Fire safety may be important, but irate condo owners from Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, the Marina, and Pacific Heights stormed an SF City Hall committee hearing Monday to demand a delay on a new sprinkler mandate for their units.

One way to get San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s attention is to be a person who has money. That’s what a group of condominium owners on Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, the Marina, Pacific Heights, and Russian Hill learned in late 2025 when confronted with a new mandate that high-rise condominiums built in 1975 or earlier should have sprinklers for fire protection. The condo owners squawked because they claimed this would cost up to $300,000 per unit, and Lurie dutifully obliged by introducing legislation to delay the sprinkle mandate by five years.

Well, that Lurie legislation came up Monday before the SF Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee. And that committee voted unanimously to kick the can on the sprinkler requirement five years down the road from 2027 until 2032, as more than 100 homeowners lined up to complain that the fire safety rules would burden them with financial hardship.

There is also the argument that the onerous sprinkler requirement — which is for all buildings over 11 stories that don't have at least two egress stairwells deemed fire-safe for up to two hours — is having a depressing effect on real estate values for units in the 126 buildings that are impacted, as it looms over the properties' futures. And cost estimates to install the sprinklers may be off because of the hazardous materials — like asbestos — that will be unleashed once you start cutting into walls in these historic highrises.

“With a stroke of gavel you have taken money out of these people’s pockets,” San Francisco realtor Dona Crowder comlined during public comment. “Their values have gone down and they could be underwater. This is today. We can’t sell the units or the buildings today without a very significant effect on the value. That is a fact.”

The delay approved Monday is not a final decision. The matter still needs to go before the full SF Board of Supervisors.

The new sprinkler rule was a part of the routine updating of the city’s fire code that happens every three years. And opponents say that the measure was passed without studying the feasibility of its implementation, or the individual financial burden it would create for nearly 10,000 homeowners.

But delay measure's co-sponsor, Supervisor Danny Sauter, got his condo constituency the relief they wanted, even if they are still pushing for the entire code change to be repealed.  

“One thing I heard loud and clear is that what we are doing today, the changes to the fire code are not enough, that delay is not enough,” Sauter said before the vote. “This is going to continue to cause a lot of anxiety.”

The proposed sprinkler rule would apply to around 9,800 units in mostly pre-1975 buildings. The delay legislation not only puts off implementation for five years, but also appoints a committee to study its feasibility. And a blue-ribbon committee is often a great way for City Hall to make sure that nothing ever gets done about something, which may be exactly what the condo owners are hoping for.

Related: SF Residential and Commercial Fires Troublingly on the Rise, Fire Department Says [SFist]

Image: SFGovTV

They saved likely the most controversial for last. Align Real Estate, the SF-based firm that is seeking to redevelop three other Safeway properties in the city into large mixed-use developments, also has a very ambitious plan for the waterfront-adjacent Marina Safeway.

Last we heard in mid-November, Align Real Estate was announcing its plan to turn the Mission/Bernal Safeway at 3350 Mission Street into a six-story, 370-unit residential complex, with a new Safeway store in its base. This announcement came one day after the developer announced a similar plan to redevelop the Ocean Beach Safeway property, turning it into 556 dwelling units with a new Safeway store there as well.

Align is also the developer behind the even more ambitious plan to turn the former Fillmore Safeway property, with its parking lot, into an 1,800-unit complex. And when they last gave an update on that project, Align hinted that they had plans to build a total of 3,500 total residential units across multiple sites in the city — and, we quickly surmised, these were all going to be Safeway sites.

On Thursday they revealed where the other 800 units are planned, and it's the (arguably iconic) Marina Safeway property, which is sure to stir up some pushback — with the loudest coming from anyone nearby whose views of the water are likely to be impacted.

Align released the striking renderings below, with a curvilinear design for a double-towered structure, with a new Safeway store in its base. The design is clearly the most ambitious and architecturally significant that the developer has shown us so far among these projects — and the architecture firm handling the project is Arquitectonica.

The design appears to mimic the mid-century, arched structure of the existing Safeway store. And Arquitectonica's Raymond Fort says in a statement that the design, which puts the bulk of the units on lower floors with towers that taper upward, will preserve some views for Marina neighbors behind the property — already anticipating the objections here.

"By concentrating residential density in larger floorplates at the base and tapering to smaller floorplates above, the tower’s massing diminishes as it rises — preserving key view corridors and shaping a unique geometric expression," Fort says.

