Zeitgeist About to Lose Patio Shadow Battle, and More A.M. Intel

Zeitgeist “likely to lose” the fight for its sunny patio

Late December brought news that beer garden Zeitgeist’s sunny patio is under threat by a development at 198 Valencia St. (across the street) that could cast a literal shadow over the business. The bar filed a discretionary review with the city, which then ordered Sternberg Benjamin Architects to do a third shadow analysis measuring how the building’s height (and lessening it) would impact the beer garden. The report is in, and it has found that the building will only increase shadow hours by 2.06 percent. With that information, SF’s Planning Department is recommending that the development be approved as proposed, Socketsite reports.

Another development in the Lefty O’Doul’s legal battle

The twisted and complicated fight for Lefty O’Doul’s ownership has had another development. It’s been a back-and-forth legal battle between the building owners and business owner as to who has the rights to the name and memorabilia, and it’s up to the courts now to decide its fate. This weekend, though, business owner Nick Bovis had a minor victory in the form of the Handlery family agreeing to a court-ordered stipulation that they would not use the Lefty O’Doul’s name until Bovis’ federal case regarding the trademark is resolved, SFist reports. It will likely be months more of this, so stay tuned.

Do you want to buy a part of the Fillmore for a cool $6.5 mil?

The city of San Francisco is now seeking a buyer for the 50,000-square-foot commercial component of the Fillmore Heritage Center that it owns. The space used to house jazz club Yoshi’s and an art gallery, and currently houses 1300 on Fillmore and a 160-car parking garage. It’s on the market for a minimum of $6.5 million, though it’s valued at $11 million, the Chronicle reports. The city is backtracking from a failed attempt to restore the area to its 1940s and 1950s glory as an African American cultural hub. The city hopes to find a buyer who would keep it dedicated to the same cause.

Get ready for a James Beard biography from a local writer

Eater contributor and Hawker Fare cookbook author John Birdsall has found his next project: a biography of James Beard. He’ll be spending the next year writing the book. In his words: “I’ll be chasing Beard’s ghost in Portland and on the Oregon coast; in San Francisco, where he took up a yearly residency at the Stanford Court Hotel; and especially in New York City. I’ll be looking at Beard’s life and influence, his loves, his brilliance and his shadows, and his creation of an American cuisine.”