Neighbor Profile — Norman Stewart of Stewart’s Style-O-Rama

As told by Jason Cauthen

History and a Haircut - Norman Stewart’s Style-O-Rama

There aren’t many businesses that last 10 years in San Francisco, let alone 20. But if you’ve been fortunate enough to have your hair cut by Norman Stewart - you have experienced a sole proprietor who has successfully operated a business in San Francisco for more than a half a century.    

Stewart’s Style-O-Rama is an unpretentious barbershop in the classic style. There are stacks of magazines to flip through while you wait, the TV is tuned to news or sports, and Norman Stewart is always happy to share his thoughts and wisdom on whatever it is you’d like to chat about that day while he expertly cuts hair to your precise specifications.  

Stewart was born in Texarkana, Texas where his parents ran a grocery store. As a young boy, he moved with his family to San Francisco - where the prospects were better in the grocery business (Texarkana had recently gone dry). In the fifties and sixties, Stewart attended Brett Harte Elementary, Franklin Junior High, Galileo High School, City College and finally Moler College where he graduated in 1962. In 1964, he opened a barber shop on Haight which he served clients including Jimi Hendrix and Joan Baez. After being refused by the racist policies of the all-white barbers’ union he created his own; and went on to run what he believes was the “first integrated barber shop” in the country when he hired a white employee.   

When Stewart’s landlord tried to raise his rent in 1975, he bought his current location on Hayes at Ashbury. There he battled with the city regulators to install a pool table in his shop, a battle not settled until Supervisor Harvey Milk interceded in Stewart’s favor. Since the seventies, the demographics of the clientele have shifted as has the surrounding neighborhood; and Stewart is proud to have a diverse set of clients that “look like America,” the oldest of whom (Mr. Wilson) is over 100 years old.  

While he has taken the COVID closures in stride - the shop has been hit just as many businesses have. Style-O-Rama is currently open for business and keeps things safe by limiting it to one customer at a time (there is no indoor waiting space) and by following all of the mask and glove protocols. So if you are getting tired of your COVID-shag look, grab your mask, and pay Norman a visit and he’ll get you looking sharp again.

Stewart’s Style-O-Rama is open from 10-6 Tuesday-Saturday at 1918 Hayes (at Ashbury) and takes walk-ins. If you want to call to see if he’s busy - you can reach him at (415) 666-0203.

Neighbor Profile — Yahya and Wafa of Jannah

As told by Meg Rahner

In 2009, Yahya Salih and his wife Wafa opened Jannah, and it quickly became known as a hidden gem tucked inconspicuously on Fulton Street. Jannah is Yahya’s second restaurant; in 1998 Yahya opened Yaya Cuisine (in SOMA) which quickly earned him attention for his culinary prowess. In the early 90s, the SF Chronicle's food critics rated Yahya one of the top five chefs in the city, and he received rave reviews in national magazines like Travel and Leisure. NOPA neighbors are certainly lucky to have Yahya and his delightful blend of Mesopotamian and Californian cuisine right down the street. 

Take it from me—I have lived in the neighborhood for 10 years and hadn’t tried Jannah until I had already been here a few years. “You have to try their falafel pizza,” a neighbor enthusiastically told me. How could I resist? The Safeehat falafel pizza is a flattened, baked garbanzo patty topped with pesto, roasted eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes and feta—and it’s well worth the hype. Other favorites include the kuzi (phyllo dough filled with shredded lamb, rice, almonds, cinnamon, and ginger underneath a pomegranate-rosemary sauce), and the baba ganoush, a classic that’s been artfully transformed into many variations: mama ghanoush (eggplant and pomegranate), hudhud ganoush (turnip with date syrup), and zuzu ganoush (carrot with tamarind). 

A true family establishment, Jannah is run by not only Yahya and Wafa, but also their three children—two sons in their 20s and a teenage daughter—who help with the restaurant where they can. Before the pandemic broke out, the restaurant had several employees. Now the family is working closely together to keep the business afloat, relying on takeout orders to get them through July. They are extremely focused on safety, cleanliness, and continuing to delight their customers with soul-warming cuisine as we all navigate this pandemic together. “We greatly appreciate and thank all of the neighbors who have been helping and ordering from the restaurant,” said Wafa. She thinks about other neighborhood establishments, asking “please support as many small businesses and restaurants as you can during this time.” 

Jannah is available for takeout on Tuesdays-Sundays from 4 - 9 p.m. Gift cards are also available.

Neighbor Profile — Cassie McKeown of Bi-Rite

As told by Lydia Horne

For quarantined NOPA residents, relief from our tiny apartments comes from a few precious outlets: Golden Gate Park, restaurant takeout, and the grocery store. At one such respite, Bi-Rite Market Divisadero, Cassie McKeown has been at the helm as the beloved SF establishment calibrates to prove essential services to the community.

 It’s a challenging puzzle for McKeown, Bi-Rite General Manager, to maneuver the sanitation and safety requirements of businesses enforced by the SF Department of Public Health and CDC. Recently Bi-Rite introduced a shift in operations to accommodate the different needs of shoppers. McKeown explains, “We modified our hours to provide dedicated shopping time for our senior and at-risk guests, and give my team extra time to reset the store and rest each night.”