As the Chronicle reports, the plan is for 790 housing units, with 86 designated affordable/below market rate. This would also include 473 residential and 164 commercial parking spots, with a new Safeway location that would be 57% larger than the one that is there now. The unit mix would be 485 one-bedroom apartments, 88 studios, 132 two-bedroom units, and 85 three-bedroom units.

"Even as the city’s housing and affordability crisis priced out a generation of San Francisco families, this neighborhood has largely failed to provide new housing opportunities for those who need it most,” says David Balducci, principal with Align, in a statement. "With new housing like this, we can change that."

Per the Chronicle, Mayor Daniel Lurie has already gone on record opposing this project, and he declined to comment on the previous announcements about the Bernal Heights and Ocean Beach proposals.

Align Real Estate will now have the significant task of getting all four of these enormous projects through the city approvals process — though the mayor and Board of Supervisors will be somewhat limited in how strongly they can voice their objections. With the state expecting the city to approve 82,000 new housing units in the next six years, pushing back too hard against a developer who now plans to build over 3,500 units might prove difficult. But we'll see!

Supervisor Jackie Fielder already expressed her displeasure with the Bernal plan, telling the Chronicle three weeks ago that the site "has been eyed by affordable housing developers and the local community for a while, so it’s disappointing that an entity with more capital and less affordability offerings has gobbled it up."

Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, meanwhile, expressed some approval for the much larger Fillmore redevelopment plan in his district, saying that as long as a new grocery store (likely not Safeway at this point) is included, he's on board.

Related: Yet Another Safeway Site, In Mission/Bernal, Slated For Possible Redevelopment With Housing

Super Mensch, the latest venture by Causwells chef-owner Adam Rosenblum, is a labor of love and a return to his roots for Rosenblum, and it opened Wednesday next door to the Presidio movie theater.

Today is opening day for Super Mensch, in the space at 2336 Chestnut Street that was formerly home to Lilah — next door to the Presidio cinema and Causwells. As SFist noted briefly last week, the cozy restaurant — with just 17 counter and communal table seats and three booths that seat 4 to 6 — brings some new, contemporary Jewish deli flair to the Marina 'hood, complete with housemade bagels, latkes, housemade pastrami, and matzo ball soup.

The menu has a few contemporary twists, including a stunner of a watermelon-feta salad (see below), a halibut crudo with preserved lemon and sesame tuille, and a trio of dips that's dubbed on the menu "When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip." A twist on chicken liver mousse, dubbed WAICL (what am I, chopped liver?), also features a celeriac-sumac relish.

"This food is a product of my heritage, my East Coast upbringing, and my family recipes,” says Rosenblum. "I have fond memories of going to Harold’s New York Deli in Edison, New Jersey, and sitting at my family’s dining room table in Silver Spring, Maryland, enjoying my mother’s home cooking."

He adds, "It means a lot to me to bring this full circle."

As seen above, the plating of the latkes gets some flair as well, with swirls of creme fraiche, dollops of apple butter, and topped with chives and wild salmon roe. The Super Mensch signature sandwiches, of course, are a traditional, piled-high pastrami on rye, and a Reuben.

In addition to the bagels, Rosenblum is baking his own rye bread in house, and his own flatbread for the dips.

And rounding out the menu are some highly creative cocktails from Causwells beverage manager Elmer Mejicanos, including a Bagel & Lox Martini (gin, aquavit, caper-infused vermouth, toasted sesame, heirloom tomato water, cucumber skin, wild salmon caviar-stuffed olive), a Babka Old Fashioned (babka-infused bourbon, brown butter, toasted tahini, orange blossom honey, babka crisp), and a Matzo Ball Soup Margarita — tequila, parsley, carrot tops, star anise, celery hearts, dill pollen, Persian lime, nori, orange liqueur, dill evoo, schmaltz matzo cracker.

The Marina is of course home to an extra-lively brunch scene, and Super Mensch will now provide a new destination for brunch bagels, as well as matzo brei quiche, challah French toast with homemade strawberry jam, and a pastrami-egg-and-cheese sandwich on a bagel. Also: egg creams.

And for dessert, there will be daily extra-large slices of chocolate cake, which — who doesn't love cake?

Below, a few interior and cocktail shots.

Super Mensch - 2336 Chestnut Street - Now open - reserve here

Both of the Chestnut Street movie theaters owned by Lee Neighborhood Theaters, the Marina Theatre and Presidio Theatre, are up for sale, as the Lees are retiring after nearly 60 years of their family operation running SF movie houses.

