First time I’d seen coyotes in the park in about eight months, the last time was spotting one in the bison den at 1:00 P.M., hunting for rabbit or gopher or whatnot. Park gardeners have told me that den of coyotes lives in the bison pen.

Many people in the city have no idea about the wildlife existing in this city north of SOMA.

Come down with me to my old hometown of Los Angeles by reading my blogs on the LA Metroblogging site over the next week!

I read today’s Chronicle article on the new emergency dog leash law that is seasonally effective in stretches of Crissy Field and Ocean Beach. This law was enacted by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) to protect the diminutive western snowy plover from the careless dogs (no blame there) and their careless dog owners (all the blame there) who put their canine run-and-be-free-and-shit-wherever-you-want concerns over that of the small local population remaining of the snowy plover–only about 100 birds. That’s right, 100 birds that need human oversight because the anti-leash humans can’t properly oversee their waggy wards.

Anti-leash activists (ah, California), such as the Ocean Beach Dog Owners fronted by attorney (dog-chaser?) Stephen Sayad, are rabidly frothing at their collective doggy-breath mouth about it. Up in arms, er, legs about it.

Understandably, many dogs off-leash are well-behaved and are trained to behave appropriately when off-leash. And their owners pick up their crap, too. I love the dogs that wait patiently at water’s edge for their surfer owner, or is it “guardian” now, to come back to land. Unfortunately, for all of the well-trained off-leash dogs, there are many dogs that when off-leash run haphazardly around the beach or the park, spooking other animals in THIER natural habitat, attacking other dogs, scaring kids who are also off-leash, and worrying wary parents.

Well, here’s the age-old “unfair” predicament for dog owners: the inability of more than a few dogs and their owners to behave appropriately leads to a leash law needing to be enacted that affects all, ruining the enjoyment of those off leash who do behave responsibly.

The anti-leash growlers spin leash laws as a ban on dogs. Perhaps the perpetual fog at the beach has obscured a clear perspective in their minds. This is not a ban on dogs at the beach or at Crissy Field–dogs are allowed on ALL of the beach if leashed, and on portions of the beach off-leash.

The anti-leash contingent needs to step back, stop baring their teeth and self-centeredness, and try to objectively UNDERSTAND the needs of the greater community, human and non-human alike, including the snowy plovers. (Also, stop stealing and vandalizing the leash warning signs posted–now you’re wasting more of our tax dollars, too.) There are still long stretches of Ocean Beach (Lincoln to Kelly’s Cove, where there’s plenty of free parking, or south of Sloat) and Crissy Field to allow your dogs to run unfettered. Isn’t that a fair compromise? There is a dog run in Golden Gate Park, and other city parks, such as Duboce Park, allow an overrun of off-leash dogs. These parks need some leash rules, as well, in my opinion: perhaps sets of hours during a day when off leash is allowed and other hours when it is not allowed so that other citizens can enjoy their public park without being hassled by off-leash dogs.

Again, compromise.

While you’re at it, pick up after your dogs! That’s right, don’t act like you didn’t see your dog take a crap–pick its (your) shit up!

As showtime approached, there weren’t a whole lot of Gubans filling their reserved seats. Non-Gubans entering the theater were getting pissed that they couldn’t find two seats together to sit with their movie-going mate, some harsh words were exchanged. Most of the Gubans started arriving just before and during the trailers. A very annoying people, these Gubans.

No one around us knew what GUBA was, or who their chosen filmgoers could be. Even Richard, savvy technocrat webhound that he is, was at a loss. The best I could come up with was Gay Urban Basketball Association, but most of them weren’t very tall. Hmmm . . .

Today I googled GUBA. Seems to me to be the guilty party hogging all of the good seats and leaving as the credits rolled, still showing film action, and blocking the screen for the rest of us with their big Guban heads. GUBArs.

If fellow SF Metblogger Richard Ault’s Ocean Beach photos of yesterday’s big surf didn’t stoke you enough:

Two new, coffee-table surf-dream books have been published by Chronicle Books, and there’s a book signing by the authors and other surf stars on Tuesday, October 24th. This Surfrider San Francisco benefit celebrates the publication of Inside Maverick’s and Photo/Stoner at 111 Minna Gallery. Down some beers and mingle with surf authors & luminaries Matt Warshaw, Doug Acton, Grant Washburn, Jeff Divine, Bruce Jenkins (of San Francisco Chronicle 3-Dot Lounge fame), Maverick’s surfers, and more.

Doors open at 6:30 for the scramble for seats, and the show starts off with a 7:00 P.M. slideshow by The Surfer’s Journal’s Jeff Divine, showcasing Ron Stoner photos not published in Warshaw’s book. Stoner was a pioneering Surfer Magazine photographer who mysteriously disappeared in the ’70s. Then, catch Doug Acton & Grant Washburn’s fantastic new Maverick’s footage to gear us all up for the excitment of the anytime soon Maverick’s big-wave season.

And what the hell is surf-related festivities without surf music! After the slides and the film footage, listen to HIWATTERS and DJ Shabadoo. There’s also a raffle for VIP seats on the 2007 Maverick’s Surf Contest boat and a silent auction for more boat seats and the art work of Casey O’Connell.

ADMISSION is $5 or FREE with ADVANCE book purchase (which includes two free raffle entries, too!). Tix, books & info: www.zunasurf.com/minna.

