Mission District

Cooperative Fails to Save Adobe Books, Farewell Reading Scheduled For Next Week [UPDATED]

Update Mon. 1/14 @ 8:30: A couple of commenters assert that Adobe's closure is remains uncertain, despite the scheduled farewell reading at the shop itself. We've reached out to multiple contacts at Adobe, but are yet to hear anything official back.  However, someone associated with the co-op told us that the “lovely chaos” of Adobe created the confusion and that they are still in negoiations with the landlord, as well as raising money.

Similarly, the farewell reading's Facebook event has been updated to also reflect the uncertainty surrounding the news of Adobe's closure.

Original Article: 2012 was a turbulent year for many mainstay Mission businesses, but none quite so rocky and rumored as the fate of Adobe Books.  Confronted with doubling rents, it was first made known in the early spring they were closing—only they never seemed to shut down.  Then, in October, the shop announced it was becoming the Adobe Books & Gallery Cooperative, with the hope that a new business model and strategy could save the store by the new year.  However, success with the new model seems it was never found, as the cooperative's Facebook group was shut down on Wednesday and a trio of Mission literary heavyweights announced yesterday they'll be holding a “farewell reading” for the shop Wednesday next week:

As you may know, the Adobe Bookshop on 16th Street is going out of business. Adobe has been in its present location for 23 years, and it has been an important place for writers and artists in the Mission: a venue for readings and art openings, a meeting place for readers and writers, a focal point for the life of the neighborhood — and a bookstore where you could find some great obscure surprising book at any time of day or night.

It would be wrong to let Adobe go without saying goodbye. On Wednesday, January 16th at 7pm, three great San Francisco writers will read in the bookshop, to celebrate Adobe's long existence and the generosity and kindness of its proprietor, Andrew McKinley. The readers are Stephen Elliott, Rebecca Solnit, and Michelle Tea. It should be an amazing and memorable evening. Please come.

Tragically—but perhaps fittingly—the aging Clarion Alley mural of Lone Star Swan, the homeless poet often found sleeping inside Adobe or feeding pigeons out front, was also completely destroyed this week.

Of course, every cloud has a silver lining, and the cause for optimism here is that Alleycat Books, now over a year in business on 24th, seems to be going strong and also has a fine events space in the back of the shop.  With that, the organizers of Adobe's farewell reading note, “admission is free, but space is limited, so you might want to come a few minutes early.”

[Facebook]

Reclaimed Wood: Still a Thing

If you thought reclaimed wood was going away anytime soon, you best think again.  Grub Street has the details on just how reclaimed this wood is:

Over at West of Pecos (550 Valencia), they put up some new, reclaimed barn wood on the exterior yesterday, adding to the faux Western air of the place. As co-owner Dylan MacNiven tells us, the wood comes from a 150-year-old tobacco barn in Kentucky, and they'll be putting the finishing touches on it today.

Fresh!

[Photo by West of Pecos]

A Disturbing Account of an Attempted Rape at 23rd and Guerrero

Following the string of brutal rapes in the fall of 2011 at the hands of Frederick Dosier, a.k.a. The Mission Rapist, everyone in the area has been left on their toes.  And, thankfully, the vigilance helped one woman escape a recent attack, just over a block away from one of Dosier's most violent assaults.

This woman's story has been circulating on local email lists and is now making its way onto neighborhood blogs, via Noe Valley SF.  As of right now, there are is no police sketch of the suspect, nor a verbal description.  However, details are still emerging.

Emphasis is ours:

If you're getting this email its because you are a female friend in my circles, live in my neighborhood-ish, or have a large circle of women friends. I wanted to spread the word of what happened to me so hopefully you and your circles can be more aware, street smart and vigilant about your personal safety.

On Saturday evening I was walking home from a friend's potluck through the Mission when I was attacked - an attempted rape. I was actually being quite conscious of those around me due to the fact that I'm heading to Nairobi in several weeks and personal safety has been on my mind. As I turned up 23rd Street, I noticed a man walking to me that 'zero-ed' in on my presence, locking eyes on me. There was no side street to turn down, and I didn't want to turn around, exposing my back to him, so I kept walking. As we neared each other, I tried to walk around a tree quite close to the curb, before I could do so he lunged at me.

