The Noe Valley Voice • July / August 2015 25
Two Corner Bars Change Hands
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By Corrie M. Anders
wo popular Noe Valley watering holes, which changed ownership less than three years ago, have been sold once again. The changes took place last month at Dolores Corner, a saloon at 1600 Dolores St., and at Horner’s Corner, the bar and restaurant at 1199 Church St. The new owners of Dolores Corner are Lee Parmelee, a longtime habitue of San Francisco’s bar scene, and her husband, Kevin Murphy. The pub will have a new name: The Bar on Dolores Street. “It’s the only bar on Dolores Street,” Parmelee explained about the straightforward moniker. Parmelee took over on June 1 and spent the first part of the month rushing to get ready for a June 11 debut. Her barroom experience includes being the first woman bartender at the famed Tadich Grill downtown, and the owner of the now shuttered Dirty Trix Saloon on Clement Street. Parmelee said she doesn’t plan to make any immediate changes, though she promised to start a regular open mike and comedy night similar to what she hosted at the Dirty Trix. “Maybe in a month or two—as soon we get our legs under us,” she said. Patrons may find a wider variety of professional sports team colors intermingled with the orange and black of the San Francisco Giants and the red and gold of the 49ers. That’s because Parmelee’s husband is a fan of all things Chicago. “I was born and raised in San Francisco,” said Parmelee. But Murphy hails from the Midwest and so many people
showed up at the Dirty Trix to watch Midwest teams that it once was voted the “number one best Chicago sports bar” in San Francisco. “On a Sunday afternoon, I want to see a rainbow of jerseys” at the Bar on Dolores, Parmelee said. Parmelee and Murphy took over from partners Ray Siri, Joe Ascara, and Belinda Kerr. The trio purchased the bar, then known as O’Greenberg’s, in October 2012 and renamed it Dolores Corner. Their relatively brief ownership concluded with a two-day thank-you barbecue of chicken, ribs, and sliders in May. It was also the end of the line for Kathy Castro, a bartender at O’Greenberg’s and Dolores Corner for nearly 24 years. A wistful Castro said she had grown close to many of the regulars. “I watched their kids grow up,” she said. Horner’s Corner was closed in late June awaiting the official change in ownership to John Dampeer, a well-known Bay Area restaurateur and the owner of Caskhouse on 24th Street. Dampeer is in contract to purchase both the bar and the adjacent grill. Dampeer begged off saying whether he planned to rename the establishment or make any significant changes once he took over. “Nothing to report yet. I’m still waiting for the escrow to close,” Dampeer said. That should happen “hopefully by the beginning of July.’’ Dampeer has been a familiar figure on 24th Street since October 2013, when he and partner Adnan Daken took over Joe’s 24th Street Café at 3853 24th St. and transformed it into a popular destination for craft beers and specialty foods. Horner’s Corner was last sold in January 2013 to Ivor Bradley, another Bay Area restaurateur, and Dave O’Donnell, a retired city worker.
Bliss Bar Revamp Approved on Trial Basis New Restaurant Will Have Live Music By Matthew S. Bajko
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he planned revamp of the burnedout Bliss Bar into a new restaurant with live entertainment has won approval on a trial basis from the San Francisco Planning Commission. At its June 25 meeting, the oversight body voted 6-0 to back co-owners Tom Pornchai and Rai Hutachinda’s redesign for the property at 4022-4026 24th St. They intend to add a full kitchen as well as new restrooms that will be contained in an underground addition to the back yard set back 3 feet from the property line. The 2,695-square-foot restaurant, as of now, is to be named Tom & Rai. The operators plan to book jazz musicians and other live acts to entertain diners. “This will be a lively space for weekend brunch. We need to have better places to go,” said project consultant Jeremy Paul. “I think it will be better than the bar that had been in business. We are creating a sound-containing box.” The roof of the new below-grade structure will be covered with native plants. A row of wax myrtle trees will be added in the rear-yard setback area to provide a natural barrier to the adjacent properties. An additional two apartment units will be added to the two already in the building. The residents will have access to a new rooftop deck that will be built. In response to neighborhood concerns about late-night noise, the Plan-
ning Commission capped the hours of operation for both the business and amplified music at 10 p.m. Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The closing time will be 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with opening hours set at 9 a.m. each day. The restaurant plans to be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The commission asked for a report back on how the business is functioning after the first six months and then at the one-year mark. The reviews will focus on whether the hours need to be restricted further to mitigate any negative impacts on the neighborhood, or whether the hours might be expanded on weekends. “I think this project is going to add to Noe Valley,” said Planning Commissioner Dennis Richards. Residents, particularly those on Elizabeth Street, which runs behind the building, have consistently raised concerns about the noise that could be created by the kitchen equipment and amplified musical entertainment. Half a dozen people spoke in opposition to the project at the hearing last month. “You are taking away a greenbelt and allowing amplified entertainment,” said Elizabeth Street resident Amy Kennedy. “Basically, they are putting a nightclub on 24th Street in Noe Valley. None of it is in the character of the neighborhood.” The project proponents’ argument that they should be given a chance to test their concept carried the day, however. “We would like to show how this building and business could perform,” said Paul. “If it becomes a nuisance, there is an easy process to restrict this.”
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