Colosseo, one of those North Beach cucinas, hoped to differentiate themselves from the rest of the Columbus Avenue meatball slingers by serenading diners with some live Opera. According to the Chronicle, one of their waiters is a highly-trained Opera singer named Luca (just Luca!) and he would very much like to set the mood during your next dinner of veal scallopini.

That is: he would have liked to before the Telegraph Hill Dwellers, a group notorious for their ability to halt development in the neighborhood, expressed concern over the restaurant's application for an amplified sound permit. The idea was that Luca would sing and a small speaker system - a boombox perhaps - would provide the backup music. The Hillians, it seems, are worried the cafe's owners could use the permit to eventually turn the restaurant into a dance club or concert venue. Which seems like a bit of a stretch, but you do know how those Italians like to dance. [Chron]

[EDIT: Headline updated because, as a commenter pointed out, North Beach Neighbors is it's own entity, which has yet to express an opinion on the matter.]