He knew what he was doing and how to attack someone. He went first for my eye socket with his thumb and put his other hand in my mouth to stifle my screams and slammed me down to the ground. He was using the hand in my mouth and on my jaw to try and slam my head on the concrete, presumably to knock me out. Once I was down on the ground he straddled me pinning down my arms. After about 15 seconds of struggling just to avoid him knocking me out, I was able to use all my strength to surge up on my right side to unpin that arm. Since I'm a climber, I'm strong, and I don't think he was expecting this and was unprepared for that maneuver. Luckily through this move and some biting, I was also able to get his hand out of my mouth and started screaming - first just yelling and then screaming for help. I struggled with him while screaming and trying to avoid him knocking me out for another 30s until a couple in a house several houses down the street threw open their window and turned on lights. This scared him away.

The cops came and while we drove around looking for him for awhile, we were unable to find him. This means that someone who clearly knows how to attack swiftly and effectively is still out there in our neighborhoods. This happened at 23rd between Guerrero and San [Jose] - the fringe of the Mission and Noe.

I'm incredibly lucky that I had the strength to keep him from delivering a knock out blow and to fight for so long until someone came to help. I'm incredibly lucky that those in the houses around me didn't fall prey to crowd think and assume someone else was going to help. I'm walking away from this with a bruised eye, scratches on my face, road rash on my shoulder and sore/bruised back, shoulders, jaw and ribs. It could have been significantly worse.

I wanted to spread this around not to try and get attention or your sympathy, but to hopefully make you aware of the fact that attacks, and 'bad things' can also happen to people in your circle. We live in a big city and the best thing you can do is be incredibly conscious of your surroundings at all time. Please - walk in groups, or with a male friend, take taxis and dial up those street smarts…

Feel free to send this around to other females that could benefit from a dose of reality.

Be vigilant, everyone.

[Noe Valley SF, via Patrick Connors]

Walmart in the Mission?

Last month, we learned that Fresh & Easy, facing profitability issues, wouldn't be filling the supermarket void Delano's closing left in the Mission.  Reports at the time were light on the details as to who might buy the location, but, according to Monday's Chronicle, speculation is now mounting that Walmart could take over:

“The strategic review of the business has just started; there are no time frames or predetermined outcomes,” said [Fresh & Easy] spokesman Brendan Wonnacott. As of now, “it's business as usual for all our stores” - except for the unopened ones, like the 16,200-square-foot store at the long-vacant Delano's site on South Van Ness Avenue in the Mission.

Tesco has hired New York M&A specialists Greenhill to shop Fresh & Easy assets around, and Walmart, which is looking to open as many as 115 smaller-format “neighborhood markets” nationwide in 2013, has been mentioned as a prime candidate.

“We can't comment on any rumors or speculation, but we're always looking for opportunities to serve customers better,” said Walmart spokeswoman Delia Garcia. “We do think there is a need for affordable fresh food in the Bay Area.”

The report also mentions Berkeley-based Grocery Outlet as being interested.

The idea of Walmart moving into the neighborhood seems impossible, especially given San Francisco's hostile reputation towards such corporations. However, given the relaxed attitude towards megaretailers within the Lee/Newsom administrations, it seems doubtful there would be any downtown opposition towards such a move.

[SFgate]

Finally, Fernet Flavored Ice Cream Comes to the Mission

Above is the Home Depot-inspired drink menu for Trick Dog, which happens to be a new bar in the Mission vying “to be a neighborhood place, what bars used to be” (whatever that means). And while that looks nice and all, the real highlight here is their booze/ice cream fusion desert they're serving each and every night until they kick you out.  Eater fills us in:

[Bartender Josh] Harris spearheads the “inventive” food menu, available until 2 a.m. nightly. It includes a Scotch egg wrapped in salt cod, Buttermilk-fried sweetbreads with peach-apricot sweet-and-sour sauce, and—this was bound to happen eventually—Fernet ice cream made with creme de menthe and toasted cacao nibs.