We’re coming up on the final reel of an SF movie theater mini-empire that dates back to Frank Lee, Sr. opening the Bella Union theater in Chinatown in 1964. Lee would eventually also open the Parkside Theater (Inner Parkside), the Kokusai Theater (Japantown), and the Cannery Cinema (Fisherman’s Wharf), and his son Frank, Jr. was an usher at the Bella Union.

Decades later, a grown-up Frank, Jr. and wife would form Lee Neighborhood Theaters, and acquired the 4 Star Theatre in 1992 — though they eventually put the 4 Star Theatre up for sale. The Lees also bought the Presidio Theatre in 2004 (it was previously operated by Century Theaters), and the Marina Theater in 2008 (it was then called the Cinema 21). But when the Lees managed to sell the 4 Star in 2021, we learned there has been talk of them retiring since even before the pandemic started.

And now this is coming to pass. The Chronicle reports that the Lees have put both the Marina Theatre and Presidio Theatre up for sale, and are indeed retiring. Both theaters are on Chestnut Street in the Marina District.

“It’s been in my mind many years, but I think it’s about time,” Frank Lee, now 70, told the Chronicle. “I’m not getting younger, right?”

Their colleagues in the local movie theater business took a longer view of the news.

“Frank and Lida have entertained multiple generations of San Franciscans at the movies, and they have left a legacy of happy customers,” co-owner of CinemaSF Adam Bergeron, whose organization now runs programming at the 4 Star since its sale, said to the Chronicle. “Here’s hoping their next phase is happy and restful.”

The SFFILM Festival has had screenings at the Marina Theatre the last two years, so that festival would offer a brief tentpole of solid business to any prospective new owner. But the movie house racket is tough these days for small independent theater operators.

Still, the Lees have made accommodations in hopes of drawing a movie theater buyer, having received city approval to convert the ground floor of the Marina Theatre into a restaurant and cafe.  

Related: Vintage Ad Shows 40 Movie Theaters That Once Dotted San Francisco [SFist]

Image: Daniel A via Yelp

A 27-year-old man was reportedly sucker-punched to the ground and kicked multiple times by assailants allegedly shouting “F*** Jews” sometime before 2:30 am Saturday morning in the Marina District, and one suspect was arrested for assault.  

We learned over the weekend of an alleged antisemitic attack in the Marina District occurring at about 2:20 am Saturday morning on Fillmore Street near Moulton Street, according to the Chronicle. As a pair of people were waiting for an Uber ride at a curb, one suspect reportedly started shouting "Fuck Jews, free Palestine,” eventually directing his insults at the pair waiting for their Uber, and sucker-punching one of them while yelling slurs.

We don’t know the identity of the 27-year-old male victim who was punched and also kicked around, but the account is from his 28-year-old friend Alana Gans who was also present. The agitator was allegedly yelling things along the lines of "Fuck Jews, free Palestine,” for roughly a minute, when Gans told the man she was Jewish and asked him to move along.

That simply provoked the man, who started directing his F-bombs at Gans specifically. Her male friend got in between the two of them, at which point, two apparent onlookers also allegedly started shouting "Fuck Jews,” and recording the incident on their phones.

Gans tried to pull her friend away, but he was then sucker-punched by the initial aggressor, leaving both Gans and the other victim on the ground. The male victim was repeatedly kicked while on the ground, until an employee of the nearby Balboa Cafe intervened, though not until after the victim was assaulted for about 30 seconds. The victim ultimately suffered a swollen lip and three bumps on his head.

The assailants ran away, allegedly still shouting antisemitic slurs. But Gans and her friend pointed them out to SFPD who located them fairly quickly and detained all three. One suspect was arrested on suspicion of assault, one other was given a citation for battery, but released.

Gans tells the Chronicle she's "still in shock" about the incident, adding that she wants "everyone to know that this is happening in their backyard."

Related: Lyft Driver Loses Job, Charged With Federal Hate Crime for Punching SFO Rider Who He Thought Was Jewish [SFist]

Image: A police car at night alongside a road with emergency lights flashing. (Getty Images)

The former Dorian space is coming alive again, and after a significant remodel, it reopened over the weekend as Morella, and Italian restaurant with Argentinian influences.

