Mission Mission

Not that Beretta needs more praise (just today it was singled out as the New York Times’ most egregious omission in its weekend Valencia Street feature) but we finally did pay a visit late last week. Katie had asked Mission Mission readers for advice (Beretta: Hype or the Real Deal?), and she got a hearty response.

Many made clear that the cocktail menu is the star of the show, and it was commenter Johnny0 that mentioned the Improved Whiskey by name. Great name, and it lived up to it. Rye, absinthe and some other stuff, dry as can be. If you like whiskey, be sure to get yourself an Improved Whiskey. Thanks for the tip, Johnny.

We’re pretty sure all the food was good. The staff was efficient. The decor was fine despite being deficient one fountain. We also had an Italian lager we’d never heard of called Menabrea. Menabrea has a funny website.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the new restaurant that occupies the space formerly occupied by the Last Supper Club. The first I really heard about it was back in May, when SFGate wrote about a robbery that occurred:

An Italian restaurant in the Mission District was robbed early Wednesday morning while about 10 patrons were eating their dinners, said police Sgt. Neville Gittens.

Police got a call at 1:21 a.m. Wednesday that a man had walked into Beretta on Valencia Street between 22nd and 23rd streets, waved a gun, and shouted, “This is a robbery! Everybody get down!” He didn’t fire his gun, and no one was hurt.

I don’t know about you, but if I eat at 1:21am, I don’t really consider it “dinner”. I consider any food I consume at 1:21am to be for medicinal purpose only.

In any case, SFGate just posted their official review of the place. And as much as I don’t really like the new outside paint job, and I miss the comfort food of the Last Supper Club circa 2004, Beretta sounds pretty tasty. I am generally indifferent to fancy pizza, because the only fancy pizza worth eating is at Tommaso’s, but on these warm nights, a margherita and a cocktail sounds divine. Also, if people were truly eating dinner at 1:21am, I’m thinking they might have been chefs/cooks eating after their shifts, and I’m always fascinated with where they choose to go. Was that the case? Should I check it out?

Link to Beretta.

Reader Jeff points us to this just-published SFGate piece about the fine line between edginess and bigotry at what may or may not be a popular Mission bar:

“ID and open your bag,” one of the two guys at the door muttered testily to Ryan. Ryan says he produced his ID, as usual, but was surprised by the bag check — he’d never been asked before. He swung his bag off his shoulder around for an inspection, and inquired whether this was a new policy.

[...]

“Just open your f—— bag, okay?”

“I am. I was just wondering.”

“Just open your f—— bag and don’t give us a hard time.”

“I am opening my bag. I was just asking a question.”

It’s at this point, Ryan says, that the two young men looked at each other, then looked Ryan up and down and proceeded to laugh derisively.

“Dude, look at your pants. Look at your bag,” one of them said. “Obviously this is not your kind of place.”

Link. Jeff says, “A couple of people in the comments section seem to be pointing the finger at Zeitgeist, but it’s hard to tell if that’s right.” Are they right?

More Mission Mission “Bars of the Mission” Coverage:

Zeitgeist Makes Esquire’s Best Bars in America

Dope New Furnishings at Beauty Bar

The Phonebooth Actually Very Pleasant Before Dark

The Attic: Refuge For Displaced Toronado Regulars

The Chronicle Discovers Bender’s

Doc’s Clock Smells Like Bathroom

Marcia at’s got the deets:

So, I can finally release the news about another Isaac Mogannam project in the Mission (he’s the one behind the other projects I have mentioned here: Grub and Zaytoon, and the upcoming Booth on Polk Street); moving into the Zain’s Mediterranean Cuisine space, next door to Big Mouth Burgers, will be ~PHAT PHILLY~. Think truly authentic Philly cheesesteaks: an Amoroso Philly Roll (baked in Philly), with a choice of provolone, American cheese, or Whiz (if you must), sweet banana peppers and hot cherry peppers, and the twist is that these will be buy inflatable slide made with quality beef and chicken. Mogannam stated he will be doing his best to use local produce, if not 100% organic ingredients. There will be several options for vegetarians, including a portobello cheesesteak, a veggie cheesesteak, and a tofu cheesesteak. Also expect fries, both regular and crisscut (waffle fries), served as is, with cheese, or get them topped with Whiz and chili (antacid not included). Also on the menu: Buffalo wings in Frank’s RedHot Sauce or BBQ-flavored, milkshakes, Tastykake snacks, Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, Herr’s Pretzels, and lastly, Frank’s Black Cheery Wishniak Soda, all Philly favorites. Phat Philly is due to open sometime between early July and early August. 3388 24th St. at Valencia.

