Likewise Guys
I referred to this in passing in another posting, but the space next to Superstar Video on Castro Street has been a revolving door space for cafes. Much like the token "divorce house" on a suburban street which is repeatedly bought by a couple only to be sold a couple years later as part of a community property settlement, this store has seen a quick succession of concepts and redesigns followed by periods of butcher paper over the windows.
This storefront and Superstar next door used to be the old Valley Pride Market, a stinky, dirty, cluttered market (it can't be called a "super"-market) which inexplicably caused a community uproar when it closed a few years back. I think people were scared by the rumor that a Gap was going to go in its place, but regardless of the reason the B.A.R. was filled with maudlin letters mourning the loss of this crappy market as if it were the last bastion of San Francisco cool. Sure, I like to support mom & pop shops, but would it have killed them to pick up the trash that gathered in their windows or to try to make their store just a little less rank? I know someone who went in with the intention of buying meat at their butcher, but was driven away by an odor that indicated that the meat was, shall we say, less than fresh. I for one was thrilled to see the end of the "Valley Shame" Market.
After the space was split and Superstar moved in, the space next door became Le Bon Gateau, a French bakery cafe. The concept seemed promising, as the Castro doesn't really have any other sit-down dessert place, other than Sweet Inspiration on Market. Also its French sweets, French interior, and French-speaking staff made for a slightly more upscale hangout, especially later at night after many of the other coffeeshops were closed. The shop also innovated by having live entertainment at night, including magicians, of all things.
But Le Bon Gateau closed after a year or so, and the story that I heard was that the owner was a sister (or some other relative) of a famous pastry chef at a bakery over in the Haight. All of the treats apparently came from over the hill, and when that chef decided to pack up his puffy white cap and head back to France, his sister decided to shutter the cafe instead of finding some other source for sweet carbs. I don't know for a fact that this story is true, but it rings true since the cafe shut down so quickly, even when it seemed to be doing fairly well.
In its place opened Zig Zag which went for a more sleek, modern look. It also was famous in my circles for having the most preposterously uncomfortable furniture, including a large, squat table in the window which required you to sit on the edge of your seat with your legs splayed as wide as possible in order to get close to your plate. Very ladylike! Zig Zag never seemed to find a rhythm or a clientele, and so we weren't so surprised when it too closed after a year or so.
Currently the space is filled by cafe #3, Likewise Cafe, which is fairly close to Zig Zag in design, but hopefully closer to Le Bon Gateau in terms of customer traffic. I have only eaten lunch there once, but my croque monsieur was fluffy and delicious and the staff were very friendly. Friends also bought a pie from the shop which was quite good. Those same friends refer to the place as the "thumpa thumpa cafe" because the owners keep house music going throughout the day. I think they've brought the volume down a little, but it is still a little disconcerting and incongrous for a relaxing afternoon coffee. I chatted with a friend of the owner and he said that weekend business has been very good, but that they are still trying to figure out how to increase midweek traffic, so it will be interesting to see if they tweak their concept or increase their marketing. Or change their DJ.
Comments