Mission Mission

Ramona has a new technique:

Lately, when I’m walking somewhere alone at night, and I get a little nervous, I’ve taken to walking really fast and glancing at my watch a lot.

It probably works. If you’re in a hurry, someone’s probably expecting you, so you’re more likely to be missed, and a posse is more likely to be formed. Anyway, read on.

Photo by Adam Sanchez.

This is a still from Jordan’s Hand, a new film by David Enos and Mishell Stimson. Watch it if you love San Francisco, acting, news reports, British accents, fashion or prosthesis.

Everybody, meet SanJalisco, formerly known as Los Jarritos.  MM reader Mark P. stopped by this weekend and noticed something was amiss:

Just stopped by Los Jarritos at 20th and South Van Ness, a great family restaurant that’s been at that corner at least 20 years. Sign on the door says they’re changing their name. I asked why. They said they’d been sued by the Jarritos soft drink company.

Indeed, despite the fact that owner Dolores Reyes opened the place back in 1988, around the same time that multi-national Novamex started importing their drinks to the US, and that jarritos themselves are actually small earthen clay pots popular in Reyes’ home state Jalisco; the beverage maker nonetheless remained undeterred to ensure sole possession of the name even after losing an earlier court decision in 2007. 

Reyes, lacking the considerable legal budget enjoyed by Novamex, couldn’t afford to keep up the battle in court, much less the $50,000 that the corporation wanted in order for the small restaurant to keep its moniker, and eventually decided to relent and change the name.  In all, it appears that almost 30 similar restaurants around the country with some version of Jarritos in their name were targeted.

You’d be doing yourself a favor by going to stop by and show your support thanks to the delicious menu featuring breakfast chilaquiles and other fabulous platano creations.  Pair that with their refreshing michelada for a fantastic hungover Sunday brunch that gives Boogaloos a run for its money.  Just don’t expect them to be selling Jarritos sodas anymore, though.

Great article on this over at the SFBG

[Outdoor Photo by Michael N via Yelp]

[Food Photo by vegansaurus!]

The Salvadoreño Market.

Little Otsu.

Which is more appealing? Personally, I think the blue one is the better deal.

Fancy tea drinkers enjoying the wonderfully warm Sunday afternoon on the patio of Samovar Tea Lounge at 18th and Sanchez were unceremoniously jarred from their leisure by the rear end of a Mercedes SUV.  The driver apparently suffered a stroke while behind the wheel, causing her vehicle to roll backwards down the steep hill of Sanchez directly into the popular corner cafe.

One patron sitting outside was pinned against the wall and sustained a broken pelvis, but others sitting inside only suffered minor abrasions from the shattered glass flying everywhere.  Deigning this to be real news, ABC Local has a cute video about it with interviews from eyewitnesses like a Samovar server and the owner of Urban Bread who noticed the SUV rolling by and picked up the phone to call 911 as it crashed across the street.

Let’s hope everyone is OK and recovering (Samovar Tea Lounge included).

[Photo by Jsong, via Uptown Almanac]

This is by far, in the three plus years I’ve been doing this, the piece of street art I’ve been most thrilled to post.

Meet SWOMP THANG, a modern monster with modern problems and modern sensibilities.

Courtesy of our pal Penelope P.

Hey, Lucifer is responsible for this picture. Of a toilet at the Lex. That wants you to sit on its face.

Takers?

Previously:

Lexington Disco Ball

One of these days I’m going to force myself to make it over to that flea market at 15th and Mission next to the Kink Armory.  San Franciscans seem to love waiting in lines, be it for allegedly killer sandwiches, hip new restaurants, or bathrooms at Dolores Park. 

I wanted to check it out Thursday morning, but that robust line managed to dissuade my desire while also calling into question my San Francisco-ness.  Obviously there must be some great deals to be found there besides stolen bicycle frames (oh wait that’s the Laney College Flea Market).  

Have any of you dear readers ever braved the line?  What’s the coolest thing you’ve managed to find?

If you were the type of kid that had a White Out checkerboard pattern on your Jansport backpack in the 90s (guilty, here) you’ll probably recognize Karina Denike from her early gig as a lead singer for the Dance Hall Crashers.

Since then, she has been hanging out in San Francisco playing less-skankable tunes with groups like Mr. Lonesome and the Bluebelles, the Cottontails, and Eight Legged Monster. In my humble opinion, she’s probably got one of the most powerful, virtuosic voices around and a vocal delivery that’s JUST SEXY. You really have to see her live to know what I mean.

Ms. Denike also writes her own pop-y, quirky, singer-songwritery stuff, which is what she’ll be performing on Sunday at the Rite Spot Cafe on 17th and Folsom. She will be joined by her band, her harmonium, and the also insanely talented Lily Taylor. Show starts at 8pm.

If you can’t make that, Karina will also be singing with the Cottontails at Revolution Cafe Saturday night from 9-12ish.

(By the way, she loooves talking about the Dance Hall Crashers and is not embarrassed by it in the slightest.)

Critical Mass riders demonstrate that, yes, their bicycles can come to a complete stop at an intersection… if they want them to.

Apparently, this was part of the 15-year anniversary event. Consider yourselves more aware of cyclists now!

[photo by |\\ |) |=]