When I’m actually nuts enough to drive down Clement Street in the Inner Richmond, and it’s a lunchtime traffic circus (when is it not a traffic circus?), I now without fail stop by the curiously non-initial capped little Vietnam cafe (309 6th Avenue, between Clement and Geary). Yep, I’ll actually circle around the block a few times on parking space prowl just to grab the super-fresh, flavorful, and very economical home-style Vietnamese dishes.

The family-run Little Vietnam Cafe opened in March 2006 using grandma’s mother country recipes–and gosh-darn it if grandma can’t be found in the kitchen sometimes. It’s a hole-in-the-wall place, but clean and with five or six counter seats at the street window. What’s wonderful–and very smart on their part–is the ready-to-go dishes prepared and waiting at the counter during lunch hour. These dishes include a variety of rice-paper spring rolls with peanut sauce (Goi Coun Tom w/shrimp; Goi Cun Ga Nuong w/grilled chicken; Goi cuon Thit Nuong with grilled BBQ pork;), all priced at $4.50 with two big rolls for that great price, and vermicilli “bowl” plates at $5.50 with choices of grilled shrimp, pork, chicken, egg rolls, and/or pork meatball. Even by the time I get these dishes home to the Outer Richmond, the ingredients are fresh, crisp, and flavorful.

Usually, for the family I pick up one or two of the spring roll dishes and the made-to-order fresh Vietnamese sandwiches. These aren’t the run-of-the-mill, inexpensive type, but gussied up with grilled BBQ pork, beef, or chicken and spiced up further than the usual cilantro by adding jalapeno peppers–and still only $3.50! The bread is a wonderful lightly toasted French roll and this sandwich, as recommended by the cafe, should be eaten relatively soon before the bread gets too hard.

I’m so addicted to the spring rolls, sandwiches, and vermicilli bowls, that I’ve yet to sample their pho or rice plates. They also serve curry and Vietnamese-style beef stew. Vegetarian dishes are also available.

So, if you’re in the neighborhood, don’t miss this cafe with it’s delicious food and freindly family staff! And, of course, Green Apple Books is just a half-block away while you’re waiting for the meter to expire after the fast service from little Vietnam cafe.

Go to the 7:00 P.M. PG-rated show or the 9:30 R-rated show, both shows headlining the talents of Amy Anderson, Tony Dijamco, and Paul Varhese.

For more information, visit www.asiantheater.org.

The show is Thursday, October 19 from 6:00-9:00 P.M. in the Upstairs Mezzanine Gallery at Embarcadero Automotive, 655 Bryant Street, SF. Ah, hell, just look below for the info.

On Wednesday, October 4, Ella’s officially opens the doors for dinner, in addition to their long-standing breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch service. Last night, my wife and I got friends (bless you!) to watch our daughter so we could be test-diners of Ella’s new dinner menu, offered by recent new owner Matt Skov. It was the second night of a three-night tryout for Ella’s, refining the details of dinner in the kitchen and front of house. (Full disclosure: I was a waiter at Ella’s through the 90′s). We attended the first seating at 6:15 P.M.

Ella’s has served dinner at various times in its 15-year history, dishing out high-quality, fresh, seasonal, affordable “neo-classical American cooking” by former owners Robert Merryman and chef Danny Wilser. After last night’s meal, it can be stated that Matt Skov has retained the quality and freshness that Ella’s regulars expect, and has importantly placed his own signature style on the dinner menu.

My wife and I shared the courses and were not let down by any of them. The menu items are separated by price ($5, 8, 12, 16). We started with the Roasted Sea Scallops with summer panzanella salad and the Fall Mushroom Soup, both priced at $5. We then ordered the Carmelized Onion Tart (&8) with bellweather farm ricotta, black mission figs, and baby arugula; the Butternut Squash Risotto ($12) with mustard greens, fall vegetable hash, and roasted garlic cream; and the Pork Two Ways ($16) twice-brined chop with herbs and served with pork belly n’beans, and grilled ratatouille. We finished off the meal with the ever-present Sourdough Chocolate Cake (with espresso buttercream) and a Warm Banana Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream. Duh-lishous!!

The menu will offer seasonal ingredients and also available regularly will be a cheeseburger, macaroni & cheese, chicken pot pie, and the famous chicken hash. I would suggest that the hot dog (one of the best grilled dogs in the city) be added to the dinner menu, as well, especially to those of us who will arrive with kids (when we can’t find a babysitter!).

Through the meal, I enjoyed two glasses of wine: with the appetizers I selected the never-let-you-down Honig Sauvignon Blanc, and with the entrees, a Mark West Pinot Noir.

The presentation and taste of each dish was superb, the flavors complementary and often subtle, and the only falters (remember, on a test night) was the string still attached to the chop (quickly remedied by the kitchen upon my remark to Mr. Skov) and lack of finer details by the competent service staff that would be particularly expected at even a casual dinner service (e.g., presetting of utensils, such as soup spoons and steak knives; clearing finished glasses and dishes more quickly)–all minor kinks ownership knows needs ironing out. Some more knowledge of the dishes and the bar selection by the service staff would be helpful, as well (and how about a better selection of single malt Scotch, please).

Not only a good neighborhood choice (in Laurel Heights at the corner of California and Presidio, across from the JCC and Laurel Motel), Ella’s is offering another reason besides top-notch breakfast and lunch–dinner–to make a trek across town.