Eats and Beers

An Attempt At Good Pizza?

As someone who used to work in “the kitchen” of a grubby-ass New York-style pizza place back east, I like to consider myself a pizza snob (we’re being honest here).  To date, I think the slice shops in the city straight up suck and have generally lost hope, but that’s because I generally am skeptical of any place that calls itself a “New York-Style Pizzeria” that doesn’t have cooks chain-smoking in the kitchen, a whale of a Italian mother screaming in the backroom, and a proprietor with the last name “Danelli.”  In 9th grade when I worked as a dishwasher in a second pizza place, I learned that men named Luigi are far more juvenile and perverted than any high-schooler could ever dream of.  I place the blame for my excessive use of the words “fuck,” “cocksucker,” and “elephant fucker” on the Greek people.

Anyways, the point is that pizza places in SF sell small, weak-ass slices of pizza and you never feel like you’re going to get a complimentary knife wound with your mushroom + black olive.  Pizza Di Mano, while doesn’t look like a place to get murdered in, does look sufficiently cheap and creative.  It can’t possibly be as good as real New York-pizza because the slices are not as big as a newborn child and the pictures indicate that they premake all their slices (a disgusting practice. Would you eat a premade burrito from Farolito?  Of course not), but could help fill the void in the Mission.  Importantly, if I ate meat, I’d be fucking pumped to try this slice: “ ‘Viva la Mexico’ pizza with chorizo, jalapeno, and chipolte sauce.”

Anyone hungry?

Eater SF has the full scoop, including pics of the pizza.

3331 24th St. at Mission.

Beats ‘n’ Brunch at Bollywood Cafe Looks HELLA TASTY

I didn’t even know that Bollywood Cafe served food.  Damn!  Vegansaurus!, obviously, provides the scoop and insight:

THE FACTS: Beats ‘n’ Brunch is a vegan brunch that happens outside of Bollyhood Cafe on 19th Street between Mission and Capp Streets every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s tasty, you should totally go.

THE SASS: This place is run by a bunch of hipster hippies who don’t brush their hair and wear cropped Hello Kitty t-shirts. Wait, no, I’m talking about a rave. Um, they just dress “different” and wear shit like vests without shirts and bandanas tied around their heads and have definitely participated in drum circles at some point in their lives. What I’m trying to say is: I totally blended.

(read the full review of, you know, the food)

Anyways, I know what I’m doing in an hour.  Peace bitches!

Are You a Sausage?

I’m really digging the brilliant Spy vs. Spy / Phallic food hybrid even I don’t eat sausages (unless they are made with sun-dried tomatoes and wheat gluten).  Can vegetarians be sausage people?  I sure hope so.  Sausage people have the best hats.

Food Network Launching Hipster "Cooking Channel," Missionites Panic

— courtesy of Satan

The New York Times is reporting that the Food Netowrk is creating a spinoff network JUST FOR HIPSTERS.  Look at that sandwich.  That ring of fire probably made it, like, 1000x better.

In another show, “Unique Eats,” taped earlier this month at Bark, a boutique hot-dog shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn, the cameras lavished attention on baked heirloom beans and franks topped with Columbia County sauerkraut.

Sounds super unique!  I’ve always wanted to know what would happen if Emeril would wear a tucker hat.  Anyways, some old hippies back where I grew up used to say this all the time, “The hippie movement never died, all that happened is the trend-followers left.”  What do we think?  Is this the beginning of the end?  Will the cool kids of Valencia - Potrero Ave. make a mass exodus to the Sunset and start wearing board shorts?

Also, I think this goes without saying but, you know, for the fuck of it: will there be vegan options?

Delano's IGA Finally Restocking What Really Matters

I’m knocked out from this cold I have but when the sun peaked through a few hours ago, I couldn’t resist picking up some Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs and some pulp FULL orange juice.  Much to my displeasure, there was only ONE, count ‘em, ONE thing of Simply OJ left and it was without the glory of pulp.  So as I shuffled up to the cashier and sneezed on some cheese, I noticed that they were finally restocking the empty shelves.  I hope your diet consists of consuming PBR, Modelo, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and some year-old Berkeley Farms Vanilla. 