Your move, Bi-Rite.

[Eater]

Finally, a Dedicated Grilled Cheese Restaurant Opens in the Mission

Admittedly, it seems pretty preposterous to get excited about a sandwich famous for being on every kid's menu ever.  Even more preposterous for an entire restaurant to be dedicated to it.  But American Grill Cheese Kitchen is here, serving up a whole mess of grilled cheese sandwiches (and maybe some other stuff too), and it has me not the least bit embarrassed to admit I paid $10 for bread and cheese.

As you can see in the Pulitzer Prize worthy photograph above, it's pretty damn good.  It oozes in all the right places; just soggy enough in the middle without sabotaging that burnt crunch on the bread.  Plus, it leaves behind a nice big pile of grease that sends you into a wonderful downward spiral of self-loathing and regret.

[Normally this is the part of the post where I would lament over what was displaced by American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, but as anyone who ever gastronomically accosted by Cafe Gratitude can tell you, there is absolutely nothing lost here.  Moving on.]

It's worth noting that this place is not without its faults.  For example, your sandwich doesn't come with tatter tots, which is bullshit.  Second, your sandwich comes with a complimentary clementine, which tastes absolutely nothing like tatter tots.  And there were no juice boxes in sight.

However, they do serve beer, and they most certainly make a good grilled cheese sandwich.  So do your lactose intolerant belly a disservice and head over to 20th and Harrison nowish.

(Oh, and for the growing Mission juggalo community family, they're even serving up Faygo. woop woop!)

Dust Off Your Headshot: DijitalFix is Hiring Sales People

Ever want to break into in the exciting world of retail sales?  Do you aspire to be the talk of the town as you thanklessly hawk dubstep massage chairs to rich people?  Do stores whose elevator pitch are “Sharper Image meets Valencia Street” represent your life's aspirations?

Well, it's time to sex up your headshot, because DijitalFix, Valencia's latest audio boutique, in hiring.

Uptown Almanac reader Samuel, who notes, “this is the dumbest shit help wanted ad ever,” forwards us along their minimum requirements for basically minimum wage employment:

SAN FRANCISCO STORE SEEKING AWESOME STAFF

Now hiring passionate, inspired sales people with specialized interest in music, technology, photography, art + design. We are looking to kick off our dedicated & exclusive staffing with team members who can fit into the aesthetic and concept of the store while adding their own distinctive style. We need sales people who are confidant and great with customers, intelligent and responsive to changing trends in the field, motivated to maintain the look and effectiveness of our unique store, and above all, COOL PEOPLE who are easy to be around and fit in to our team just right.

You must have some expertise in ideally all of the following areas: music + music tech, art + graphic design, photography, gadgets + new technologies.

Since our staff is small, we are looking for someone who will not only be our employee, but also our friend, inspiration, and authority on their own distinctive style. That said, please include answers to the following questions:

1. Favorite record of all time
2. Biggest inspiration in the field of technology
3. Biggest inspiration in the field of photography

In addition to these questions, please include a resume + cover letter, and a photograph of yourself. No applications will be considered without all of these requested assets.

Do you have the distinctive style and requisite cuteness for the job? If so, shoot off your resume/Pinterest profile to jobs@dijitalfix.com.

Good luck!

[Photo by conniepwu]

Mission Predictions For 2013

Well, that's it, folks. 2012 has been over for multiple days, and what a year it was.  Woody Allen came to town and made us feel all warm and tingly in our lap parts, the Giants won the World Series, also making us feel all warm and tingly in our lap parts, Jesus himself brought Old Style into various Mission bars, rents only went up 29%, we put Cheetos in burritos (delicious!), and SFPD rudely kicked our beloved beer salespeople out of Dolores Park.

Come to think of it, 2012 was a pretty medium year.

