Mission District

Which Taco is Worth Dying For?

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

16th Street is pretty shitty for tacos, no doubt.  But if you were a gang member of the MS-13, the gang that controls the northern part of the Mission, would you consider the limited selection of tacos crappy enough that you'd cross into enemy territory for a delicious 24th Street taco?  According to the SF Weekly, they do just that.  In the Weekly's “Insider's Guide to the MS-13 Gang,” members would “dash” onto 24th for tacos:

10. You can cross into rival gang turf — for a tasty taco.

In one of the more bizarre moments of [former MS-13 member Abraham] Martinez's testimony, he said he'd venture into the heart of [rival gang] Norteño territory on 24th Street to get food at one of the taquerias. “I'd make a dash for it, in and out really quick. Or I'd have someone go for me.” Try Yelping that.

In a follow-up post, they looked into the court transcript to see what taquerias are worth the risk, but there weren't any good answers:

Phillipsborn: There are some taquerias on 24th Street you like? There are times you'd go in disguise to get some food?
Martinez: That's incorrect. I'd make a dash for it, in and out really quick. Or I'd have someone go for me.

The Weekly conjectures that Martinez would head to El Farolito, Taqueria Vallarta, or La Taqueria Guadalajara.  I'm pretty certain it was Papalote.

Ti Couz to Become a Pittsburgh-Style Sandwich Shop?

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Inside Scoop brings us the word that Ti Couz, the crepery on 16th and Valencia whose closure is imminent, could be replaced by North Beach's Giordano Bros.:

Giordano Bros. — the North Beach “all-in-one” sandwiches spot — has filed a liquor license application for 3108 16th Street. Curious, no? But that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal by any means; after all, Giordano Bros. did the same for a Union Street space that never happened. But it could very well be a precursor nonetheless, and the Giordano concept — sandwiches, beer, music, etc. — would appear to be a good Mission fit.

Good fit, indeed.  There's nothing we like more than music, beer, and a giant sandwich.  Plus, their sandos remind me of the KFC Double Down, not because they use chicken for bread, but because just looking at one makes my arteries clog with vomit.

[Inside Scoop | photo by Liz Dunn]

Mission Burger to Return in the New 17th Street Bowling Alley (!!!)

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Tablehooper brings us news of the latest developments surrounding the new Mission Bowling Club:

It’s going to be called the MISSION BOWLING CLUB, and is opening in spring 2012 at 3176 17th Street, near South Van Ness. And here’s who is going into the restaurant portion of the project: Anthony Myint (behind Mission Street Food, Mission Burger, Mission Chinese Food, and Commonwealth). His menu will feature the Mission Burger (you remember that bad boy from the Duc Loi supermarket?) and other “technique-driven comfort food.” And true to Myint’s form, a portion of sales will go to local youth-related charities.

[…]There will also be a sunny outdoor patio and covered bicycle parking. Hours will be Mon-Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 12pm-2am. (Family bowl will be from 12pm-7pm on weekends; 21+ on weekdays.

For those of you who don't know, Mission Burger was the insane burger shop inside Duc Loi that made one of the best vegan burgers I ever ate. The ketchup was served in individual packets stolen from McDonald's.  The fries were greasy.  It was the jam.  But despite the hype, the burger stand never made it: they ditched their signature vegan burger after a few months for various reasons and then shut down entirely a few months after that.

But now I get to bowl, eat vegan burgers, drink beer, hang out on an outdoor patio, and not have to deal with kids under the age of 21?  Is it 2012 yet?

[Tablehopper]

Previously on Uptown Almanac: 

The Mission Gets Sketchy

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Sketchcrawl recently rolled through SF and sketch artist Pete Scully spent the bulk of his time drawing the Mission, hitting up popular spots like New Mission Theatre, Dolores Park Cafe, Mission Dolores, and El Toro.  He also noted that “Valencia Street is full of art and artists, drink and drinkers, food and eaters, and interesting folk.”  Couldn't have said it better myself.

Be sure to check out all of Pete's prime sketches and the drawings from the other artists on the crawl.

Hack Pierogi Amongst Broken Computers and Power Tools

— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |

Pierogi are all the rage these days.  They're the new pie, which was the new cupcake, which was the new Otter Pop.  Perhaps this recent San Francisco obsession is because The City isn't home to a bunch of Eastern European immigrants.  Maybe we're just bored of Mexican fast food and eating food on the street when it's 55 degrees outside.  Either way, Vegan Hacker, a monthly vegan culinary workshop that takes traditionally omnivorous recipes and veganizes the shit outta 'em, picked up on the recent trend and is taking on pierogi tomorrow.  And perhaps better than learning how to make your own pierogi is the fact that all this goes down at Noisebridge, the Mission Street computer hacker space full of some broken shit, some working shit, and some robotic shit.  Really, I cannot think of a better backdrop for such an event.

[Vegan Hacker]

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