Anchor Brewing Sold to The Griffin Group, Owners of "BrewDog USA, LLC"

Beer Advocate (hat tip to Dolfapedia) reports that Anchor Steam was just sold.  No idea how much they were sold for but they were sold to a company in Marin, so I guess that still counts as local.

My question is this: when will Anchor Lite and Anchor Ice come out?  Ideally, these products would be sold in 30 racks, cost less than $15 and would feature really poorly designed packaging.

Press Release:

THE GRIFFIN GROUP ACQUIRES ANCHOR BREWING COMPANY AND ESTABLISHES ANCHOR BREWERS & DISTILLERS, LLC

Acquisition Continues the Legacy of a San Francisco Icon

(San Francisco, CA) - April 27, 2010 - The Griffin Group, an investment and consulting company focused on beverage alcohol brands, announced its acquisition of Anchor Brewing Company which includes its portfolio of craft beers and artisan spirits, including the award winning Anchor Steam Beer.

The Griffin Group is led by beverage alcohol veterans, Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio, two longtime San Francisco residents who have been working with Anchor Brewing Company’s owner, Fritz Maytag to maintain the iconic brewery and distillery in San Francisco.

“Anchor Brewing Company has a long history in San Francisco and The Griffin Group is ushering in an exciting era while maintaining our proud, time-honored history,” said Fritz Maytag. “Combining Keith and Tony’s passion for the Anchor Brewing Company, their industry experience and expertise only means that Anchor will be enjoyed in San Francisco for generations to come.”

“Since 1896, Anchor Brewing Company has been an icon of San Francisco’s history and culture,” stated Griffin’s Founding Partner, Keith Greggor, “I am honored to bring Anchor Brewing Company into our family of craft beers and artisanal spirits through establishing Anchor Brewers & Distillers, LLC.”

Anchor Brewers & Distillers intends to establish a “Center of Excellence” in San Francisco for craft brewers and artisan distillers from around the world. An epicenter of development, education, entertainment and innovation, all designed to further contribute to the culture and heritage of craft beer and artisan spirits.

“San Francisco is the perfect place to establish this center,” stated Tony Foglio, “Through our extensive portfolio of craft beers and fine spirits our focus will be to educate and satisfy the increasing consumer demand for authentic, quality and natural products that reflect the passion of their creators.”

Continuing the Anchor heritage, Mr. Maytag has been named Chairman Emeritus of Anchor Brewers & Distillers.

The Griffin Group operates as both boutique merchant and investment bank for premiere craft beers and artisan spirits. In addition to the Anchor Beers, The Griffin Group will assume control of the spirits brands including Old Potrero Whiskey, Junipero Gin and Genevieve Gin through the acquisition of Anchor Brewing Company. Additional affiliated companies to be held under Anchor Brewers & Distillers include Preiss Imports, a leading US specialist spirits and beer importer, and BrewDog USA, LLC, the US division of the leading UK craft beer.

The Griffin Group is headquartered in Novato, Marin County, California.

(link) 

7-Eleven Moves into Recession Beer Market; Makes 'PBR for Normies/People Who Do Their Shopping at 7-Eleven'

 

(via HuffingtonPost)

Following in the steps of Trader Joe’s ‘Simpler Times’ (and perhaps Ed Hardy beer, or Dan Akroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka??? [k, not really]) 7 Eleven is introducing their own in-store brand of beer under the “Game Day” moniker, slinging tall-boys at 2 for $4.  

Apparently, 7 Eleven is the third largest retailer of beer in the United States.  Trying to stake a claim in that market with a discount brand of their own seems like a smart move.  On the other hand, 7 Eleven tried this in 2003 with Santiago, which failed to compete with beers like Corona.  

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