San Francisco is, of course, awash in great Italian food, to the point that the New York Times' Mark Bittman once declared SF the best city for regional Italian cuisine outside of Italy. But while have restaurants devoted to specific regions in Italy — Perbacco (Piedmont), La Ciccia (Sardinia), A16 (Naples, southern Italy), Corzetti (Genoa, northern Italian coast) — we've yet to see a restaurant focused specifically on Italian food through the lens of Argentina, which is home to a large Italian population.

Owner Kingston Wu (Westwood, Wilder, Thriller Social Club) says he was looking for a crowd-pleasing menu concept that would give the place a unique draw in the Marina.

"We’re excited to introduce an entirely new concept to San Francisco — a restaurant that celebrates the intersection of Argentenian and Italian food,” says Wu. "Immigration from Italy and Spain to Argentina in the turn of the 20th century introduced the country to pasta, Milanese [dishes], and other European cuisine. We’re celebrating this convergence of cultures at Morella."

To that end, Wu tapped chef Jesus Dominguez, formerly chef de cuisine at Campton Place restaurant and a noted afficionado of Argentinian-style steak.

The dinner menu at Morella features Argentinian empanadas alongside Italian arancini and fritto misto, for appetizers. There are also four salad options with optional proteins (this is the Marina), and seven pastas on offer, including a lamb Bolognese over papardelle that Dominguez has been perfecting, and something he's calling "Midnight pasta," which is spaghetti with braised beef, chili flake, white wine, garlic, parsely, and parmesan.

The Argentinian-style pasta is a dish of large, circular ravioli known as sorrentinos, stuffed with Dungeness crab.

In addition to offering a selection of five Argentinian-style grilled sausages for an entree (you can order them one at a time for $8 apiece), there are two Argentine steak preparations: a Picanha sirloin steak with beef sauce and herb butter, or a bone-in ribeye served with chimichurri.

There is also a chicken Milanesa on the menu (pork Milanese is coming as an upcoming Sunday special, which is a favorite dish of Argtinian soccer star Lionel Messi), seared scallops with morels and cherry tomatoes, grilled lamb chops, sweetbreads, and a lamb burger.

Sean Doolan, who is a co-owner of Morella, is serving as bar manager, and has created a menu of drinks that includes a Frozen Messi Mojito; a version of an Espresso Martini called the Caffetini, with mocha yerba matte; and a coffee-leaning Manhattan variation called Wake me up in Manhattan, with rye, Magdala orange liqueur, maraschino, amaro, and Luxardo espresso coffee liqueur.

The interior won't be too recognizable from its Dorian days (The Dorian closed in October 2023 after an eight-year run as a popular brunch and cocktail spot). The central bar has been replaced with a larger dining area. And the design incorporates jewel tones, along with palm tree and mushroom-shaped images to create a moody, earthy vibe, along with gold sconces and table lights, and brocade banquettes.

Morella opened on Saturday, and is now open Tuesday to Sunday, 4 pm until "late", with food service beginning daily at 4:30 pm.

A new location of Little Original Joe's, this one with seating and a full bar, is set to open Thursday at the corner of Chestnut and Scott streets in the Marina.

It's technically more of a Medium Original Joe's — not as large, and with a more concise menu than the flagship Original Joe's in North Beach, but not as small and takeout-focused as the Little Original Joe's that opened during the pandemic in West Portal. We first heard that it was coming to this spot at 2301 Chestnut, a former Lucky Jeans store, back in the fall of 2021, and it has finally come to be.

That first Little Original Joe's, which features frozen entrees and pantry items in addition to takeout rotisserie chicken, pizza, and pasta, was a welcome addition to sleepy West Portal when it debuted in 2020. But it only ever had a couple of tables outside, and never was intended to be a full-service restaurant.

Sibling owners John and Elena Duggan have gone on to open a splashy new Mexican restaurant in West Portal, Elena's, which just debuted in February to immediate crowds.

The new location features 100 seats, a full bar, black leather banquettes, and several sleek chandeliers, as the Chronicle shows us. And that full bar means one thing is for certain: Original Joe's famous martinis will be on the menu.

The place looks more modern and bright than the North Beach Original Joe's, and will feature a different menu of Italian American fare — including meatballs, chicken wings, garlic parmesan knots, rigatoni alla vodka, ravioli, and chicken parm. New menu additions for the new location include zucchini fries, mushroom parm, and a "cacio e macha" pasta made with malfadine and salsa macha — basically Mexican chili crisp — from Elena's.

