Mission Mission

Here’s the deal:

Ladies come in between 4p.m. and 7p.m. Buy a Beer and recieve a Free Taco. Also Ladies recieve 10% off your order from 4-7p.m. Dont miss this Saturday!

Every Saturday. RSVP and invite your friends!

(Thanks, tobogan hinchable Josh!)

Despite the rather inclement weather last Friday threatening to ruin New Year’s weekend, local artists Tim Hon and Steve Ha braved the elements to put some final touches on their 49ers tribute mural on the Walgreens at 23rd and Mission.  Yesterday, their hard work was rewarded with a visit from Niners tight end Vernon Davis, still radiant after helping the team earn their first playoff berth in years, who stopped by to sign the piece and yuck it up with local media.

While not quite as astounding as Taqueria Vallarta’s “batshit insane” Niners mural, the fact that San Franciscans are interested in their football team again is a good thing for the city.  Let’s just try not to riot again if they end up winning it all!

[Second photo by Alisa]

Things you can buy for $3:

• Jimmy Buffett’s greatest hits
• This zine
• A gallon of gas, and then some, sometime soon, maybe

Enticing options indeed, but none of these things will satisfy your stomach like two quick and dirty street-style tacos from Taqueria Vallarta. The 24th Street shop may be closed for pigeon debugging, but that hasn’t stopped the neighborhood establishment from opening a fresh new squab-free spot on Mission next to the 16th Street BART, and they’re slinging tasty $1.50 taco treats like nobody’s business.

The toppings are simple, straightforward, and to the point — all you get are two tortillas, a heap of meat, and all the cilantro, onions, and salsa you care to pile on top. Shown here are the al pastor and carnitas, but if you’re feeling adventurous go for the cabeza, lengua, or crispy deep fried tripitas — they’re all tasty as hell and worth a try.

Finally, a real sign for the Make-Out Room, and a sparkly sequined purple one, at that! Gone is the top marquee sign, with its friendly reminder to show some lovin’ to your sweetheart.

As shown above in animated GIF glory, the sequins’ slight movements in the wind produce an impressive kinetic shimmering effect. Reminds me of the installation inside the SFO BART station entrance:

Or the backs of Alhambra water trucks:

Previously:

• Dirty Thieves renamed Blind Cat because owner lost a bet
• Taqueria Vallarta gets snazzy new signage
• The new Amnesia sign

Reader sinkstuart spotted this NY-inspired burrito at Taqueria Vallarta. The “Manhattan” features carrots, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini. Zing! This is clearly a subtle jab at New York. Well played, Vallarta.

If this menu is a bit too experimental for you don’t worry, head over to their taco corner for tripas, lengua, and cabeza stewing in their juices. Best damn tacos in town, even if they are $1.75 now.

La Vallarta tacos just got a 17% price increase. That means 25 cents, non-math-dude. Up to $1.75 from $1.50.

The title of best tacos in town, in my humble opinion, goes to Taqueria la Vallarta. I have sung praises about these tacos and even admired their surrealist psychedelic mural here before. But last week I walked up to the register with a trio of meat-topped, lard-dipped tortillas and the total came to $5.25. All seven stages of grief occurred in a flash:

1. Shock – WTF? The five dollar bill in my hand can’t cover this!

2. Pain – Is this the end of an era? Has the economy finally caught up with the Mission’s last cheap meal? Is California, indeed, a failed state?

3. Anger & Bargaining – Señor, I assure you this is the first I have heard of this. This is unfair. You should have a sign up, or something. How about I skip the grilled onion, take one less radish and lime wedge, give you $5, and we call it even.

5. Depression, Reflection, Loneliness – Will this be my last taco? Maybe I need to eat more healthy. Say, I haven’t been on a date in a while. I think I have an overbearing mother.

6. The Upward Turn – Hey, looks like I have an extra quarter in my pocket that I was saving for my laundry change jar.

7. Acceptance & Hope – You know what? You guys deserve it. I have dreams about these tacos. I hope my humble contribution brings you riches, sir. ¡Viva la Vallarta!

Seriously, though. They deserve it. But, bummer.

[photo by mioi]

7am-10pm! Does it even qualify as a “special” at that point? Maybe I’m just a square. It’s 2011 and Taqueria La Vallarta clearly doesn’t care what my old-fashioned idea of what breakfast is. That’s cool. Don’t mess with brunch, though. That’s sacred.

What’s next, all-day “happy hour” at 24th Street bars? I hope so.

Rick here has lived in the Mission for two years, and now he’s moving on, to some intersection called 17th and Clayton, and he’s made a list of the pros and cons of leaving the Mission behind. Here are the cons:

Things I’ll Miss About Living in the Mission (specifically 24th and Shotwell):

• The 3 minute walk to BART
• The 40 Taquerias (Papalote and Vallarta, in particular) and the number of dive bars (Mission Bar, Nap’s 3) within walking distance.
• The $3 Four Lokos I can conveniently purchase at the corner.
• The quick shot up to the top of Bernal Hill.
• St. Francis Fountain down the street
• The relative flatness of the Mission in general and being able to get anywhere in the area on my bike faster than a car.

Read on for the pros section, though you should know it begins with a Bébé’s Kids reference.

Whoever is in charge of the artistic direction at Taqueria Vallarta needs to be poached immediately by one of those hotshot tech companies like Google or Twitter.  The guy (or gal) has repeatedly proven to be on the cusp of genius, as evinced by “batshit insane” 49ers tribute mural, as well as the various exterior drawings and aesthetically pleasing color scheme.

Now he’s outdone himself again with another game-changer:  this amazing lit-up pop-out sign that can be seen from blocks away by anyone walking on 24th St.  Depicting a serene ocean scene that reminds you of vacation, complete with lazy seagulls, it also manages to extol the virtues that make this one of the most popular taquerias in the neighborhood.

For instance, top billing goes to the Tacos al Vapor, which are the closest thing you’ll find to the tacos served in Tijuana.  Likewise, a keen sense of knowing your audience is demonstrated by the deft placement of (what appears to be) “Vegan Burritos,” always a popular choice in the Mission.  My only regret is that they don’t mention the champurrado (which makes a delicious treat on a cold night, of which you can be sure we’ll soon have plenty).

SERIOUS BUMMER NEWS. One of my favorite underground acoustic music venues, Bluesix, is shutting down. The owner Joe Lewis is working with the inspector to finish out June concerts.

I had a lot of good times and amazing musical moments at Bluesix and I’m really sad to see it go. It was one of the few places where you could set up a show without jumping through a bunch of hoops with unresponsive promoters, lame restrictions, unfair door arrangements, and unappreciative clientele. The proximity to my favorite psychedelic taco joint didn’t hurt either.

Joe is looking to turn over the lease on 24th and Treat to someone in the community, so if you know someone a like-minded individual who is interested please drop him a line, otherwise it will probably become a lame bail-bond place.