Mission Mission

Following up on Seals baseball history, the awesome LookBackMaps points us to this Bancroft Library image of Rec Park in 1923.  Here we enter the time machine to look north on Valencia from 15th.

Click image for a higher resolution shot over at Burrito Justice.

Reader NoCalAl says “As for Rec Park, I used to go to the gym across the street, and was met with skepticism whenever I mentioned Valencia Gardens used to be a ball park. The Hotel Royan at 15th and Valencia used to house ballplayers, unlike the current denizens.”

Elizabeth Gilhooley (American, 1981-), Immovable Iconography, 2010, trash receptacle, washtub, bicycles, GAP bag, 4.5′ x 6′ x 5′, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO.

24th and Harrison, WHY?

(via Eric Fischer)

24th and Florida, WHY?

(via SF Weekly)

A reason to visit the Elbo Room tonight (unlike other nights when it’s a Marina weekend or transplanted tourist destination) featuring CLAWS and TITS, as well as MissionMission favorite Eats Tapes, among others.

Come out and do a little bit more for Haiti, because honestly, it’s been kinda pathetic lately.  And like we’ve said before, texting 90999 doesn’t count when your mom pays your celly bill.

Rolling Stone‘s Rock and Roll Daily reports that She & Him, Fiona Apple and Jon Brion, Tim and Eric and others will perform songs written by 826LA students for an upcoming record called Chickens in Love. Read the story here. Preorder the disc here.

Sooo, how long ’til we get Girls and Deerhoof to perform on an album of songs by 826 Valencia kids?

Photo of She & Him at Oysterfest 2008 by artolog.

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The best thing to come of all this Pizza by Farina news? The knowledge that a living, breathing person has not only set foot inside of — but actually, physically DINED at — the perpetually empty Pizzeria, that weird pizzeria on the ground floor of the Tropicana Hotel on Valencia.

TJ’s review begins:

Honestly- Pizzeria is one of my favorite spots around the Mission. They won’t sell you beer, which is part of why it’s empty. But they’ll let you bring your own in and drink for free, which is even better.

Read on.

Mark from death wish three and/or breadxbread sends us a tip that the artery bustin’ Ike’s Place experimental sandwich lab is holding an online survey. As if the buy-one-get-one-free coupon that you get in return wasn’t news enough, sections 11-14 seem to imply an interesting future business venture: offering morning-prepped Ike’s sandwiches in vending machines.

Click the following image for a closer look:

For serious? There’s no way a deep-fried mozzarella stick will maintain it’s consistency after 4 hours in a vending machine. And that Halal chicken sauce will eat through your fresh-baked roll leaving you with a soggy mess the likes of which you haven’t seen since your mom didn’t separate out the J in your PB&J lunch back in grade school.

Of course, nothing is certain and this all depends on the interest generated from the survey. Until then, take solace in the fact that Ike’s is still in TCB Courier‘s “Yes, Bro!” zone.

The world-renowned Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is performing at Coda Lounge (you know, that place Stevie Wonder sometimes hangs out) on Mission and Duboce this Friday 2/12. They are a super-fresh modern jazz group out of Oklahoma that now features an instrument you don’t usually see in this genre: lap steel guitar. Check out the video below for a sample.

These guys don’t just pound out standards, they write a lot of original music and their sound is really unique, blending rock, middle-eastern, hip-hop, country, and experimental influences. It’s modern, yet still rockin’ and accessible. No diss to lots of other modern/experimental jazz stuff, but I don’t always like to hear squeaking saxophones and see dudes hunched over effects pedals.

That and any band who uses a Spinal Tap reference in their name is fine by me.

They start at 10pm and the show is $15.

Had the pleasure of sitting down to a peaceful brunch at Boogaloos today.  I never go on the weekends because it’s a veritable shitshow, but on an unassuming Wednesday it can be quite a pleasant experience.  Oh, and look!  The menus are new and shiny instead of those flimsy paper things!

Wait a minute, something isn’t right here.  All the menu items seem to be a dollar or two more expensive than last I remember.  Uh oh.  I hope they didn’t mess with the . . .

Curses!  They did!  What are they thinking?  $4 for a mimosa?  Not quite Foreign Cinema or Beretta prices, but also not a direction in which I am comfortable proceeding.  Am I ridiculously late in discovering this?

Well, at least maybe now it won’t be such a shitshow on weekends anymore.

Quesadilla = Tortilla + Cheese, right?

“Nuh-uh!” says El Salvador:

Sarkarati busted this Quesadilla Salvadorena out at Taco Summit ’10 last weekend. It’s a sweet, pound cake-ish food item, that somehow manages to taste cheesy using grated queso fresco. Try one for yourself for about $3 at La Palma on 24th and Bryant.