The first Original Joe's opened at the foot of Taylor Street in 1937, and lived in that location 70 years until it was hit by a fire in 2007. The Duggans took the fire as an opportunity to leave the Tenderloin and relocate to a corner spot by Washington Square Park in North Beach, which debuted in 2012. They also reopened Original Joe's Westlake, in Daly City, the interior of which feels like even more of a throwback to the mid-20th Century following a 2015 renovation.

The Marina location brings their local restaurant empire to five locations — other similar restaurants, like Original Joe's San Jose and Marin Joe's are not related. And they are opening a sixth, to be called Original Joe's, in Walnut Creek later this year, with hints that they'll be expanding elsewhere in the future.

The OpenTable page for the new Little Original Joe's is live, however it doesn't look like they're accepting reservations yet.

Little Original Joe's - Marina — 2301 Chestnut Street at Scott — opening May 30.

San Francisco will soon get a new restaurant from the James Beard-recognized, Michelin-starred chef of Chicago's Indienne.

The restaurant from brothers Sujan Sarkar and Pujan Sarkar is set to open next month in the former Maybeck's space (3213 Scott Street), as Eater reports today. It's called Tiya, and it has a placeholder website featuring glamorous Bollywood star photos.

Pujan Sarkar has been the chef at Rooh in San Francisco for the last seven years, which bills itself as serving "progressive Indian" cuisine, and which has gotten its fair share of accolades. While it hasn't earned a star from the Michelin inspectors, the California guide says, "Amidst a slew of upscale Indian restaurants descending upon San Francisco, Rooh rises to the top, thanks to an innovative menu that fuses the subcontinent’s myriad flavors with modern restaurant staples."

His brother Sujan, meanwhile, has been at the helm of Indienne in Chicago, which earned a Michelin star last year and was named one of Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants of 2023. Sujan was also a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes.

"The opulence of Chicago’s Indienne might make it suspect; in 2023 you do not always expect daring, exciting cooking to happen against a traditional fine dining backdrop. Yet every course of chef Sujan Sarkar’s tasting menu brings new thrills," Bon Appetit writes.

Some similar opulence might be headed to Tiya, though the menu is still under wraps. Eater reports, via the restaurant team, that Tiya will serve "New Indian cuisine with California influences," and there will be both a four-course tasting menu and an a la carte menu.

The a la carte menu will be for walk-ins only, and reservations for the tasting menu experience are going live on Tock on April 15.

Eater first noted the arrival of Tiya a couple weeks back, but there weren't any details to share.

The Maybeck's space got a handsome remodel before it relaunched in mid-2022, under the helm of a trio of experienced chefs, husband and wife Jeff Banker and Lori Baker and original Maybeck's chef Aaron Toensing. But, sadly, it closed again less than a year later.

.Photo: Marc Fiorito, Gamma Nine Photography

Garret Doty, the 25-year-old homeless man who was acquitted in December in a high-profile assault case involving a former SF fire commissioner, has landed in jail again for allegedly assaulting someone with a guitar.

Doty was acquitted last month in the April 2023 assault of Donald Carmignani — a case that, when it was first publicized, was held up as an example of San Francisco's out-of-control crime problem and out-of-control homeless crisis. The jury in the case acquitted Doty essentially on self-defense grounds — he had struck Carmignani with a metal pipe and chased him, but only after Carmignani had sprayed Doty with bear mace. It was further alleged that Carmignani had made a habit of spraying bear mace into the tents of homeless people in the Marina neighborhood.

Now, as the Chronicle reports, Doty is in jail again, this time on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. In this case, Doty was arrested, again in the Marina area, after allegedly assaulting a man with a guitar. He was booked into SF County Jail at 2:22 a.m. Monday, according to jail records.

On Sunday night, police tell the Chronicle that they had already had an interaction with Doty after an incident on Lombard Street in which two people were apparently threatening each other with screwdrivers. In that incident, neither party wanted to press charges, and no arrest was made.

When the second incident occurred, the description given by the victim led them to arrest Doty.

No formal charges have yet been filed, as of this writing.

In the Carmignani case, Doty was accused of brutalizing Carmignani with a metal pipe and causing him to suffer a fractured skull, broken jaw, and to need 51 stitches.

A witness in the trial testified that they had heard Carmignani threaten to kill Doty if he did not stop camping outside of Carmignani's mother's house, near the intersection of Magnolia and Laguna streets.

