Mission Mission

So cider is a thing now, right? Given the tendency of microbreweries to put creativity above all else, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Think of all those years we wasted on mead and barley wine when we could have been drinking all sorts of cider.

The easiest way to get wacky with cider is move on from apple and pear, and since the first two adjectives that should describe any good cider are “crisp” and “tart,” what better place to start than with cranberries? The Two Rivers cranberry cider, which I tried over the holidays at Shotwell’s, was dry and refreshing, and the cranberry taste was surprisingly muted as opposed to the overpowering sour-sweetness of the juice. They’ve since moved back to apple on tap, although they still have a few bottles of Two Rivers pomegranate in the fridge. If you want to try the cranberry, I think they still have it at Rosamunde, so get it while you can.

Drink of the week is brought to you by Poachedjobs.com.

See them in there? Little smudges of purple in with the seitan. It was kind of like when you put jam on your Monte Cristo sandwich I guess.

Only on the specials board at Bender’s. Keep your eyes peeled.

(Thanks, Jess!)

UPDATE: Vic got a pic of the specials board…

It’s been lying dormant during the cold, cold winter, but the Thursday Mission Community Market at 22nd and Bartlett is coming out of hibernation early this year:

For the next three months, we’ll bring you a small but mighty weekly market, so that you don’t have to wait until April to get all your favorites from our wonderful vendors. Starting on January 17th you can enjoy the following goodness, rain or shine:

• Produce from Blue House Farm, Twin Girls Farm, and K&J Farms
• Freshly caught & smoked fish from Coastside Farms
• Local cheese from Achadinha and Spring Hill
• Ravioli, pasta, & spreads from Home Maid
• Olive Oil from California Olives & Olive Oil (bi-weekly)
• Nuts from Winter’s Fruit Tree
• Delicious baked goods from Marla Bakery and Flour Chylde
• Peter’s Kettle Corn
• Dinner options from 4505 Meats and Roli Roti (plus Onigilly bi-weekly)
• Espresso, hot chocolate, and other hot drinks from Get Goes Mobile Cafe
• Unique screen printed tees, onesies, and more from Animal Instincts

Don’t forget to RSVP and invite your friends here!

If you’re vegan or doing a vegan month like I am, and you miss waffles and all manners of sweet breakfasty foods that usually contain eggs and/or dairy, the Way Out Cafe (at Mission and Valencia) is throwing a vegan waffle party tomorrow, 10am-1pm.

The newly formed Bay Area Coffee Community (BACC) is hosting its first conference, Barista Nation, in the Women’s Building on Saturday January 19.  The event is aimed largely at specialty coffee baristas looking to learn more about the cafe side of the business and sustaining a career in this area.  Talks by roasters Equator, Counter Culture, and Verve as well as several SCAA representatives and other coffee professionals are included in the agenda.

Don’t work in the industry but still want to nerd out with baristas? You’re in luck! The organization is launching a monthly series of Thursday night throwdowns (i.e., latte art competitions) from January 19* through June 13.  The final throwdown will be held right here in the neighborhood at Coffee Bar. Entry is free to the public and there will be food, drinks, and of course some very creatively manipulated steamed milk. See the attached flyer for details.

*The first competition is not on a Thursday.

[via Sprudge]

-Jason Laska

Every time I order a michelada I end up regretting it. There are just not many situations that are well-suited for 20 oz of beer, salt, and hot sauce, and nursing a hangover is certainly not one of them. However, my losing streak was broken when I tried Mission Bowling Club’s take on the classic.

They start with Negra Modelo, which is clearly the ideal michelada beer – bold enough to stand up to the hot sauce and other add-ons, but without any conflicting bitterness or fruitiness. They solve the volume problem by preparing the drink in a small glass and giving you the rest of the bottle to top it off with, so your first sip in strong, spicy, and pungent enough to jolt you out of your morning haze. The additional ingredients focus on smoky, chipotle flavors, and I’m not sure how they get that frothy little head on top, but it’s similarly full of flavor. Oh and also, they put a fucking shot of mezcal in it.

So thanks, MBC, for revealing the beauty of the michelada to me, even if you did have to bastardize it a little.

Drink of the week is brought to you by Poachedjobs.com.

Apparently tomorrow is National Hot Toddy Day. Where in the Mission shall we celebrate?

Furthermore, maybe we should do a big official hot toddy crawl?

[Photo by Olivia]

In this new series about coffee in San Francisco we will highlight worthy new shop openings, lesser known spots, restaurants that make an effort to brew a decent cup, and maintain a curated map of the best places to get the black stuff.

Stanza Coffee recently opened its doors on 16th Street in the mission, across from the Roxie. This is the second Stanza in the city and appears to emphasize coffee more than its sibling in the Haight.

The Mission shop will host a rotating selection of various small roasters from around the country.  They haven’t completely settled on which brands you are most likely to see, but Counter Culture (Durham, NC),  Herkimer (Seattle, WA), and Augies (Redlands, CA) were mentioned as potential regulars. We’ve also seen PT’s (Topeka, KS), Madcap (Grand Rapids, MI), Olympia (Olympia, WA), and Doma (Post Falls, ID) coffees on visits here. What great roasters! Beans are available for retail and you can order v60 pours or espresso drinks at the bar.

The diverse rotating selection of non-local roasts makes Stanza unique among the coffee places in the city. Indeed, there are only a handful of similar such shops in the area, such as Ma’velous (SF), Bica (Oakland), and Modern (Oakland).

We recommend that you check this place out next time you need to pick up a cup before hopping on BART.

(more…)

Our pal Lizzy spotted this delightful-sounding, bitterly cool treat all the way over in Ferndale, Michigan (where apparently nobody knows what Fernet is)! And just earlier this week, Eater reported that new neighborhood bar Trick Dog is serving up Fernet ice cream. I’m expecting that Humphrey Slocombe will roll out a Fernet and Froot Loops-flavored popsicle any day now.

There’s a familiar local restaurant (that is, its NYC counterpart) reference in Elizabeth Wurtzel’s latest polarizing spew of unhappy humblebrag:

But I don’t think I really want to be going to the new P. T. Anderson movie and Mission Chinese with someone new when I’m 85. And I don’t think anyone will want to be doing that with me.

I sure hope P.T. Anderson is still making movies when Elizabeth is 85.