Mission Mission

Reader George S. has noticed that people keep declaring PBR dead. George disagrees. He says PBR is alive and kicking and wanted to share this photo — taken at Bender’s — as proof.

Thanks, George!

Update: A clarification.

Late last night I got a text from Andrew saying he was in the hospital and in need of a ride home. I was like, “Dude, I’m in NYC, you know I’m in NYC, are you okay?” I waited hours for a reply.

Apparently, Andrew went to hit up that Vietnamese pop-up street food spot he wrote up so delightedly yesterday. He showed up a little late though, and they were nearly out of the snail pho he was so excited over. Somehow — and this I do not condone, so it’s all kind of his own fault — he managed to use his blogger cred to cut the line.

Somebody recognized him, the crowd figured out what was going on, and a little brawl ensued. Somebody grabbed his pho, there was pushing and shoving and shouting. And then he found himself falling backward over one of the restaurant’s little red stools, and onto another, at just right (wrong) angle. Hence, one severely dislocated shoulder.

The mob relented and apologized profusely and got him a ride to the hospital. He heard at least one person say, “I don’t know what came over me.” Somebody even tried to give him back his pho, but he’d lost his appetite — probably because of the epic pain.

The worst part is, we were counting on Andrew to come up with this year’s Mission Mission April Fool’s prank, but this morning he was all, “I’m not feeling very funny.” So I don’t know what we’re gonna do.

Kind of weird, but Ween are probably down with it, and Erika says it’s bomb. I’m gonna try it.

That’s right.  Snail pho, along with a few other Vietnamese street food delectables at the latest pop up occurrence of Rice, Paper, Scissors, happening at 6pm tonight until they run out (it always does) at 20th and Shotwell!  Check out this ambitious menu:

• Thousand Year Old Egg with Pickled Shallots and Silken Tofu
• Water Fern Cake
• Imperial Rolls
• Snail Pho with a Tomato Broth
• Green Papaya Salad with Duck Confit - veggie option w/ fried tofu -
• Handmade Pate and Charcuterie Banh Mi
• Mung Bean Sticky Rice
• Coconut Sorbet with Black Sesame Powder

Seriously.  Follow this delightful duo on twitter so you know when the next one pops up!

Perhaps Vic, just back from Vietnam, will be able to tell us just how authentic it is!

[Photo by PizzaHacker]

[Photo by 雨笙]

Ti Couz is about to close its bright blue doors forever, meaning that if you want a crepe, like, right now, go grab one while you still can. Inside Scoop reports:

Apparently, it’s a certainty that the popular creperie will be calling it quits, but there’s no farewell date just yet. The party line is only that it will be soon, though it’s undetermined, but could be “any day now” (but “probably not tomorrow”).

So what’s next for this prime spot of real estate? A new brunch spot perhaps? Read on.

Au revoir Ti Couz, and to your delightful wares, we salute you.

[via Eater SF]

[Photo by Jezcab]

Being the last stop on an all day Bloody Mary crawl is a little bit of a bum deal (hello drunk?), but Benders was able to hold it’s own with it’s now famous Slim Jim infused Mary.  You heard me right kids — a real life snackable meat stick conveniently settled next to the green beans and to the right of the straw, all for your noshing pleasure.  Delightful!

Besides having one of the best accoutrement’s on the tour, the Mary was quite delicious and drinkable.  Not too spicy, not too chunky, and the vodka-tomato ratio was just right.  According to the notes from some Crawlers, they’re huge fans of the horseradish addition, as well as the overall presentation of the drink, and of course, the Slim Jim.  We also received feedback stating that not only was Will a very capable and friendly bartender, but also very cute as well.  I don’t know if that affected the scoring or not, but hey, doesn’t hurt!

Overall, Benders, whether drinking Marys, taking whiskey shots or eating tots, is a great place to spend some time, make some new friends over rounds of drinks, and watch Arizona completely blow it against UConn in the Elite 8 (yes, I am still upset and no, I don’t want to talk about it).  Most importantly, get the Bloody Mary and snap into that Slim Jim.

Stop number 3 of the day was the newly renovated Zeitgeist and their classic Mary’s –they haven’t changed a bit, and apparently nor has the bars disdain for taking photos (my bad).

The thing I like about the Mary’s here is that they’re exactly what you think of when you think of a good ole bloody mary.  They’re refreshing, great balance of spice and heartiness, it really hits the spot after a night on the town.  As one Crawler put it, they’re “surly but good on a nice day”.  I second that one!

The bartender manning the shaker was a really nice dude, which is contrary to 98% of things you’ve heard about the bartenders at Zeitgeist, and he was good at his craft.  Very efficient, heavy on the vodka, no extra fluff necessary.  Bonus points for having Street Fighter 2  in the bar,  nothing makes me happier than good Marys and kicking some butt with Blanka.

[Photo by Mike Chino]

There’s a reason Elixir calls their weekend bloody mary special a “vodka salad bar”: at your disposal is a rack full of spices, a cabinet’s worth of sauces, and there’s nothing to stop you from shoveling a plate of pickled veggies into your pint. The historic saloon’s extensive spread of ingredients makes it the perfect stop for those looking for a liquid lunch in a glass or complete control over the minutiae of bloody mary mixology.

Suggested listening: Journey – Any Way You Want It

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Our first stop on the tour was also one of the most popular suggestions in the comments back when we posted about this ludicrous idea, and  the reason for this soon became apparent as the 500 Club steadily filled to capacity within minutes of our arrival.  Rachel, the resident bloody mary specialist, attracted quite a following and the cheerful patrons contributed to a raucous atmosphere despite the early hour.  By 12:30pm, it was almost like there was a party inside, and it was clear that many of patrons were regulars who made it a mission to visit every Saturday.

We had prepared for the event by specifically abstaining from breakfast because that’s the whole reason why a bloody mary exists in the first place (right?).  This was a wise decision, as Rachel’s bloody proved to be the ultimate “breakfast in a cup” and basically ended up being an alcoholic salad.  All manner of vegetables found their way into the mix: celery, pepperocinni, olives, pickled green beans, asparagus, and even okra (!!??!!), among others.  However, the real draw was of course the bacon, and not some thin wimpy bacon either, but a nice thick slab of crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside sustenance-providing bacon that provided a solid absorbent for some of the early alcohol.

Also notable about Rachel’s bloody was the spiciness factor.  There was a solid kick of pepper to help rouse your senses and the zest of the vegetables and tomato disguised the taste of the copious amount of vodka in the drink.  Some commenters complained that this was spiciness for spiciness’ sake rather than for taste, but we didn’t find it to be too overwhelming.  Rachel also made use of what the Elixir bartender revealed was the secret ingredient, which was Old Bay spice, so aspiring bloody mary mixologists should keep that in mind for future concoctions.

In all, the 500 Club provided a solid start with what many felt was the best bloody mary in the city, and also managed to nourish us sufficiently before we continued on our tipsy journey.  There’s a real sense of community there every Saturday morning, and we could definitely see ourselves coming back here next week to join in on the fun again!

[Photo by Erika]