We'll update this story if formal charges are filed against Doty.

Previously: Homeless Man Accused of Attacking Ex-SF Fire Commissioner Acquitted of All Charges

Photo via Colla & Ray LLP

In a surprising turn of events, Garrett Doty, the 25-year-old unhoused man accused of brutally attacking former San Francisco fire commissioner Donald Carmignani with a metal pipe back in the spring, has been found not guilty on all charges.

The widely-reported incident, which occurred on April 5 near Magnolia and Laguna streets in San Francisco's Marina District, left Carmignani with a fractured skull, broken jaw, and multiple lacerations to his face and head, not to mention added flames to fire of SF’s “doom loop” narrative. But shortly after the news broke, more details emerged about the case: Carmignani had an alleged history of aggressive behavior toward unhoused individuals.

Those allegations apparently came out in court: Doty alleged that the former fire commissioner had, on multiple occasions, used bear spray to target homeless people in the area, per KTVU. Carmignani’s lawyer reportedly denied this on his behalf, but he failed to appear to testify and defend himself in the case, as we previously reported. As the Chronicle reported,  his lawyers did not want him to testify on the stand. He had even reportedly invoked the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination during a prior preliminary hearing when questioned about the sprayings.

Doty faced charges of assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury, and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, per the Chronicle. Despite the severity of Carmignani's injuries, the jury reportedly ruled in favor of Doty, accepting his claim of self-defense.

The defense reportedly argued that Carmignani's aggressive behavior and refusal to testify undermined the credibility of the prosecution's case. Reportedly, a crucial piece of evidence was a surveillance video showing Carmignani approaching Doty first. A witness also reported hearing Carmignani threaten to stab and kill Doty, because he was near Carmignani’s parents’ home.

In another twist, Carmignani's ex-mother-in-law reportedly testified under subpoena in May 2023, supporting Doty's claim that the former fire commissioner had used bear spray on unhoused individuals multiple times.

But still, some SF residents had supported what they called Carmignani's "vigilante" justice at the time. Others called out the aggression against the homeless population. But now that the case is over, will it still be a right-wing talking point?

Feature image via Unsplash/Carson Masterson.

In the case of a former SF fire commissioner who may have bear-sprayed his assault suspect, the suspect’s public defender has brought a mess of domestic violence allegations from Don Carmignani’s ex-wife into the testimony.

Another unexpected turn came Wednesday in the assault trial of unsheltered man Garrett Doty, accused of beating former SF fire commissioner Don Carmignani with a metal pipe and leaving him with a broken jaw and fractured skull. But Doty counters back that he was acting in self-defense, alleging that Carmignani bear-sprayed him first, and had previously bear-sprayed unhoused people in as many as eight incidents. Because of those allegations, Carmignani is now refusing to testify in the trial.

But there was a different and unexpected witness in Wednesday’s trial proceedings — Carmignani’s ex-wife Yvette Corkrean, who was married to him for 13 years as the Chronicle describes in their reporting. (Coincidentally, Corkrean is currently running against Scott Wiener for a state Senate seat). And Doty’s public defender brought up explosive charges that Carmignani had threatened to murder Corkrean in 2013, apparently in hopes of showing Carmignani has a violent streak.

Among the evidence entered Wednesday was a 2013 text from Corkrean to one of her friends saying, “If I end up dead tomorrow, you know it was my drunk ass husband.”

Carmignani is also accused of twisting Corkrean’s arm so badly she had to go to the hospital, and once pulling her out of a bar by her hair, both of which allegations Corkrean confirmed under oath. The defense also brought up an incident wherein Carmignani allegedly punched Corkrean in the face after a Giants game, though according to the Chronicle, she said she couldn’t remember exactly what happened, just that “there was an assault.”

The defense also called Carmignani’s mother Linda Groen to the stand, and confronted her with video of someone spraying an unsheltered person in the Marina in 2021. The Chronicle describes her as “reluctant" to answer questions about whether the attacker in that video was Carmignani. But she did say under oath that “It looks like Don,” and, “It looks like his stature and everything.”

Related: Former SF Fire Commissioner Accused In Alleged Bear Spray Attack Will Not Testify In Assault Case [SFist]

Image: Nors D. via Yelp

The one-time SF fire commissioner who was allegedly assaulted by a homeless man, but faces counter-accusations that he bear-sprayed that man, will refuse to testify in that assault trial. And his attorney admitted his client is “not an angel.”

