics on the walls and the hanging copper lamps to the crockery and the patterned wool lining the benches. Whatever is not imported, he and his brother Samir build or repair, from the plumbing and tiling to the tables and countertop. Bouzidi had a bit of paint left after months of interior work, and hatched turquoise and orange lines in a mural depicting the meeting of the Mediterranean with the Sahara.

“It’s fun to be practical,” he said.

gola Opening Wednesday April 19th. 819 Valencia St., San Francisco. 5pm-10pm, Tuesday-Thursday. 5pm-2am, Friday-Saturday instagram.com/golarestaurantsf/

Reach Mario Cortez: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com

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The NWSL officially announced Tuesday that the Bay Area of ​​California will get the league’s next expansion team, which will join the returning Utah Royals in Salt Lake City next year as the 13th and 14th clubs in Salt Lake City.

But surprisingly, that wasn’t the only thing the NWSL announced on the expansion front.

“The NWSL remains engaged in the expansion process with a view to adding the #15 and #16 teams,” read the announcement, marking the first time the league has officially recognized a 16-team goal.

It is widely expected that Team 15 will be in Boston. The Wall Street Journal reported in the same article in late January, revealing that the Bay Area was the other big winner in the expansion race.

That report came a month and a half after Sportico announced that racing was limited to those two markets and Tampa.

» READ MORE: The Sixers’ Daryl Morey and David Blitzer are helping bring the NWSL back to Salt Lake City

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman at the league’s College Draft, held in Philadelphia in January.. … Continue readingELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

When the NWSL brought its college draft to Philadelphia in January, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Inquirer that there had been “at least 10 formal applications,” none of which were for a team.

Then came the journal report. Although no timeline was set for Boston’s bid (largely over questions about a stadium), it set the league on a 15-team course.

It is not ideal for a league to have an odd number of teams as it makes planning difficult. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed this at a press conference last month when asked about the timetable for expansion. But she also said the league wouldn’t go to 16 teams just to have an even number.

“There’s really nothing more important than having the right owners in place, not just from a financial perspective but also from an investment perspective,” she said. “While it will continue to be a consideration – in an ideal world we prefer an even number of teams – we will always make sure we get the right outcome, which is the right owners. And never let an artificial deadline or other consideration lure you into making the wrong decision.”

Now the league is comfortable enough to move the ball forward. Along with the official announcement, Berman told Equalizer Soccer that she didn’t think “we have a cap at the moment” on where the expansion would end.

» READ MORE: This year’s NWSL Draft took place in Philadelphia, but the NWSL isn’t here yet. When might that change?

Many local soccer fans would love to see an NWSL team in the Philadelphia area.. … Continue readingELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

“We are in a long-term strategic planning process,” she said. “We have to figure out what we want to be and when, and we learn more from that in the short term. Even after this process, I don’t expect that we can say that we think we just want to be 16 teams. I think the growth potential of women’s football in this country is way beyond that.”

That seems like a fair mix of ambition and caution. What is certain is that the Bay Area team has set the bar high for future candidates in the short term.

There’s plenty of money from global investment firm Sixth Street Capital, a $53 million expansion fee and promises of $125 million in total spending; and star power in former US women’s team players Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner. The team will likely play at the San Jose Earthquakes’ PayPal Park.

(Slaton also serves on the board of directors of the US Soccer Association and plays a large role in its work against abuse in women’s soccer; Wagner broadcasts NWSL games for CBS and World Cup games for Fox.)

At least the door is open. Now waiting continues to see if anyone in the Philadelphia area moves on.

» READ MORE: Former Penn Soccer Coach Melissa Phillips has traveled the world visiting Angel City FC

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