Mission Mission

Some friend of The Tens (not pictured) says Anchor Steam tastes like earwax.

At first I was like NO WAY, but then I was like MAYBE, and finally I was like SO WHAT, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THE TASTE OF EARWAX.

Is it true? Anchor Steam sure tastes like somethin’ or other. What is it exactly if not earwax?

Photo by Orin Zebest.

Previously:

Anchor Steam in Berlin

And will now just be kind of sad.

RIP Al Ross, founder of Doggie Diner.

As of 14 minutes ago, at Humphry Slocombe.

I stumbled upon this custom radial map of some guy’s favorite burrito joints and their relative distances from his home. From the looks of it, it’s a map of Santa Clara:

Her son Greg, then 29, had recently introduced her to the “My Maps” plotting feature on Google maps. “He suggested that it would [even] allow me to map his favorite burrito joints, and I took him at his word,” says Brown. “I had radial maps in my head; they seem the most primal, symbolic kind of map. And yet–here’s the beauty and elasticity of maps–perfect for burrito joints!” Wondering about those Korean characters at the bottom? They’re a nod to Greg’s wife, who is Korean. The translation: “I love burritos.”

This looks like something we’d see on Burrito Justice; I’m surprised Johnny0 wasn’t consulted. Although in the Mission we’d definitely have to use feet instead of miles.

(via National Geographic)

Victoria K. sent us word of this story in the Wall Street Journal.

In 1999, the Mission’s Casa Sanchez offered free lunch for life for customers who got tatt’ed up with the restaurant’s iconic Dr. Strangelove-inspired mascot. The media caught wind of the offer and facing potential financial ruin, they capped the promotion.

Well, if you weren’t one of the lucky 50 people that got in before the bust, it’s on again. Ms. Sanchez says it’s a ‘recession special’. Get your ass down to Black and Blue now and beat the rush.

Doña Tere must have liked the Tijuana taco stands as well, but she wasn’t around to let me sample her fare.  Anyone ever try the tacos at this place on 21st and Florida, across the street from Pirate Cat Radio?

And Taco Bell, are you listening?  When I mentioned shrimp tacos, this is not what I was talking about.

Perhaps Broke Ass Stuart has the answer?

Previously: Mission Taquerias Need to Step it Up

This, and the full linguistic deconstruction at MrEricSir.

Concerned Guajolote breaks it down:

Just to quantify there are 2800 hits for “pico de gallo” in the .mx domain, referring mostly to a kind of fruit salad, and 2000 in the .co.uk domain; by comparison there are 263,000 hits for “chile en escabeche” in .mx and precisely 1 in .co.uk. “Pico de gallo” is a bit of a gringo shibboleth, not sure why. Anyway it is good to see attention to the severe mexican food shortages in the mission, tacos are not personally where I would put the emphasis (you can kind of get them in spots), but we are really lacking in the following categories, where the percentages are market share/availability:

Fondas: 20% in Mexico, 0% in Mission
Tacos: 30% in Mexico, 15% in Mission
Quesadillas*: 25% in Mexico, 0.0000% in Mission
Restaurantes: 10% in Mex, 3% in Mission bc of places like Regalito and Poc Chuc
Puestitos: 15% Mexico, .5% Mission

Quite a market niche, whoever wants to bring the other 80% of Mexican food to the virgin streets of the Mission.

*By quesadilla I mean some ingredients wrapped in masa and dropped in a fryer and that has either huitlacoche or flor de calabaza

Is it too late for Mr. Guajolote to make a run for mayor?

Previously:

Everything You Know About Quesadillas Is Wrong

Well would you look at that. For as long as I can remember, it’s been “Bomb y Ice Creamery“. I guess they they got sick of Spanish-speaking folks asking for explosive ordnance with a side of ice cream.

Anyone get pictures of it being installed?

Previously:

All-You-Can-Eat Indian Buffet Now at Bombay Ice Creamery

This one is easy.  Instead of wasting time with salty peanuts and stale pretzels, why not take a page from the book at Tropico’s, a classy Tijuana joint?  Here we have caliente peanuts, wafers smothered in Valentina hot sauce, and Japanese peanuts.  Bartender professionals, we can make this happen, right?

[Photo courtesy of Phil Strnad]