Mission District

The Urban Eating League is Coming to the Neighborhood (And is Looking For Some Additional Hosts)

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Do you like eating? Hanging out with 30+ of your friends and neighbors? Cooking a big-ass meal without spending a dime?  Not having to leave the neighborhood?!  Well, the Wigg Party is (finally) bringing their famed Urban Eating League (UEL) out of the civility of the Lower Haight into the wilds of the Mission District and they'd be stoked for you to get involved and chow down with them.

Wigg Party MC Morgan Fitzgibbons (who you might remember from that delightfully brutal take down of C.W. Nevius' cycling journalism a few weeks back) fills us in on the details of UEL:

In case you aren't familiar, the Urban Eating League is the underground community dinner we at the Wigg Party produce. We find 5 hosts sites (homes/apartments) within walking distance of each other to cook a locally-sourced meal and create a dining experience. Then we get 30 people to sign up as Eaters ($20 a head to pay for the food) and organize them into 10 teams of 3. Each team goes to all 5 sites, sitting down with a different team at each site (there are 2 teams = 6 people at each site during all 5 rounds). After all sites have been visited, the teams grade each host site on food, creativity, hospitality and execution. We tally the scores and declare a host site champion (we line up prizes for all the hosts sites no matter how they finish) - there is also a prize for best team, as the teams are expected to have a theme, dress up, get creative, and be silly.

But as a primarily Lower Haight-based operation, the Wigg Party's network of hosts in the Mission is a little sparse, which is where you come in.  They're looking for sites between 18th-24th and Dolores-Treat (although are considering sites just outside of that range) to help with their March 25th (from 5-9pm) event.

And why would you want to host?

Lots of reasons. You get to practice/show off your culinary skills (with all the food being paid for). You get to meet 30+ fun people over the course of the evening who are all coming into your home with gratitude and trying to do their best to make you smile (singing songs and giving gifts is pretty standard from our teams of eaters). You get the thrill of competition and potentially being crowned champion (although nobody goes home without a prize - typically a gift certificate from a local merchant). AND, as a host site, you get preferred entry into future Urban Eating League events as an Eater (always a tough ticket and guaranteed to sell out).

Should you want to learn more before diving in, the SFBG wrote them up last year.  Otherwise, email Morgan directly to get involved & host a table.

Inside Berlin's Premiere Mission-Style Taqueria "Dolores California Gourmet Burritos"

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |


Our pal Rhiannon may not be Latino, but she grew up in The Bay and has been eating Mission burritos her entire life.  She's even got a tattoo of Casa Sanchez's Jimmy the Cornman on her arm, earning her free burritos for life.  So when it comes to sizing up the world's taquerías, we generally trust her judgment.  And lucky for us, Rhiannon is in Berlin right now and happened to swing into Berlin's “Dolores California Gourmet Burritos” taquería, sending us these photos and a brief, presumably drunk, cellphone-scribed review of the joint:

The Burrito was pretty good, all things considered. The beef was wrong (adobo), but the chicken was spectacular. Salsa was good, guacamole was out of this world. But it was wrapped in paper, not foil, which made it way hard to eat.

They even had Anchor Steam, but we had German Lager, a Hells. Some Bavarian brewery.

Artwise, there were a couple odd things, like how they used an old map with the 26-Valencia Muni line on it.  And they put the map sideways, so it followed 18th St from Twin Peaks and the Haight to the bay, rather than focus on the Mission. Also, that California flag with the Berlin (get it, Bear-lin? It took me three days to figure out why there were so many bears. But I've been drinking a lot) is amazing and I need to find it.

Oh, and the white fuse box behind [the guy in the first pic] there? That's Shotwell's. My amusement knows no bounds.

Apparently there is a second one by my friend's house, so I'm going to go by there tomorrow and see if it's the same. It's like a TGI Mission's!

A few hours later, this grim note landed in our inbox:

FYI, I found the other Dolores burrito. It's about 1/3 size of the first one, about the size of an actual taquería, totally slammed.  And the map on the wall is, I swear to god, the Marina.

