Mission Mission

Brittney of Eye on Blogs is the subject of i live here SF today, and in her shoot she’s posed in front of no less than three epic Mission walls, including the late, great Suriya Thai’s garage door elephant (above), the mustachioed Ben Davis sign at Arik’s, and Charlie Callahan’s Orange Alley sea urchin.

See the whole shoot, and Brittney’s SF story here.

Previously:

Suriya Thai No More

Ben Davis No More

Orange Alley Here To Stay

On Mission between 21st and 22nd. MSF wrote in to alert us, saying, “it seems pretty big.”

This Twitter search confirms it.

Update: Epic pic by @essday…

There’s nothing better than a movie review that reads nothing like a movie review. Phil Bronstein on La Mission:

Although “Milk” gave SF its overdue due about an important time, an historical figure and a movement, “La Mission” is essentially an ongoing narrative of real and profound life, mostly in the neighborhood noted in the title, but with powerful vistas and street corners of other parts of our geography. Culturally and literally, it fills in the color that we should be celebrating and feeling more.

The Bratts’ “La Mission” shows there are two tales to this city…

Thursday night I got to go to the SFIFF premiere of La Mission at the Castro. First I’ll say it was the best opening three seconds of a movie in recent memory, possibly ever. And the rest was great too.

Before it started, when the lights first went down, somebody ran down an aisle and shouted an exuberant, “VIVA LA RAZA!” To which the dorky society folk sitting all around me clutching their gift bags responded, “What?” “Huh?” “Oh, my.”  “What does that mean?” “What did he say?”

This exchange presaged what would be the theme of the evening. The film itself is pretty well wholly devoted to the divides between San Francisco’s neighborhoods (and the divides within them), and in the Q&A after, Bratt Brother Benjamin made a point of expressing his hope that La Mission inspires viewers to start building bridges.

Also during the Q&A, we heard from H.O.M.E.Y. Executive Director (and freshly minted movie star) Rene Quiñonez (who you might remember from that community meeting in the wake of last fall’s spate of shootings). He thanked the Brothers Bratt for providing him and his organization with a new tool, saying he’d use screenings of La Mission as a way to kickstart discussion with neighborhood youths about hot topics like homophobia and gentrification.

Then we all went over to the after party behind Bruno’s, where everyone was showered with complimentary Stella and tartlets, and interviewed by Beth Spotswood and her camera crew.

Photo by eviloars.

As reader sfortunata once remarked, there was, “…a Bermuda triangle of desserts with Dianda’s, Mission Pie, and Anthony’s.”  Anthony’s opened over the weekend with free cookies (I ate 5 this weekend), but there is a new player in town. Behold:

No beating about the bush here, the “Froyo & Crepe Cafe” delivers what it promises.  I had an almond, banana, coconut, nutella and whipped cream crepe and it was a carefully folded slice of happiness.  Despite less than enthusiastic yelps, my tastebuds purred.  I liked my taste of the froyo too.

And with an atmosphere like this (dibs on the couch):

And a strangely small number of people allowed inside:

I do believe there is yet another reason to leave the Valencia teen streets and maturely mosey to the Mission mid-twenties.

Pros: Crepes, Froyo, Elbow Room
Cons: Fried Mini Octopus
Maybes: Avocado Smoothies?

Previously:

Cookie Shop Coming Soon
No Farmers, No Pie

If you know me, you know that even though I don’t even have the slightest idea where Davis is, I could wear a different KDVS shirt every day for a month and probably still have a couple left over. (My little sister is the publicity director — AND THEY HAVE RAD SHIRTS.)

Well, tonight is the final night of the station’s 2009 fundraiser, so you’ve got until midnight to pledge for this GNARLY ROCKTOPUS, one of the raddest they’ve ever produced. (Also, like a million other premiums and other shirt designs and prize packs.)

Listen live here, and visit the fundraiser page here.

Previously:

Support Handmade Radio

If you’re not reading Hidden Host yet, get on it.

Link.

Just a reminder, today’s the last day to cash in on the Art Explosion Open Studios party. Moreover, if you mention Mission Mission, Telephone and Soup on the spot will make you a Shitty Kitty akin to the one pictured above.

744 Alabama, 3rd floor #326.

Previously:

Get Some Art Straight From the Source

Meli over at Bikes and the City has this and a bunch more pictures from Wednesday night’s Cougar Run up right here:

Cougarettes, tiggers and bikes oh my

We sent our good buddy Pauline Anderson to see the Traveling Jewish Theatre production of Woody Allen’s The Floating Light Bulb the other night. Here’s what she had to say:

When you see that this play is written by Woody Allen, certain expectations for bizarre situational comedy take form. The family drama takes place in a working class Jewish household in Brooklyn. The usual suspects of dysfunction make an appearance: the father who never amounted to much is about to leave for his mistress; the mother drinks too much and nags her family forward on expectations and hope; the socially maladjusted teenage son just dropped out of school; his younger wise-cracking brother fills in for Shakespeare’s fool. Besides the big name of the playwright, come see this play for two reasons. First, Ben Freeman’s performance as Paul, the stuttering, shy yet magically talented son, includes an onstage nervous breakdown that is absolutely breathtaking. Secondly Paul’s long suffering mother Enid, played by Ellen Ratner, may drink but she has a fighting spirit something fierce and she absolutely shines throughout the show.

The production continues through May 24.

Thanks, Pauls!