This dude just used a CHAINSAW at 11pm to cut off the boot from his car out front of my house. Smart. vine.co/v/bt5AA0tFjdg

— Emily Proud (@emproud) April 10, 2013

(Thanks, Lizzy!)

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While NYC may have us beat when it comes to pizza and bagels, there’s still no denying how difficult it is to get a truly decent burrito on the East coast.  Even if you manage to find a supposedly reputable spot, chances are you’ll walk away with a flimsy imitation wrapped up by some skinny-armed hipster (or even worse, THIS crime against humanity).  It seems like every year there’s a new taqueria claiming to offer that exclusive Mission burrito experience no matter how disappointing previous attempts have been, and B’klyn Burro is the latest to give it a shot:

Like Tony Bennett, I left my heart and my appetite in San Francisco’s Mission District.  But now San Francisco Mission burritos are coming to Brooklyn with a taquero (burrito/taco chef) from one of the most respected taquerias in the game. Bite into one of our amazing burritos and you’ll be teleported to 24th and Mission, San Francisco. Food this good needs to be on both coasts.  Well guess what, IT IS!

From the looks of things, this place will only be popping up at select locations this week rather than going the brick & mortar route, so any New Yorkers curious to test its authenticity better hurry up.  I expect a fully-detailed report!

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[via David Enos]

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You can complain about how Tacolicious on Valencia Street is ruining the flavor of the hood and gentrifying the fuck out of the place all you want, but just be grateful that we don’t have an Urban Taco Fabricator like they do in LA.

Yet.

[Via Vice]

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Drink of the week: travel edition continues with a dispatch from Buenos Aires, the only place I know of that likes Fernet Branca anywhere near as much as we do. (My relatives from Italy, Fernet’s home country, don’t go near the stuff.)  Here in BA, it’s mainly mixed with Coke and consumed in the hours between dinner and sunrise. After a few tries, though, I’ve convinced bartenders to pour me a shot. “Sin coca?” “Si, sin Coca.” “Sin hielo?!?” “Si, sin hielo.”

I’m half convinced it tastes different, and better, here in Argentina. It’s smoother, slightly less mouthwashy, and it still dries your mouth out, but not quite so violently. It’s produced domestically here, so it’s certainly possible. But maybe I’m just imagining things. One thing is exactly the same as in S.F. though – out of the people I’ve spoken to, no one can explain why they drink it.

[photo]

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

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Since American Tripps has been on walkabout over the last couple weeks, and I’m leaving the country tomorrow, it’s time for Drink of the Week: Travel Edition. While Tripps was in Portland, word came back of the Sore Loser, from bartending celebrity Jeffrey Morganthaler. (I’ve been meaning to make Morganthaler’s tequila and sherry egg nog for years now – hopefully this year I’ll finally get it done.)

The Sore Loser is bourbon, peach liqueur, sherry, pernod and bitters.

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

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Some news from our pal Lizzy (who recently left California, incidentally):

I was just in a coffee shop with a lot of succulents and salvaged wood, serving Stumptown Coffee, and overheard someone saying “what I’ve heard is, if you leave California, you have to get used to not being special anymore.” [link]

Yup. Guess I won’t leave.

[Shirt by Cool Try]

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The Bold Italic is taking San Francisco on tour, showing off a bunch of the best of SF to our neighbors up and down the west coast. It’s called the Bold Rush and it kicks off tomorrow:

Between Friday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 7, we’ll be caravaning from Southern California to the Northwest with a few of our favorite San Francisco treats to share with our sister cities, including local goods in our pop-up shop, an art show curated by Dan Johnson Lake, Vietnamese spring rolls from Rice Paper Scissors, and Berlin-style ping-pong with American Tripps. We’ll also be collaborating with like-minded locals, including Poketo, Syrup Jeans (members of Beachwood Sparks), M’Lady’s Records, Eyes + Edge, Paxton Gate Portland, Hand-Eye Supply, Imaginary Authors, Hardly Art, Artache Market, Don’t Talk to the Cops!, the Maxines, and others.

(Emphasis ours.) RSVP and invite your friends to the Los Angeles event here, Portland here, and Seattle here.

During this period, the Bold Italic will be featuring content by writers from each of the other cities too, so us San Franciscans can get a taste of them while they get a taste of us.

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Chris Six seriously wants to know.

[Photo by Carina]

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Late last night, completely inexplicably, a reader identifying himself as Some Guy in North Dakota left a message on our Contact Us page.

I have been reading your website all evening. I didn’t know I could connect to websites on other friggin’ planets.

Being from North Dakota, all I can say is “Wow”. Maybe I should include “Whew!” WHAT IS IT WITH YOU PEOPLE???

There are about as many people in this entire state as there are in SF. The few that dress/act/talk/think like you folk get put in our State Mental Hospital.

I am stunned. Amazed. (mostly stunned).

Is there something they put in the water there? What’s the deal?