One of the strangest SF news stories of 2023 is apparently going to continue to be strange into 2024. Days after the fatal April stabbing of tech executive Bob Lee, another story popped up which many in the press jumped the gun with the conclusions like “San Fran OUT OF CONTROL.” Former SF fire commissioner Don Carmignani said he was brutally attacked with a metal pipe by a homeless man in the Marina, an attack that left him with a broken jaw and fractured skull.

But the narrative quickly changed when the suspect, then-24-year-old unhoused man Garrett Doty, said Carmignani bear-sprayed him first, and alleged that Carmignani may have been behind as many as eight such unprovoked bear spray attacks on unhoused people. Doty has been released from jail, but still faces assault charges, and the case continues to attract national attention, as with a recent New York Times Magazine piece examining the politics at competing narratives at play.

Well, Doty’s assault trial started Friday, but Carmignani may be wondering who’s on trial here. Carmigani did not show up for Friday’s proceedings, prompting SF Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ross to threaten Carmignini with jail time if he wasn’t there for Monday’s proceedings.

Well, Carmignani was at the courthouse Monday. But the Chronicle reports the surprise news that Carmignani will not testify, and thus will not have to answer to whether he had any role in the alleged bear-spray attacks.

“It is effectively throwing a bomb into our case that could go off … (or) could not,” the case’s prosecutor, assistant DA Kourtney Bell said Monday. Bell also said in Friday’s arguments that "Mr. Carmignani is not an angel."

So appearances indicate that there is some information Carmignani may be unwilling to discuss on the witness stand. Either way, Carmignani is not the one on trial for assault. That is Mr. Doty, and the trial will resume Wednesday morning when the jury hears testimony from witnesses in Doty’s defense.

Related: Charges May Be Dropped Against Homeless Man Who Struck Former Fire Commissioner With Metal Pipe [SFist]

Photo via surveillance

Marina brunch and martini spot The Dorian will be flipping into a new concept next year under a new owner, but it will still be a cocktail-heavy Marina restaurant-bar where people get day-drunk on weekends.

A prominent Marina District spot at Chestnut and Fillmore streets is changing hands once again. The Dorian, which opened in 2015 in a space that was formerly known as Circa, has plans to close after one final Halloween bash on October 31, as Eater reports.

Current owners Palm House Hospitality (Palm House, Audio, Bergerac, Santa Rosa's Flamingo Resort) are handing the space over to another well known local restaurateur and nightlife impresario, Kingston Wu (Wilder, Westwood, Thriller Social Club). And as Eater reports, Wu has plans to fully remodel the space, relocate the bar area, and still preserve some of The Dorian's overall vibe.

"My goal is to extend The Dorian’s winning tradition of delicious food and inventive cocktails in an updated wrapper reflective of our new concept," Wu said in a statement to Eater. "We hope to be good stewards of this iconic corner, the entryway to the restaurants and bars of Chestnut and Fillmore, for years to come."

The vaulted-ceiling space and the corner of Chestnut and Fillmore certainly lend themselves to general Marina shenanigans, weekend singles' mingling, and Sunday Funday debauchery — in that, The Dorian was not wildly different than its predecessor Circa, though quite a bit classier.

The Dorian has plans for several parties before the closure, including the Halloween bash, a Fleet Week celebration, and an 8-year anniversary party in the coming weeks. They also continue to have specials like a Wednesday night smashburger-and-beer combo for $25, and a Sunday Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m. with $8 martinis and $9 cocktails.

The closure will bring Palm House Hospitality's Marina presence down to just one venue, Palm House. The group still operates SoMa bar/nightclub combo Bergerac and Audio, and in recent years expanded northward to help reimagine the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa, and Nick's Cove in Tomales Bay.

Stay tuned for more info on The Dorian's final events, none of which have been posted to their social media accounts.

Photo via Instagram

The family of former SF fire commissioner Don Carmignani claims that charges are going to be dropped against the man who hit him with a metal pipe earlier this month, and they say that Carmignani himself may face charges.

The Marina District incident in question occurred on April 5, one day after the murder of tech executive Bob Lee, contributing to a media narrative about chaos and violence on San Francisco streets. But it soon emerged that the story was not so simple, and that former SF fire commissioner Don Carmignani may have been the aggressor in an altercation with homeless men who had camped out outside his mother's home.