 Still, many shoppers feel anxiety (justifiably) stepping out into the world and entering a public space—like the market. McKeown, not missing a beat, emphasizes efficiency to her staff. This way, people get out the door faster and back to their sanitized sanctums sooner.

 Ensuring employees are working safely and collaboratively is a priority for McKeown, who’s also noticed a sense of cohesion within the team - most of whom live near enough to walk or bike to work - since the start of the crisis. “We were able to bring staff from Bi-Rite’s Catering, Cafe, and Creamery locations onto the Market team,” she says. “It’s been truly amazing to see everyone really pull together.” There’s now a ‘Wall of Love’ in the Bi-Rite team break room that’s covered with printed thank-you emails and messages posted on social media. 

 McKeown moved to San Francisco in 2010 and has worked at Bi-Rite for the past two years. Right on-brand, McKeown is a passionate cook and reports quarantine cooking has inspired new recipes in her kitchen. She’s witnessed a creative culinary spirit among Bi-Rite shoppers too, as sourdough starter has been flying off the shelves and folks fill their baskets with seasonal produce. For McKeown, cooking is a unifier: “I’ve always found food to be really comforting, and there’s this awesome sense of accomplishment people have when they tackle a new recipe or technique.”

Neighbor Profile — Ivan and Natasha from Barrel Head Brewhouse

as told by Carmen Chan

This past March, Barrel Head Brewhouse would’ve been celebrating it’s 6th birthday, but instead, the shelter in place order put the restaurant bar on hiatus. Ivan Hopkinson (co-founder) and his team didn’t immediately turn to food delivery or take outs, instead, they decided to stay closed to see what was safe or not. With some help from their building landlord and vendors, Barrel Head has been able to retain 90% of its employees and continue to pay their healthcare and wages. The sense of a community (Ivan is also a neighbor) has helped the Barrel Head team keep their spirits high.

And that spirit is the essence of their recent beer stand. If you happen to walk by Barrel Head during the afternoon between 4 and 7 PM, you may notice an inconspicuous sign noting $4 to-go beers and an open sliding window. The makeshift beer stand offers to-go Barrel Head brew and $3 jello shots. The idea came from one of the bartenders, Crystal. All proceeds go to the employee wages and the prices are purposely low so it is affordable to all neighbors. The hope is to give the restaurant regulars and neighbors a few minutes a day away from their stay-at-home routine for some fresh air and a beer. The beer stand is a means to having a little bit of fun and the team is continuing to brew up more new ideas to keep everyone’s spirits high.

As of this week, Barrel Head reopened their food take-out and delivery. If you are hungry for a barrel burger or some prawn pasta - now you can get it! Or if you happen to be out for a stroll, stop by Barrel Head for a to-go beer or a jello shot, and see what the team has up their sleeves coming next. All Ivan has asked for, is for folks to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

If you would like to support Barrel Head from the comfort of your couch - you can either order food to be delivered or purchase an e-gift certificate for yourself or a friend to be spent after we’re all out and about again.

Neighbor Profile — Haile and Abeba from Oasis Café

as told by Elisabeth Kvitashvili

When you think of tasty food that’s a little bit exotic, with unusual flavors and has a bite to it, there’s no better place to head to than Oasis Café at the corner of Divisadero and McAllister on the edge of NOPA. Haile Tadesse and his wife Abeba Gedam have welcomed customers to their Ethiopian/Eritrean café since 2010.  A member of the Tigrinya people who hail from territory located along the Ethiopian/Eritrean border, Haile opened a small store in the Oasis current location in 2007.  After three years he and his wife decided to convert the store into a café where he could “introduce his culture and food” to the community.  Haile and his family are locals themselves living just a few blocks away in NOPA while their oldest son is up the street at USF.

For ten years Oasis has served as a gathering spot for NOPA locals and as well as for the Ethiopian/Eritrean community given Haile and Abeba’s emphasis on excellent coffee and healthy food which represents the authentic flavors of their homeland. The Ethiopians say that arabica (coffee bean) originated in the highlands of Ethiopia which today remains one of the world’s top producers of quality coffee.  At Oasis you can get a mix of breakfast, lunch and dinner options, both American and Ethiopian/Eritrean style.  Meat and many vegetarian dishes and platters are available with the Veggie Combo, an all vegan dish, being the most popular.  Also popular are the meat sambusas with hot sauce and chicken tibs served with injera, the spicy bread with which one eats the spicy dishes.

Normally OASIS employees 8 people, representing a mix of cultures. Ranferi from Guatemala is usually behind the counter to take your order while Musa is in the kitchen preparing the dishes. Marcellino can be seen both in the kitchen and up at the counter.  With business down between 50-70% on any given day, Haile has had to lay off some staff though three remain.  Oasis has installed a protective shield at the counter and gloves and masks are worn by the Oasis staff but has not yet shifted to delivery service owing to the associated costs.  Instead, Haile would like people to order online through OASISCAFESF.COM or stop by the café which remains open every day opening at 7am.  Haile and Abeba are very grateful for the continuing support they continue to receive from loyal customers and hope more  people in the community will stop by to try their delicious food.  I am a regular customer with an almost daily sambusa order ready for me to go with my Haile’s Choice coffee.