Mission Mission

The Wordwide Vegan Bake Sale is happening this weekend.  Not to get all spammy about vegan pastries, but I’m hoping to score some free cupcakes for propping the event.  Besides, there is something inherently awesome about a wholesome bake sale happening on the same corner of Capp St. notorious for muggings and shootings.

Sunday.  11am-4pm.  24th and Capp.

Vegansaurus! has all the details.

Found at Humphry Slocombe by sirgious.

(link)

If you haven’t tried SF Vegan Tamales yet, get on it.

They have an inactive Twitter account, but Manu says they may start using it soon.

It appears the heated debate over Mission street food being “trendy” or not is settled.  SFoodie brings us news that Fox Searchlight is promoting a new movie by giving out free street food.  I can only hope Fox pays Crème Brûlée’s fine when the cops shut this down.

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Go spoil your appetite and support a new local bakery Sunday afternoon (1-4pm) in front of Little Otsu (Valencia n’ 20th).

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"Oh, you're soo witty."

It looks like “Pi Bar” will soon be filling the space left by Suriya Thai.

“I got an odd letter in the mail today, informing me that a new alcohol purveyor was opening on my street. Well, sure, I’ll take another one of those! Reading further I found out that this new establishment will be called Pi Bar and is setting up shop at 1432 Valencia—also known as the space where Suriya Thai used to be.” (link)

Outrage Machine: If you feel like getting all riled up, the uppity Vegans over at vegansaurus! are already lobbying the owners to introduce some Vegan options.  Eh, I personally think people should call for them to repaint the awesome elephant that was formerly outside the building.  Or, you know, eat Zantes.

(hat tip vegansaraus!)

For all of the C.H.U.D.s in the Mission, be sure to check out the new wine bar that just opened in the basement of Limon Rotisserie.  Urban Daddy checked out “Lounge at Limon Rotisserie” and brings news of their rotating South American and Spanish wine list and “South American–style debauchery.”

This subterranean spot is a supper club meets Studio 54 version of a wine bar, where you can get your ceviche and lomito saltado fix from the restaurant upstairs but in a moodier setting (read: dim lighting and a DJ spinning salsa), then sit back with a bottle of cava or Malbec (or both).

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I love a soyrizo burrito as much as the next person, but where's the love for Cancun?

After the New York Times travel section spent a weekend in the Mission last fall, today they decided to come back to the neighborhood for their “Save or Splurge” section.  Naturally we are the neighbor to “save” money in and the rich-folk are advised to steer clear and head to North Beach.

In a daring move, the NYT decided get involved in “the great burrito debate.”  Sure to incite controversy, they named El Farolito, El Metate and Papalote the three spots to get a “great burrito.”  Also, the word is now out on Little Baobab and their awesome hibiscus margaritas.

Looks like there is a new edition to the Mission District Sugar Rails: Xanath Ice Cream just opened on Valencia at 21st.  An iPhone picture of the menu indicates that everything they sell is organic, the prices are in-line with most other Mission Ice Creameries and their flavors are generally fruity (with the notable exception of Saffron).  Of course, the name of the place (and logo) would indicate Vanilla is the flavor to try.

(Photo Yelp.com)

Sexy Soup Cart got busted by the cops last night.  Good thing!  Nothing is more criminal than vegan Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup.

SF Weekly’s SFoodie blog called it Thursday:

What’s the likelihood that city authorities will stage a crackdown on scofflaw entrepreneurs, especially in the face of mainstream buzz? Conversations with officials from both the police and the Health Department suggested that while the city doesn’t currently seem to have much appetite for busts of vendors like Curtis the Crème Brulee Guy, Cookie Wag, Amuse Bouche, or Sexy Soup Lady, the possibility of future action is real.

Richard Lee, the city’s director of Health Regulatory Programs, told SFoodie that action against unlicensed vendors almost always comes from the police. “Anytime we see or know about a violation, we report it to the police,” said Lee. “They can shut the vendor down, and a lot of the time they might confiscate their food.” The Health Department has some two dozen inspectors crisscrossing the city to perform inspections of restaurants and other permitted facilities. When they notice a street vendor they suspect of being unlicensed, procedure calls for them to alert the cops.

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Early last month, Lee’s department was reportedly monitoring vendor tweets about when and where food sellers would show up to do business. He said it informed officers at Mission Station about suspected illegal sales. (link)

That said, Sexy Soup Lady speculated that last night’s bust might have not been provoked by City Hall, but by neighbors:

Cops were kinda cool (warning, no fine)…seemed like they were called by Linda St. residents. Have to find a new spot… StealthSoupCart.;) (link)

With hate potentially coming from multiple directions now, it will be interesting to see if the more production-oriented carts like Sexy Soup and Magic Curry can survive while dodging the police and regulators desperate for their absurd $10,000 permit fees.  Unfortunately, it sounds like more mobile street food vendors, which can easily evade the police, will be the only game in town in a couple of months.