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The Dish: Introducing SoCha, the Cafe and the New Neighborhood

Admittedly, "TenderNob" brought a smile to our face.

And "The Dogpatch" has a certain appeal.

"NoPa" (as a stand-in for "North of the Panhandle") may have been pushing it, but at least it got a Times write-up, due in no small part to its title character, Laurence Jossel's maddeningly-popular restaurant.

But the Mission's newest cafe–SoCha Cafe—has brought the mini-neighborhood, silly-name incarnations to another level. What does SoCha stand for, you ask? "South of Cesar Chavez." Yes, that's right: the former Army Street, one of the least glamarous and most heavily-trafficked roads in the city, now has its own neighborhood namesake. It's like San Francisco's own version of SoHo. Did East of Glen Park—"EaGl"—not have the same ring?

In all seriousness though, the SoCha Cafe space looks to be appealing and well-designed, with plenty of local artwork donning the walls; furthermore, the menu is a welcome change from the average, run-of-the-mill panini/scone cafe. Gourmet coffee and free Wifi also abound, so you can count on a first-hand visit in the near future.