Carmignani allegedly confronted three homeless individuals outside the home near Magnolia and Laguna Streets on April 5, trying to get them to move elsewhere, and using pepper spray or bear mace to make his point. This was reportedly outside the home of Carmignani's elderly mother.

One of the individuals, 24-year-old Garrett Doty, allegedly responded by chasing and hitting Carmignani with a metal pipe.

As the Chronicle reports, at a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning, a public defender representing Doty accused Carmignani of "terrorizing" homeless people outside the Marina District home. And according to a statement by Carmignani's family, charges may get dropped against Doty and new charges may potentially be filed against Carmignani himself.

Carmignani gave an interview to KPIX Tuesday from the hospital, where he remains recovering from head injuries, and this interview came up during Wednesday's hearing, per the Chronicle. While the DA's office was requesting another day to get their own interview with Carmignani, saying his medical condition had kept them from speaking to him, Superior Court Judge Loretta M. Giorgi said in court that it was "disturbing, if he is able to make a press appearance but not a lawful court appearance."

Carmignani's family has made it known that he suffered severe injuries in the attack, including a fractured jaw, and he required surgery to remove a piece of his skull.

In Carmignani's description of events, he says the homeless men had threatened his family — presumably his mother — and "I didn't go out there to fight anyone. I'm trying to get them down the road, go to the park. It's three-on-one. I know odds. I'm 52 years old. I have two hip replacements. I'm an old guy, I could have been a dead guy."

As KRON4 reports, the family's statement expresses anger at the DA's office for even considering dropping charges against Doty, citing self-defense, or filing charges against Carmignani. The statement also suggests that the family will disseminate surveillance video of the incident showing Doty chasing down Carmignani and "bludgeoning" him with the pipe.

"We strongly believe that rather than threatening Mr. Carmignani, they should focus on prosecuting the individual who has terrorized the Marina, and put Don in the hospital after brutally beating him with a metal rod," the statement says.

The family also says that DA Brooke Jenkins has already decided to release Doty "back onto city streets with impunity,"

Judge Giorgi called a recess and had not yet ruled on the requested delay, per the Chronicle. We'll update this post when she does.

Previously: Man Accused of Marina Attack of Former Fire Commissioner Claims He Was Pepper-Sprayed First

Photo via surveillance

For all those of you who need a themed "experience" for an excuse to drink, there's a "Taylor-themed heartbreak bar" pop-up now in the Marina which has absolutely no affiliation with Taylor Swift, her record label, or her music.

I've let my opinion be known that these pop-up "experiences" are dumb and they're taking market share away from local bars that need the revenue. But given all the headlines Taylor Swift is making today from her Grammys appearance, and the fact that her fans are spearheading a maybe productive lawsuit against Ticketmaster, perhaps it's vaguely newsworthy that somebody is trying to capitalize on her brand who is not her, here in SF.

"Bad Blood: a Taylor themed Heartbreak Bar" just launched in the annex at Westwood, the Marina's country-western-themed bar. The pop-up, from this outfit called Bucket Listers — who are also responsible for that Golden Girls Kitchen pop-up — appears to have launched simultaneously in Chicago. And pending any legal action from Taylor's team, the two pop-ups feature neon signage, framed photos of Taylor's ex-boyfriends, and a menu of themed cocktails with names like "Taylor's Version," and "1989."

$22 gets you in the door and gets you a "welcome cocktail," which appears to be the "Champagne Problems" mentioned in the KPIX segment below. Are they allowed to play Taylor Swift music? Unclear.

Also, they're serving Chicago-based Revolution Brewing Co.'s Anti-Hero IPA, listed on the menu just as "Anti-Hero."

And it wouldn't be a pop-up experience without an Instagram opportunity.

They would like you to know, in the disclaimer, "Bucket Listers, Inc. is not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, sponsored by, or in any way officially connected with Taylor Swift or any of her respective business entities or their affiliates or subsidiaries, including but not limited to TAS Rights Management, LLC. The name Taylor Swift as well as related names, marks, emblems, and images are registered trademarks of their respective owners."

Don't fall for it! Or, go ahead, give them your money. It's here through the Valentine's Days season, as it were, until Feb. 26.

The drink menu is below.

Previously: Op-Ed: Why You Should Be Giving Your Money To Local Bars and Theater and Not These Fly-By-Night Theme Bar 'Experiences'

Top image: Taylor Swift attends the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)