Vol. XLIX, No. 11
November 2025
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THE NOE VALLEY VOICE Thanksgiving Tips from Noe’s Cookbook Queen
Noe Valley Inspires a ‘True Crime’ Podcast
Omnivore Books on Food Owner Shares a Few Secrets
Never Fear, the Plot’s Fiction, Says Author Mike Adamick
Guest Essay by Celia Sack
By Heidi Anderson
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hanksgiving is always a love/dread sort of thing, isn’t it? Who will be offended that we’re not spending it with them this year? How can we avoid talking about politics with Uncle Derrick? But this could be Nana Dorie’s last Thanksgiving! (Repeat for six years in a row.) Then we settle on our choices, start assigning dishes, and watch a few golden leaves start drifting outside. The nostalgic mood sweeps in with the season, and suddenly you’re trying to CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
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Reveal Your Recipes! Celia Sack hides in the fantasy kitchen in the Josué Rojas mural outside her bookstore. The Voice has asked to borrow her roasting pan. Photo by Art Bodner
Landmark Status Eyed for Famous Church Mandelman Seeks to Protect St. Paul’s and Other Sites By Matthew S. Bajko
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church made famous by the 1992 musical comedy Sister Act is expected to become the latest city landmark located in Noe Valley. Such a designation would provide some protection to the 114-year-old gothic edifice, as concerns grow about the impact new housing plans might have on historic structures. District 8 Supervisor Rafael
Mandelman has proposed that St. Paul’s Church at 1660 Church St. be designated a city landmark. Doing so would mean the façade of the Roman Catholic church, whose exterior was used for scenes in the film starring Whoopi Goldberg as a singer hiding from the mob as a nun, could not be altered. The designation would not forbid the church with its twin spires from being torn down in the future. But it would require any proposals to redevelop the property, for housing or other use, be given greater scrutiny by local planning officials.
The religious sanctuary on the corner of Church and Valley streets, designed by architect Frank T. Shea, is “one of Noe Valley’s most iconic and historically significant buildings,” Mandelman said. St. Paul’s is one of 16 properties that Mandelman, president of the Board of Supervisors, wants to see become city landmarks. The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission is set to weigh in on his requests either this month or in December, with the CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
n any given afternoon, Mike Adamick might be seen walking into La Lucha Coffee Bar on Sanchez, or up Church Street to Martha & Brothers, or further up Church toward Bernie’s Coffee Shop on 24th Street. And, while he may enjoy his coffee, he’s also contemplating a murder. He’s not thinking about committing a murder, and he’s not chasing down an actual crime. But he is thinking about the real crimes he’s covered as a reporter and the fascination people have for murders and the mysteries surrounding them. And, after a long walk and maybe a couple of cups of black coffee, Adamick puts his thoughts into his podcast, Crime Adjacent, which blends fact and fiction, and features Noe Valley as the backstory. To understand how Adamick’s podcast merges reality and fiction, it helps CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Transphobic Stickers Found in Bookstore Noe Valley Books on the Lookout for Person Responsible By John Ferrannini
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oe Valley Books was targeted with transphobic stickers and pamphlets, the bookstore announced via a social media post and a physical sign at the store entrance. Via Instagram on Sept. 6, the bookstore, at 3957 24th St., stated, “A person who is not part of the Noe Valley Books family has been hiding transphobic flyers and stickers in our store and books. “We want to be clear: transphobia or hate of any kind is not welcome in our store,” the post continued. “If you see transphobic material in the store, please alert us immediately. We take this very seriously and are on the lookout for the person responsible.” A sign asking patrons to let the store know immediately if they saw the stickers or pamphlets was placed near the front of the store. “Someone has been hiding transphobic stickers and pamphlets in our store and books,” the sign reads. “We take this very seriously and are looking for the person responsible. Transphobia or hate of any kind is not acceptable here.”
Catching Light: St. Paul’s Church, a beacon on the corner of Church and Valley streets for 114 years, is one of 16 properties in District 8 that Supervisor Rafael Mandelman is recommending be fast-tracked as city landmarks. Photo by Najib Joe Hakim
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