Gustofino, will I love you?

On my morning train commute into downtown San Francisco last week, I spotted a sign in the window of an empty shop that caught my attention. I noticed this one because of the Blue Bottle Coffee logo placed near the big poster in their window.

Seriously? Blue Bottle? On my way to work? Oh boy oh boy oh boy. This is worth some investigation. Blue Bottle is an elusive creature, hard to track down, even at their little stand in a Hayes Valley garage or during their brief appearances at the money-flinging festival known as the Ferry Building Farmers Market. It never appears in retail stores, and it takes four hundred years for them to brew a drink when they are open, but it's damned good coffee. Huge attention to roasting and brewing process, and their beans won't get sold if they've been roasted longer than 48 hours ago. There's clearly an obsessive person running the show for them, and I like it like that.

Alright, my detective hat is on. I want to learn more about this mysterious Gustofino newcomer, this supposed purveyor of my favorite coffee ever. And because I'm so nice, I've transcribed their sign for you, as it currently appears on Church Street, just south of Market Street, in San Francisco. Here it is:

Matt Rutledge, along with his mother Lynn Rutledge, are bringing their fine foods to Church Street in the form of a new Specialty Market & Café. Gustofino, Italian for fine taste, is serving home-style Hot Foods, Salads, Sandwiches and Desserts as well as Espresso Beverages and Wine by the glass. In addition to prepared foods the store plays host to a selection of imported and local Specialty Foods and Fine Wine. Inspired by the markets and wine bars that Matt worked at in Florence, Italy as well as the Italian delicatessen that Lynn owned in Santa Cruz County, the new business will be a market and café that offers both gourmet to-go as well as in-house dining centered around an open kitchen. Matt and Lynn's purpose for the new market is simple: Provide an unparalleled experience of fine taste for everyone.

The sign tells us a few things. They'll have prepared foods and some fancy-pants grocery items, as well as dining around an open kitchen. This model seems to resemble Boulette's Larder at the Ferry Building, where takeaway food is served alongside full table service. But Boulette's works well because of the spendy Ferry Building crowd. It wouldn't be able to keep the beignets and salmon-three-way lunch plates flowing in a spot across Market Street from Safeway, where our Gustofino friends are setting up camp. So maybe it's more of an AG Ferrari or Bi-Rite competitor; casual, full-on gourmet, and not bank-breakingly expensive.

All I know is that these Rutledge people apparently have some food cred from prior experience in Santa Cruz and Florence, and that they have an overactive penchant for capitalization. I'm curious for more.

I'll keep snooping for more details...