[Editor's note: Raymond Flournoy has taken over the Business Briefs column. Former columnist Katharine Holland has decided to focus on other ventures. Starting in October, Business Briefs will appear the second Thursday of the month.]

Church Street will soon experience its own Italian renaissance when Gustofino (248 Church Street) opens in the space that had been occupied by Just Desserts since 1974. The creation of California Culinary Academy graduate Matthew Rutledge and his mother Lynn , Gustofino (which means "fine taste" in Italian) will be a combination of two classic Italian concepts: the rosticceria, selling hot food for take-out, and the enoteca , a casual wine bar. Customers can either buy gourmet prepared foods to take home, or they can enjoy their purchases with a glass of wine in a homey, open-seating atmosphere that Matthew Rutledge hopes will feel like "Sunday dinner at your Italian friend's house." In addition, the store will feature grocery sales of gourmet staples, such as artisan olive oils and vinegars.

The menu will feature Italian classics, salads, and sandwiches with many choices for vegetarians, including a signature dish of vegetarian lasagna based on Matthew Rutledge's aunt's recipe. The wines featured will be mostly Italian, but with an emphasis on reasonably-priced wines of good quality. Daily wine and antipasto platter specials will be offered from 5 to 7 p.m., and the restaurant will serve coffee from the San Francisco roaster Blue Bottle Coffee.

Gustofino's concept is a product of Matthew Rutledge's Italian heritage and his numerous visits to Italy, particularly to the Tuscan region. He has been looking for over two years for a spot in the Castro where he could see his ideas come to life, and when the Church Street spot opened he immediately set to work renovating the space. Matthew Rutledge and his mom (whom he compares to the mother on Queer as Folk) are joined in the venture by manager Christa Raymond (whom he compares to Kathy Griffin). Gustofino is scheduled to open on October 15.

That's Mr. Martini to you!

"Mr. Martini" Tim Morrison displays his martini tattoo. Photo: Courtesy behindthebarshow.com.

San Francisco is famous as a hub of innovation for Web-based companies, and one local entrepreneur who goes by the name of "Mr. Martini" has harnessed the power of the Internet to boost his business. Mr. Martini, also known as Tim Morrison, records the popular podcast "Behind the Bar Show," which is available on iTunes, Podcastalley.com, and other podcast aggregators, and his growing notoriety on the Web has fueled his side-business of bartending for private parties.

Morrison is a cocktail enthusiast with an encyclopedic knowledge of cocktail history and lore, a library of cocktail reference books, and a stock of specialty liquors that overflows his kitchen into the rest of his house. But it wasn't until a motorcycle accident left him with three broken bones in his foot and he spent two months recuperating at home that he decided to do something with his cocktail expertise. Encouraged by a co-worker, he recorded his first podcast in January 2006, and since then his audience has grown to over 15,000 listeners worldwide for each episode.

In addition to his private bartending, Morrison is considering turning his show content into a book with the eventual goal of opening his own cocktail bar. In the meantime, when asked for recommendations of good places in the city for classic cocktails he suggests The Slanted Door (1 Ferry Plaza Building., #270) or The Velvet Cantina (3349 23rd Street) for its margaritas. For spirits to enjoy at home, Morrison swears by Swirl on Castro (572 Castro Street).

For more information on Morrison's podcast and bartending service, visit his Web site at www.behindthebarshow.com.

Industrialist chic

In Isaac Mizrahi's 1995 documentary Unzipped, fashion editor Polly Mellen famously proclaimed: "Fussy: finished!" Shoppers who agree with this minimalist sentiment should check out The Industrialists home furnishings store (2193 Market Street), which salvages and restores furniture and equipment from clean rooms, medical facilities, and industrial sites from around the country, creating fashionable cabinets, credenzas, and tables from what otherwise would become industrial waste. Owner/designer Tony Limtiaco proudly claims that The Industrialists was a green company before "green" was a marketing buzzword.

The company was founded about 10 years ago and moved to the present Market Street location three months ago. Limtiaco also maintains a showroom at 27 7th Street. Pieces are available onsite for purchase or customers can consult with designers to order custom creations.

Scaring up business

The space that previously housed Tower Records and which most recently hosted Under One Roof's special gift sale is now the temporary site for the Too Much Fun Halloween Headquarters (2280 Market Street). The store stocks a full line of costumes, accessories, and decorations for the Halloween season, and manager Jon Wilson is working to get more women's shoes in larger sizes in response to requests from Castro area customers.

The presence of the store has been somewhat controversial in light of the city's intention to shut down the Castro Halloween celebration, however, Wilson claims that the decision to open the store in this location was not meant to be provocative. The company usually opens two stores in San Francisco each year, and the locations are dictated by the availability of large, empty retail spaces, he explained.

The store opened September 12, and will close shop the day after Halloween.

Fine piece of work

Attention job-seekers: The San Francisco LGBT Community Center (1800 Market Street) is hosting its regular LGBT job fair Wednesday, October 10th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Companies ranging from the gay-focused (Olivia) to the mainstream (Washington Mutual , Kimpton Hotels ) will be looking to fill positions from entry-level to management. For more information and to register, visit www.sfcenter.org.

Check out Raymond Flournoy's Castro Shopper blog at http://www.castroshopper.vox.com.