Yikes.

[Thanks Rhiannon! / Last photo by qype]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Talk to the Cops About Bike Theft

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

I'm guessing the majority of the readers of this blog would rather drag their naked bodies down a Mission Street sidewalk than talk to the cops about anything, but for the few of you that wouldn't mind, this community meeting to discuss bike theft in the Mission could be really valuable!  Or not.  I haven't been to the meeting yet.

That's right, on March 29th at 6:30pm in the Mission Station Community Room, SFPD will hold a meeting “to promote an open discussion between bicycle advocates, community members and the San Francisco Police Department on how to better respond to bike theft, current practices and how to better protect your bicycle.”  Yes, they want to hear your thoughts on their response to bike theft.

For those of you not already fast asleep on your keyboard, let me just say that it's nice to see SFPD stepping up their game in this department.  Sure, their current practices of fuck-it-let's-put-this-stupid-motherfucker-into-a-coma and creating a recovered bike database are great and all, but it's not helping anyone I know get their bikes/wheels/saddles/handlebars/spokecards back.  Perhaps something good will come of this?

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Burger Joint Moving to 21st and Mission?

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

At some point in the recent past, the Burger Joint signage was erected on the side of this bodega on the corner of 21st and Mission.  Does this mean they're moving in, even though they have a place on 19th and Valencia?  Seems like it would be a foolish plan, considering I've never seen more than that 5 or 6 people I saw in the Valencia location that one time it was 80 degrees out and the line at Rhea's was too long for a half dozen suckers.

Not that you'll find me complaining about having to walk a few less blocks to get their sweet potato fries.  That liquor store hella sucks anyway.

Legit Vietnamese Sandwiches Coming to Duc Loi

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

At least, that's the word from a tipster to Eater SF:

A tipster spotted a sign in the window of Duc Loi Supermarket (2200 Mission) advertising the arrival of “duc loi kitchen coming 3/15 - 11am-7pm” with “sandwiches.” “Authentic Vietnamese” options will be offered among other things.

I would head over there right now to corroborate the story and gather some additional details (like, for example, will they have bánh mì and will it be delicious?), but it's raining outside and that's hella cramping my style.  So in the meantime, let's just speculate as to what the level of deliciousness this might be and hope La Niña gets bored and stops sending us rain by Thursday.

[Eater SF]

SF Giants Film Disappointing Commercial in the Mission

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Not going to lie, I'm wicked disappointed in this ad.  Back in February, I was promised the Giants were filming their 2012 season commercial in the neighborhood, but it looks like much of it wound up on the cutting room floor:

Sure, Willy’s Barbershop, Nice & Clean Laundromat, Mission Ink, and Clarion Alley all make appearances.  But where's the promised shots of Giants fans scarffing down burrito in Taqueria Cancun?  Or perhaps Tim Lincecum chowing down with Ganja Treats? And isn't that Russian Hill in one of the shots? Gross.

At least they're incorporating the old Sparks branding into their 2012 artwork:

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with this Goddamn Lucky Charms Ice Cream Sundae

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Say what you will about Humphrey Slocombe (I've certainly said my bit), but this sundae sounds fucking fantastic:

Humphrey Slocombe’s Black & Tan Sundae: Guinness and Harp ice cream topped with Bailey’s fluff & Lucky Charms.

I'm slightly bummed they couldn't work the pot of gold stereotype into this by way of a shot of Goldschläger or a dash of Warwick Davis's blood, but not bummed enough to keep me from shoveling five of these in my ever-fattening face.

