Mission Mission

Have you ever noticed how when someone else makes a sandwich for you it tastes better than if you made it yourself? Even if your sandwich-making companion puts exactly the same stuff in the same amounts as you would, it just tastes better when someone else does it.

The same principle holds true for juice. I’m a big green juice fan (exhibit A) and I have a Jack La Lanne power juicer (yup) which I use regularly, but I still find myself drawn back to Sidewalk Juice every month or so to partake in the holy ritual of buying a green juice and then walking down Lexington to see if the disco ball is lit up. (It wasn’t today.)

SWJ is so rad. Even since they took down the little drawings of all the employees, I still love the establishment and all the sometimes-stoney employees. Also, they have frequent buyer cards, so you get every 11^th juice free. Today José took this photo of me so you can see how happy I am about their continued neighborhood presence.

On the way home I saw this guy in an elaborate camouflage coat having an extremely heated conversation about vegetarian spaghetti sauce.

Mission Local is following the progress closely:

Betty and Luna Barrios, the grand-daughters of La Rondalla’s original owner, have toonce again delay the re-opening of their family restaurant. Earlier this week, crews were busy putting tiles in the dining area.

The Barrios have had to apply for a liquor license transfer with Alcohol Beverage Control and that permit is pending.

They now expect to open by June at the latest.

Read on for more pics.

Oh, and it’s all thanks to David Lynch (the sommelier, not the filmmaker). Eater SF reports:

Today there’s more to share on the late Spring advent of St. Vincent. To begin with, chef Bill Niles—who, you’ll recall, comes from Bar Tartine—says he’s nailing down the specifics of a “simple, seasonal, yet modern and creative” approach to wine tavern food. Since the concept is the love child of sommelier David Lynch, wine will be of equal if not greater focus than the food. Niles menu will play into that with French, Italian and British influences, and he worked in the Philadelphia area before moving to San Francisco, so a take on the classic Philly-style pretzel will definitely available. Other items mentioned: a beef shank filled with “deviled” marrow that’s whipped with foie, a mixed roast plate of aged lamb cuts, and a seasonal take on the classic British dessert, spotted dick. Also: an in-house bread program.

Ooh, I like takes on classic pretzels. Read on.

The Unresolved Love Life of Evelyn Lee is nearly here, people! From the official Facebook page, about two hours ago:

Ok, it’s happening tonight. Logos are being banged out by the amazing Micael Klok and we’re and gearing up for a party. It’s gonna get weird.

Can’t wait!

A couple weeks back, we reported on this curious scene outside a neighborhood residence. Over the weekend, one of the culprits wrote in to explain what had actually happened:

Oh dear…this is my front yard. Well, it was before my house was evicted from our beautiful Victorian on 21st Street. We had to toss our condiments in a fury and the recycling junkies spilled a bunch of stuff on the sidewalk in the process of scavenging. We didn’t clean it up because, well, who the fuck cares. We got evicted after all because they sold the house for a cool 900K. RIP 2624. This and the sawed off stop sign moped theft on the corner will go down in MissionMission infamy…

Bummer! (And yeah, that epic moped theft was a doozie too.)

[Photo by Talent Is An Asset]

5 Helens agree: Wise Sons running out of pastrami and corned beef at 1:30pm on a Friday hurts. Get there early folks!

This just might put Humphry Slocombe’s Secret Breakfast to shame. Grub Street reports that some place in North Beach is serving up smoothies that contain banana, bourbon and coffee.

And it’s in the “Fruit & Grains” section of the menu, no less [link]:

Still though, don’t forget to try our extra-special Secret Breakfast trick.

[via SFist]

This is Beretta’s housemade ginger soda. It’s not ginger ale, it’s not ginger beer — it’s ginger soda. And on those rare days where I’m not drinking alcohol, it’s spicy and complex enough to almost hit the spot.

Serious Eats profiles it and a couple other housemade sodas from around town, including Local Mission Eatery’s blood orange vanilla soda, here.

[via Eater SF]

Remember Mexican jumping beans? Kids on the block used to come home from vacation with them. They’d bring them out to the street and everyone would stop hula-hooping or pretending to be a ninja turtle and gather around in wonder and amazement. Can you get those anywhere in the Mission?

In honor of Leap Day, I tried to think of a vegan food that conjures bouncy images, since obviously frog legs and kangaroo jerky are off the menu for me.

These beans obviously are not real Mexican jumping beans, which are neither beans nor vegan (discuss!), but they are spicy enough to give you a little spring in your step. The amount of chili in this recipe won’t make your life flash before your eyes, but if you tend to like things a little milder, count out 10-15 chilies and leave it at that.

Recipe after the jump:

(more…)

I don’t know about you, but we’re pretty confident the Flour + Water chef can put together some bangin’ Italian sandwiches, and now’s your time to find out. The first takes place Wednesday 11:30-2:30 at McNaughton’s Flour + Water (pictured.) If you have a job (or don’t go east of South Van Ness,) there is a second pop-up planned at Clooney’s on 26th and Valencia on Friday evening.

The following sandwich is on the menu: prosciutto cotto, mortadella, pepperoncinis, whole grain mustard, olive tapenade, pickled carrot, wagon wheel cheese, foccacia- $10. Sweet.

[via Zagat]

[photo]