Mission Mission

Well, for everyone that was ever bummed that the Onion never put any of its local content online, now is the time to rejoice. Decider Bay Area launched this week, and today my first feature is up. It’s a Q&A with Toronado proprietor Dave “Big Daddy” Keene. In it, Dave gives us the scoop on Duvel Draft and the all-new lower-alcohol Saison Dupont, and the real story behind his first Belgian. Big thanks to Jesse for the photo, too. Link.

Tonight Self Edge hosts a little party celebrating style, motorcycles, vintage stuff, and maybe even blogging. There’s a blowout 15%-off sale where you can also get a free really expensive shirt just for spending $200 on other stuff. Blogger Paul d’Orleans (A.K.A. The Vintagent) will be in attendance. And they’re pouring some kind of locally brewed beer. Link.

In like 10 minutes. Sorry about the short notice. (Thanks, Eve!)

On Monday I had the privilege of hanging out at Receiver Gallery while artist Porous Walker put the finishing touches on his exhibition Me vs. Me, opening Saturday.

The show is made up of a lot of charming drawings like the above, as well as a wealth of conceptual junk lining every wall from floor to ceiling.

There are massive monoliths made of millions of plastic Happy Meal toys, there is a Jenga gag for the ages, there is a slightly modified pool table ready for play in the center of the room, and there is a souvenir rack. All prize packs are free (even the ones that contain cold hard cash):

I expect there will be beer and maybe cookies by Anthony on hand for tomorrow night’s opening. And if you’re lucky, Porous will read your fortune. Mine on Monday? “Don’t eat Trader Joe’s food for a week! If you do you will experience THE MAVERICKS OF DIARRHEA. You know what the Mavericks is, right? The surf contest?”

Ohhh.

Thanks, Porous.

Says Pirate Cat‘s Yuri G.:

actually, it’s a CatWalk Sale. But whatever. Trying to bring back the spirit of the Mission Creek swap meet (but without the stolen CDs).

That pair of birdhouses on the wire on 19th Street apparently have counterparts in a number of cities all around the world. Artist Rhys Newman hatched the idea, and enlisted Raphael Grignani to be his San Francisco representative.

Grignani tells the whole story here.

(Thanks, Britta!)

Last night, my friend Branden hipped me to his favorite trick. Taqueria Guadalajara has a dinner plate called something Alambres. It includes a mass of grilled peppers, steak and bacon, along with rice beans and other fixings.

Branden discovered you can ask to have it all rolled up in a burrito. Same price, wholly different experience.

Anybody else have any off-menu favorites?

This is not a call to action.

Previously:

Pickle Shop Sign Vandalized

Mr. Pickle Stolen!

Just in case anyone was wondering why Noe Valley *Buzz* is MY FAVORITE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD BLOG, allow me to enumerate the ways in which I adore their account of an epic arrest made at Dolores Park on Saturday. (They get -1 for tardiness, but who cares really?)

1.) They call the J-Church “the Jaaaaaaaaay Church.”

2.) Pure poetry: “And dood, this mo-fo was HANGRY! Probs sick from the hospital jello or maybe he had the Methadone Munchies but he was fixing to rob a b*tch of their picnic snacks from Bi-Rite like craaaaaaaaaaazy.”

3.) They censor “bitch.”

4.) Their take on the SFPD? “Legit. Tax dollas at work.”

5.) They love the truffle guy as much as I do: “He’s delish tho, brown and stoned. We thought he was Brazilian but he denied it…just really really hot.”

6.) How about this killer photography? I like the “Noe cop” cradling a bag of groceries.

I mean, the best I could muster was this Twitter tweet, but they delivered a joyful, action-packed feat of storytelling. They’re delish.

However, they do claim Dolores as part of da Noe. What do we have to say about that?

Link.

San Francisco State University’s Golden Gate [X]press (wow, that rolls off the tongue almost as good as “Mission Loc@l”) this week published a nice little love letter to Thrillhouse Records, one of our favorite Southern Mission stalwarts:

The economy may be in the toilet, but that isn’t slowing some young concert goers from seeing their favorite bands shred licks and scream through choruses. Au contraire: Bay Area music fans are continuing to be a part of what the underground punk scene has always been about: all-ages, do-it-yourself shows.

Link. It’s not quite as awesome as their Fat Mike profile from a couple months back, but it’s a good read.

Previously:

Thorns of Life Rock Thrillhouse

Thrillhouse Toilet Graffiti: Little Bo Peep