I just do NOT get it. [link]

Me neither! But thanks for reading!

[Map by Google Maps]

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Dang, and you thought Mission rentals were bad. In Nob Hill, you gotta pay $450 a month for half a bed:

________ Looking for a full time male employee or student who is a currently working or studying professionally,clean, responsible, respectful and trustworthy ( prefer morning shift ) ideally someone with less belonging and less stuffs

*** Perfect location for business traveller / short term visitor / new commer / someone needs a temporary place before moving on / or who currently work and study closed by financial district / someone travelling locally or around downtown San Francisco

At least there are some partition pillows to enforce stay-on-your-side, but ‘cmon. The guy could at least get his shit together and get a bunk bed.

[Craigslist via CurbedSF]

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The world burrito tour continues!  When MM reader Keturah checked out the previously mentioned Dolores Burritos in Berlin last summer, he came away slightly unsatisfied by the experience.  Not looking to repeat that ordeal, he decided to try something new:

This summer, I have discovered Taqueria Ta’Cabron!  The burritos are pretty huge – an order of guacamole and a burrito is plenty for two people to split.  There are a few odd things about presentation, though.  For starters, the burrito is wrapped in paper, kinda like a doner kebab.  Sour cream is served on the side.  Everything is spiced perfectly, although it could really be saucier (the salsa, etc is also served on the side).  The beer selection is not as fancy as Mission Delores (Dos Equis & Corona), but they do have a HUGE selection of tequila.  Located in Kreuzberg (a neighborhood not unlike the mission), it seems super popular with Americans, and the staff speaks Spanish as well as German and English. The menu also offers tacos, enchiladas, tamales and tostada de ceviche, though I haven’t gotten past the burritos and guacamole – maybe next trip!

Apparently people have been saying good things about this place, so I suppose it’s worth a shot if you find yourself in the area but tiring of schnitzel and soljanka.  At the very least, it beats the burritos in Paris!

At the very least, it’s way better than a Paris burrito!

Previously:

• This is a burrito in Korea
• On the other hand, this Korean “burrito” was damn good
• NYC ‘burrito’
• Guten Tag! Mission Burritos in Berlin!

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This gal Amanda knows:

I was looking forward to a real summer afternoon of day drinking, sunbathing, and perhaps a hot dog or three. I wore a yellow dress and brought some weed and a bottle of bourbon. When I arrived I was greeted by a random dude who guided me to a palm and bougainvillea-soaked backyard.

There were so many grown-ups and screaming toddlers. Despite the fact that I’m no longer a teenager and have bills, I don’t consider myself a grown-up. The difference is slight to the naked eye, and is definitely more philosophical, but it’s there.

There is a tone of voice in grown-ups. Much like that Hollywood accent in old movies, grown-ups talk about stupid things in a stupid tone. They also have small children, whom they dislike greatly, and speak to as if they were programming a robot.

I struck up a conversation with an elderly man who was manning the grill. We talked about The War. I slipped away to refill my drink and almost tripped over a tiny little boy named Oliver.

I dropped to my knees in order to see his eyes. “Hi Oliver”.

He looked at me and took my hand. Oliver led me to the punch bowl labeled Adult Lemonaide. His sticky hand lifted the ladle and he moved it around slowly in the punch, enjoying the sloshing sound.

Read on for Oliver’s mom’s reaction and the life-affirming conclusion to the whole episode.

[Map by Google Maps]

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Earlier today, Andrew stuck his nose up at a Korean rendition of our official neighborhood dish. Fortunately, that burrito is not representative of all burrito offerings in Korea.

This is a burrito from the Taco Habanero truck in Hongdae, and it was one of my favorite things in Seoul (and there are a lot of good things in Seoul). This wonderful grilled tortilla pocket is filled with seasoned rice, kimchi, Korean BBQ, and the tastiest habanero salsa.

Yeah yeah, I know what you’re thinking. It’s not a burrito. It doesn’t look like a burrito, at least not in the cylindrical form we all know and love. And yeah, there’s no beans. And there’s all that Korean stuff. Fine. Geometry, semantics, and content aside though, this “burrito” was so freakin’ delicious.

Here’s the truck, in case you’re ever in Hongdae and happen to work up an appetite.

[Photos via Taco Habanero and just_a_cheeseburger]

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While we’re on the subject of burritos in other countries, our pal Ashley reminded us about her first experience with a burrito in Korea.  Let’s see what we’ve got here:  Kidney beans, steamed white rice, lettuce, cabbage, sliced olives, and melted cheddar all contained within a rather hastily wrapped tortilla.  I suppose that if you were trying to describe a burrito in the most basic sense to someone who has never seen or tasted one (“yeah dude, it’s easy–just rice, beans, cheese, and some veggies in a tortilla”), then it’s conceivable that this is something they could come up with.  On the other hand, just no.

Previously:

• This is a burrito in Paris

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