[via the humblr tumblr]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

Friday Night's Shooting at 23rd and Shotwell SF's 9th Homicide of the Year

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Mission Local reports:

A 39-year-old man is dead after being shot inside a car Friday night, police said. At around 7:22 p.m., SFPD received multiple calls about shots fired around 23rd and Shotwell streets. The victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

The victim’s vehicle had collided with another vehicle, which was unoccupied, police said. After the EMTs took the victim away in an ambulance, the police searched the neighborhood for hours, a witness said. As of late Friday night, police could provide no suspect description or motive. [Read on]

As of yesterday afternoon, much of the crime scene (two wrecked cars, broken glass everywhere) remained at the intersection, as well as a small memorial that sprang up.  A sad scene, indeed.

[via SFist]

Viral Marketing for Controversial 'KONY 2012' Campaign Arrives in the Mission District

— By Zach Perkins |

This actually took longer to appear than I had expected. Over the weekend, a bunch of lazy graffiti imploring Mission residents to 'STOP KONY 2012' popped up along the 24th St corridor. But the intended message of this graffiti is as confused as it is ugly. Forgive my semantic anal retentiveness, but Invisible Children's campaign to bring Joseph Kony to justice is called 'KONY 2012', not 'STOP KONY 2012'. And considering the high degree criticism and scrutiny IC's campaign has received, you can't help but ask who is actually behind this graffiti and what their message really is.

  • Was it elitist San Francisco pessimists who want to discredit Invisible Children and the 'KONY 2012' campaign's call to perpetuate the cycles of regional violence and neocolonialism in Africa? Because they literally want to 'STOP [the] KONY 2012 [campaign]'? The kind of people who can't appreciate the sincerity of an awareness campaign that has fostered more involvement, however cursory, from apathetic American youth than ever before?
  • Or is this just the work of misinformed armchair activists? Kids who watched a viral YouTube video, had a good cry, and then let some advertising campaign shape their worldview for them? People who bought a 'hella swag' t-shirt for $30, which is enough to buy an Ugandan Army soldier/rapist a new Kalashnikov so he can 'kill Joseph Kony/commit his own atrocities'? 

Either way, whether you're for or against Invisible Children's KONY2012 campaign, its methods or its message, it doesn't matter what you think. Read about the history of the conflict. Read about the state of current affairs. Read about the background of Invisible Children. Most importantly, read about what Ugandans themselves think of KONY2012 before you decide that you, and the San Diego-based Invisible Children, know what's best for Africa. Do this, and then make an informed decision about who to send your money to, and how you can most effectively and directly help Uganda, even if it's not the trendy choice.

Wise Sons Jewish Deli: Not Kosher, But Most Definitely Hipster

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Kosher Jews (or, if you are familiar with the comedic stylings of Larry David, Woody Allen, or Lower East Side grandmothers, “Good Jews”) are bummed—bummed!—that the premiere Jewish deli in the Mission is not kosher, as the taker of the above photo observed, “fffuuuucccckkkkkk bacon this sucks.”, nevermind, we're idiots (and, in my case, vegetarian, so please excuse my bacon-pastrami-prosciutto-italllooksthesametome ignorance).

A few weeks back, Grub Street also got curious about the lack of kosher certification and spoke to the owners of Wise Sons to get their thoughts on the matter:

[While] we know that keeping kosher hasn't been important for some of the biggest, most long-running Jewish delis in the country (Katz's, Canter's, Langer's), we thought we'd ask co-owner Evan Bloom for this thoughts on the issue. “For us Jewish Deli has always been a cultural eating experience,” he says. “Judaism and kashrut [Jewish dietary laws] are not intrinsically linked though we do choose not to serve shellfish and pork.”

Uh, isn't bacon pork? (We're still idiots). Well, no matter.  In the Grub Street mini-interview, Evan goes on to explain that their meat is more “ethically raised” than the kosher equivalent at the same price-point, so they opted for the animal-welfare over certified kosher.

Anyway, should you find yourself born a goy, or just unconcerned with 'keeping kosh', might I recommend trying their challah french toast?  It'll change your life, and by change your life, I mean you won't stop eating it until you balloon 20 pounds and people cease finding you sexually attractive.

A worthy cause of obesity, if I do say so myself.

[Thanks Ben!]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

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