But 2013!  A whole 365 days of triskaidekaphobia-inducing possibility.  What will the year hold for our small chunk of San Francisco?  The team here at Uptown Almanac (and a few of our friends) tackle that very question.

I'm up first:

  • Mark Zuckerberg packs up his flip-flops and moves to Oakland, noting “The Mission has changed, man.”
  • Oakland moves to Fremont.
  • Locals vote to change the name of “Dear Mom” to “Dear Lord Have Mercy.”
  • Jello Biafra caves and launches a pirate-themed synth pop project, The Dread Kennedys.
  • Bi-Rite introduces “Dolores Park Bathroom” ice cream flavor, people eat it anyway.
  • In an effort to boost employee morale, Google replaces notorious fleet of shuttles with a carefully curated, rotating armada of food trucks.
  • Every empty storefront to be replaced with a Chase Bank.
  • Chicken John assumes the middle name “And Waffles.”
  • We'll go two damn months before some stupid flash-mob pops-up and ruins my entire year.

@BuffBro:

  • Owners and employees of the more 'legitimate' taquerias in the Mission, finally having taken enough, form a vigilante mob and destroy Tacolicious, The Little Chihuahua, and other high-end Mexican restaurants in what will be known as 'TacoNacht'. Police will stand around “unable” to stop the carnage.
  • Due to “shitty dusty weather - seriously, what were we thinking?,” Burning Man relocates to Dolores Park. Projected camp sponsors include “Drum Circle Weirdos,” “Gross Dubstep Guy,” “Cold Beer / Cold Water” and “Dogs.”
  • By the end of 2013, the sidewalks of SOMA to be officially replaced with a city-approved mix of discarded socks and poop. While residents are initially resistant to the idea, this surface absorbs broken auto-glass easily, and the city moves quickly to expand pilot programs on the basis of public safety.

Alan F:

  • The average character length of bar names increases threefold.
  • DJ Purple to headline The Knockout.

Quonky:

  • During Dolores Park renovations, ecologists testing the soil will discover “Dolo mud” is actually not mud at all, but a mixture of spilled beer, burrito stubs, cannabis crumbs and fecal matter.
  • Due to the Valencia restaurant moratorium, would-be restauranteurs will be forced to vend their purportedly artisanal wares from late night street carts, resulting in organic Scottish/Ethiopian fusion vegan sandwiches being peddled alongside the stalwart churros and bacon-wrapped hotdogs.
  • Muni will still suck.

Sierra Frost:

  • Chris Owens from Girls quits his new solo project to pursue a band with literally no members.
  • Tasteland, a new recycled taste store to open on Valencia where newcomers can buy the record collections, art, and clothing of the people they've priced out of the neighborhood.
  • A Mr. 24th Street competition to be held for charity. Proceeds go to anyone who doesn't have an iPhone yet.
  • Zuckerberg quits Facebook to open a bar. Facebar.
  • Production slated for MTV's newest reality show, “Valencia Dads: The New VD!” VD follows the high-drama, deeply entangled beards of SF's wealthy young procreators. Filming locations to include: a traumatizing trip to Paxton Gate's taxidermy emporium, shopping for nice vintage leather-bound baby stuff/infant poetry reading at Viracocha, divorce court.
  • Allan Hough quits Mission Mission to found Mission Mission Mission: A blog about bicycles riding bicycles and taco-flavored cupcake parrots. RSVP and invite your friends!
  • SF's tourism department launches new “Coffee Tasting Tours” in the Mission (this isn't a joke and a 100% real prediction).

[Photo by Holly Allen]

Hobo-Chic Soda From The Fizzary

Now that the holiday season is over and you're, like, “never going to drink ever again,” might I recommend heading over to our very own soda emporium The Fizzary and getting your hands on one of these “drive-in style” root beers?  Not only is the label covered in the finest dog/hot dog artwork I've ever seen, the drink itself is criminally delicious.  Plus, if you knock back the whole bottle in one sitting, it'll make up the caloric deficit you'd otherwise suffer by not getting drunk.

Only three bucks!  Doesn't come with one of those cool “$2 out the door” stickers.

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