Vol. XLVIII, No. 3
March 2024
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THE NOE VALLEY VOICE Folio Turns the Last Page
Restaurants Multiplying on 24th Street
Bookstore Will Live On in Our Memories, and Memoirs
Make Room for Half a Dozen New Eateries
By Kit Cameron
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n February, the blue Dutch door of the storefront was open to reveal rapidly emptying shelves and tables topped with the remains of a feast of literature. It was time for Folio Books, at 3957 24th St., to wrap up the clever window displays, dole out the dog treats, and bid farewell to its loyal readership. After 10 plus years, the bookstore was closing at the end of the month. “We’re not closing due to lack of support,” patiently explained staff member Isaiah Scandrette to the umpteenth query about the closure. “It’s not a rent thing.” Folio’s five co-owners had simply decided the journey was over. In announcing the news in a Feb. 5 newsletter, they stated their reasons were personal, and asked for privacy. But despite their reluctance to discuss the decision or speculate on the future of the space, the booksellers— and their customers—were willing to share Great Moments in Bookstore History, during the final shuttering of Noe Valley’s last general bookstore. Three-year veteran Scandrette (“I was hired right before the store reopened after Covid”) described himself as “a [Jeff] VanderMeer boy. I love
By Matthew S. Bajko and Corrie M. Anders
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That Hurts. After 10 years at 3957 24th St., Folio Books called it quits last month. The shop was the only remaining general-interest bookstore in the neighborhood. Photo by Kit Cameron
weird sci-fi. The Southern Reach trilogy is a hilarious long series, spanning different time areas.” Scandrette explained that he and other staffers at Folio each had a passion for a particular literary genre. His was fiction, he said, and “especially weird books that make you uncomfortable.” Operations manager Andrew McIntyre was the go-to staff member for travel and adventure. He started a one-person campaign to champion the historical novel North Woods, which McIntyre said became his “favorite of
all time.” McIntyre’s enthusiasm caused the hefty hardback to fly off the shelves, Scandrette said. Folio co-owner Katerina Argyres, a reader of fantasy for over 30 years, was always eager to share her deep knowledge of the subject. Co-owner Alissa Hugel began her bookstore career as a teen hanging out after school at Cover to Cover Booksellers, which occupied the space where Cocoon Day Spa is now for nearly three decades. “After a while, CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
ith several new eateries set to open in 2024, and established restaurants attracting renewed attention, the dining scene in Noe Valley is generating plenty of buzz these days. All that food talk—not to mention the dishes on the menus—could spice up the neighborhood as a destination for diners across the city. One of the latest newcomers is Fiorella Italian Restaurant, which is taking over the defunct Patxi's Pizza location at 4042 24th St. Although awaiting final signoffs from various city agencies, construction workers were busy in January refurbishing the dining space in anticipation of a spring launch. “We hope to open by mid-May,” said Fiorella chef Brandon Gillis. The trattoria will seat 65 to 75 diners. It will have a neighborhood ambiance and serve foods Gillis described as “approachable and authentic.” He and co-owner Boris Nemchenok jointly operate Fiorella eateries in the city’s Richmond District, Inner Sunset, CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Use Your Flower Power: Help Plant the Seeds James Lick Invites Neighbors To Community Garden Day By Kit Cameron
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nyone who remembers the upper schoolyard at James Lick Middle School as a vast concrete desert may want to revisit the space and see how it is slowly but surely becoming an inviting open space for students and the community. You can be part of the story on Saturday, March 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., when a group of student families and neighborhood volunteers revive the four raised beds near the school building by preparing the soil and planting bulbs and seeds donated by the Parent Teacher Student Association. Among the plants being considered are squash, carrots, and potatoes, plus edible herbs and flowers. If getting dirt under your fingernails isn’t your thing, you can help by painting the garden toolshed. Gina Cockburn, the parent of a seventh-grader, promises a “fun day” and asks only that people pre-register at RSVP to PTSA leadership at ptsa@jameslickmiddleschool.org. (Add in the subject line ‘RSVP Yes to CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
The Plot Thickens: A work crew was out at the upper yard gardens last month, digging compost into the soil to prepare for a March 16 planting of flowers, vegetables, and herbs at James Lick Middle School. Photo courtesy Gina Cockburn