Under One Roof (549 Castro Street) is getting set to perform some holiday magic, turning the cavernous space at 2278 Market Street into a beautiful Victorian home decorated for the holiday season. The sumptuous setting will house Under One Roof's annual holiday store, bringing to life this year's theme of "A Home for the Holidays." General manager Mark Burns hopes that visitors will see in the store an embodiment of Under One Roof's mission to be a home for the entire community.

The Market Street store will be decorated with theater sets as backdrops, dramatic theater lighting, and furniture and antiques provided by The Richard Gervais Collection (965 Natoma Street). The centerpiece of the store will be a "Christmas tree of remembrance." For $5, visitors can purchase cards to tie onto the tree branches, inscribed with their own personal messages of remembrance.

The store will feature a full roster of events and activities, including musical performances and weekly photo sessions with celebrity Santas, including Heklina , Mr. and Miss Gay SF (Johnathan Gaffney and BeBe Sweetbriar , respectively) Betty Sullivan , and calendar boys and girls from the Bare Chest Calendar and the Desperate Divas Calendar. The merchandise in the holiday store will be completely distinct from the offerings at the Castro Street store, with an emphasis on gifts for everyone in your life, from pets to kids to co-workers. 

Burns hopes to raise $100,000 in net proceeds from the store, which will go to fund the activities of 35 local AIDS service organizations. Under One Roof is also currently performing a feasibility study, looking at the possibility of permanently relocating the main store to the Market Street location. One important factor in such a move would be finding a compatible tenant for the upstairs space, and Burns reports that a few possible tenants are currently under consideration.

Under One Roof's Castro Street store is already decorated for the holidays, but the Market Street store officially opens the day after Thanksgiving, November 23.

Well Bread

If the low-carb craze isn't already dead, Tina Roberts is ready to strike the final blow as she opens Urban B

Shawn Kinnear, left, and Robert Holladay behind the counter at Orphan Andy's, which is celebrating its 30th year in business. Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland

read (3901 18th Street), a shop dedicated to gourmet breads and baked goods. Roberts describes her inspiration for opening the business saying, "There are so many awesome bread companies in the city, but it's often difficult to get access to a wide variety of gourmet choices in a local neighborhood setting."

Urban Bread distributes baked goods from three companies: Raymond's Sourdough Bread, Panorama Bread Company (which specializes in French- and Italian-style artisan loaves), and Raison d'Etre (producer of a wide variety of baked sweets). In addition to baked goods to take home, Urban Bread serves sandwiches, soups, and Equator fair-trade, organic coffee in a cafe setting.

Roberts moved to San Francisco from Seattle just this year, and she was drawn to the Castro for its strong neighborhood feel and its heavy foot traffic. She said that she has already been warmly welcomed by her neighbors, and she looks forward to being part of the Castro community.

Urban Bread opened on November 7, and its hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Cafe OK

Bullshead Restaurant (840 Ulloa Street) recently closed its 18th Street location, but fortunately the space will not stay empty long. New window signs have gone up announcing the coming of Castro Cafe (4230 18th Street), a new business from Chris Park , the owner of Cafe for All Seasons (68 West Portal Avenue) in West Portal.

Park is co-owner of the Castro Cafe with building owner Shin So. So describes the new cafe as casual American dining with a menu similar to the West Portal restaurant. He also said that he learned lessons from his experience with Bullshead and that Castro Cafe will put more emphasis on healthier fare, with a changing menu, including weekly specials.

Castro Cafe will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is scheduled to open its doors in mid-November.

Thanksgiving choices

For people without talent in the kitchen or airplane tickets to enjoy Mom's home cooking, the Castro offers a wide variety of choices for Thanksgiving dinner. Buffalo Whole Foods (598 Castro Street) is offering a free-range, no-hormone, natural, fresh turkey from Diestel Ranch as well as the vegetarian alternative, Tofurky. Orders are currently being accepted, and require a $10 deposit. A.G. Ferrari Foods (468 Castro Street) features a complete Thanksgiving dinner for $89.99 including butternut squash soup, sides and gravy, and two dessert choices: pumpkin-ricotta torte and flourless chocolate cake. Order by November 20 to guarantee availability. 

Gustofino (248 Church Street) will have a Thanksgiving menu available for pick-up any day beginning November 12. Come in to preview the Thanksgiving choices in-store. The aforementioned Urban Bread will feature five different special-order breads to complement your holiday feast. Loaves can be reserved, although some will be available for same-day purchase.

If you prefer to be waited on, Cove Cafe (434 Castro Street) is featuring a special Thanksgiving menu of turkey, ham, or prime rib. No reservations are taken or required, and seating ends at 8 p.m. If you draw more inspiration from the vine than from the bird, Swirl on Castro (572 Castro Street) is hosting a tasting of wines specially selected to match your holiday dinner. The tasting is November 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and costs $20 at the door, or $15 with a reservation.

The 30-year-old Orphan

Congratulations to Orphan Andy's (3991 17th Street) for celebrating its 30th year in business. Owner Dennis Ziebell first joined the local business scene back in 1972 with the purchase of Andy's Donuts. Five years later he brought the "Andy" name along with him as he opened his restaurant, now a neighborhood landmark at the intersection of Castro and Market streets.

On the LookOut

LookOut (3600 16th Street) was the winning entry in the contest to rename the bar that overlooks 16th Street and Market Street. Ten like-minded bargoers submitted the name and shared the prizes.

Check out Raymond Flournoy's Castro Shopper blog at http://www.castroshopper.vox.com. Contact him at mailto:castroshopper@yahoo.com.