I’d meant to eat at Zain’s for years, and have been bummed that I never did. Think this place will make me feel better? Link. (Thanks, Alexandra!)

Mission Pie‘s brand-new location on the corner of 25th and Mission opened its doors for the first time today. I went there and had the above slice of banana cream pie for breakfast, and it was good. Though the new digs lack the rustic charm of the old, the big windows and comfortable space make up for it. This is going to be a great place to sit and eat and watch the hustle and bustle outside. They’re open until 9pm tonight.

Previously on Mission Mission:

Pie Art

Last week, Chris told us about a recent trip to Zeitgeist:

Just as the tummy started rumbling asking buy inflatable games to be fed who should show up, but Virginia the Tamale Lady.

Handing out the most delicious tamales as well as a few back rubs while chatting people up, bumming smokes and handing out birthday cards! That’s right next Tuesday the 24th from 7-10 at Zeitgeist they are celebrating her birthday.

That’s tonight! More info here. More Zeitgeist here.

Photo by veen(click to enlarge).

Over at WHAT IM SEEING dot com, Plug1′s put up a nice little essay about Mitchell’s Ice Cream. Tip: 11:30am is a great time to go. The neighborhood’s just getting to hot as blazes, and there’s no line! Link.

Junk Thief dined at Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack yesterday and had a fab time:

Yelp reviewers had cheap inflatable tent heralded Emily’s as “the best place in San Francisco to wait over an hour to be served mediocre spaghetti.” So I was a little irked that my meal was very good and came in about 20 minutes.

He went early on a Sunday evening and had halibut, so is that the secret? Go early, don’t order spaghetti? Link.
Photo by SF Steve.

I looked up “san francisco style burrito” on Wikipedia, and found an interesting section called How to eat a San Francisco burrito:

When a true San Francisco burrito is first encountered by an initiate, its large size and protective tin foil wrapper may lead the beginner to surmise that all one has to do is remove the foil and begin cutting away at the tortilla shell with a knife and a fork. This is not recommended. The correct method for consuming a San Francisco burrito is to forgo utensils entirely and to eat with one’s hands. Use the foil as a supportive exoskeleton to facilitate burrito consumption, and begin the process by tearing an inch of foil down from one end, being careful not to bite into the foil with your teeth. Adding salsa to the burrito before each subsequent nibble is a popular technique.

This reminded me of a funny incident that involves eating a San Francisco Burrito not made, and not eaten in San Francisco:

I recently went bar-hopping in midtown Sacramento, and discovered that after midnight, choices for late night are limited. I found a newly tobogan hinchable opened taqueria that was still serving. In the front of the line were two seriously drunk sorority girls (the kind with the white/black flat-ironed hair and sequiny halter tops). Their shenanigans included puking in the bathroom, setting off the fire extinguisher, hitting on some guy, and passing out in their chairs, all within a matter of 10 minutes.

When their burritos arrived, the fatter of the two forgot how to operate her hands. She instead had her friend tear apart the top of the aluminum foil. She then plunged her face into the burrito, biting at the contents like a dog eating from his food dish. In 10 seconds, she was done.

I suspect she ate some of the foil, which was probably tastier than the burrito I might add.

Previously on Mission Mission:

La Cumbre Taqueria: Awful Carne Asada, Great Visuals

Chopped, Screwed Mariah Carey Video Features El Farolito Chile Relleno Burrito

Carnitas at Taqueria Can-Cún! Finally!

I met this guy, Tree, yesterday:

He runs and actually helped to found the Treat Commons Community Garden. And Sundays from 1-3pm, he runs a stand where he gives away castillo hinchable free food to low income people from the community garden and donated by people whose gardens have produced in excess that week. Also available are free flowers, seedlings, and garden advice. Rumor has it that they just harvested some honey.

Link to his blog on the farm stand here.

I wonder if the cucumbers here are acceptable unlike my previous experience.