North Beach Week: Super Bowl Festivities, New Year's Eve Comedy, News

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Before we welcome 2016 into our lives, let's take one last look back at 2015's news around our favorite section of San Francisco.

Mayor Ed Lee and newly-elected D3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin recently got into the holiday spirit by chatting calmly over coffee at Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe (566 Columbus Ave.).

(As of press time, we don't know who won the inevitable arm wrestling contest that we assume followed.)

Rose Garrett/Hoodline

Growing the "Little Italy" moniker one eatery at a time, we have the name for the new Sicilian restaurant slated for the former La Boulange at 543 Columbus Ave: Caffe Spuntino. Co-owner Salvatore Cortara said the cafe will focus on "savory and sweets" and should open by the middle of January.

L’Osteria Del Forno (519 Columbus Ave.) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a private event for close friends, family and regular customers. Only at the helm for a year, co-owners Nicolas Sillac and Richard Terzaghi are happy to run one of the oldest family-run Italian restaurants in North Beach and look forward to serving the "next generation" of hungry patrons.

Photo: Nathan Falstreau/Hoodline

Hoodline caught up with Poet Laureate Emeritus of San Francisco Jack Hirschman and chatted about North Beach and a rapidly changing San Francisco in addition to the many societal and political issues Hirschman has been vocal about over the years.

Photo: Nathan Falstreau/Hoodline

It's likely we can add Dr. Chae Park and his North Beach Chiropractic practice (401 Francisco St.) to the list of those pushed out of the area by skyrocketing rents. Park, who opened his practice in 2012, hopes to stay through 2016 and beyond, but with his landlord teasing a 300% rent increase, it's possible Park will have to look at other spaces in North Beach and the Divisadero corridor.

Just before Christmas, a body was found near Tony's Pizza on Via Ferlinghetti off of Union Street. SFPD Central Station Capt. David Lazar confirmed that it appeared to be a suicide. SFPD doesn't release details regarding suicides, but as a reminder, if you know of anyone who is depressed or at risk, please visit San Francisco Suicide Prevention, call the crisis line at (415) 781-0500 or text MYLIFE to 741741.

Cara Liu/KTVU

For the second time in less than two months, a double-decker tour bus crash— this time on Saturday on Embarcadero near Broadway—sent people to the hospital. The crash was described by CBS News as a "fender-bender," after the driver of the SUV made an illegal lane change in front of the tour bus.

If you'd like a quick update on the long list of headaches coming your way thanks to Super Bowl 50, swing down to Pier 1 on January 14th for a free meeting to preview all of the festivities, which we believe now includes "Super Bowl City" from Market to the Ferry Building, concerts at Sue Bierman Park, a Fan Energy Zone at Justin Herman Plaza and Joe Montana airbnb'ing the dog bed in the corner of your living room, possibly.

On to your weekend events, and see you next year!