Mission Mission

Has it really come to this?  On one hand, I kind of admire her spunk and outside-the-box thinking.  It’s soooooo damn difficult to find anything on Craigslist these days.  I had a room open up in my place and got over 100 responses to my Craigslist ad in the first few hours before I made like Gordon Ramsey and shut it down.

On the other hand, this is really depressing!  Anyway, check out the FB page and offer any advice/condolences/hate here.

It’s the first Friday of the month, and you know what that means! And no, I’m not talking about some silly art walk.  It’s time to break out those saddle shoes and get your butt over to one of the best dance parties in town going off at the Knockout tonight!

Sadly, I just sprained my MCL playing soccer last weekend and the doctor said NO DANCING for 6-8 weeks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the fun!  Don’t forget to RSVP and invite your friends here.

And lest you assume this to be an old photo, check out the marquee for Warhorse on the side panel (Aug 2 to Sept 9). Of course, this may also just be another ghost bus sighting. Spooky!

Been watching the Olympics and looking to get in on the action?  Check out the Halberstadt Fencers’ Club on 17th and S. Van Ness, which besides having one of the raddest murals in the neighborhood also serves as the training grounds for local Olympian Alexander Massialas!  The next time your dumb jock friends try to tell you that everyone in the Mission sucks at sports, ask them if anyone from the Marina is in the Olympics.  Touche!

[Photo by JASON ANFINSEN]

Previously:

• Don’t Fence Me In
• Fencing Is Emotional and Magical

There seems to be a new street art movement sweeping the neighborhood (or perhaps just 23rd St), and you’ve still got a chance to get in on the ground floor! And you don’t even have to have a real plastic bag–even a torn tortilla wrapper will do!

Whether it’s commentary on environmentalism (Greenland’s ice sheets are melting!) or consumerism (weren’t plastic bags outlawed in SF?), or merely the work of some bored homeless dude is up to you, but you’ve at least got to admire the variety here.

Also, FYI, none of these can be recycled in your apartment’s street-side bin (only HARD plastic can be), so tell your dumb housemates to stop throwing these in with the recycling!

And it looks like Mission Bicycle is already getting into the spirit!  Where are you going to watch the festivities?

[Photo by Mission Bicycle]

In the closer example, we have some exquisite custom brackets that are so difficult to dismantle that even Sheldon Brown admits that a prospective thief who somehow got the whole bike back to his secret evil lair of thievery would still have a hell of a time removing the wheel.

On the other hand, the farther bike goes for the color-coordinated DIY zip-tie method which, while perhaps not quite as secure, nonetheless would certainly still be a hassle to remove. And it looks quite stylish too! However, god forbid you actually have to remove the wheel from your frame–seems like it would be just as much of an ordeal for you as it would for the thieves.

Of course, we all know that all bicycles are on temporary loan from the universe, so it’s only a matter of time before something happens to yours. The best thing you can do is make it as difficult as possible on the jerks!

With all the talk of pizza on Valencia (and in Dolores Park, evidently) going on lately, I totally missed out on the fact that longtime Venus flytrap for drunk Marina people Thrill of the Grill has finally been deposed. Although it took a lot longer than I originally predicted back when Arinell (NO APOSTROPHE) extended their weekend hours, this should come as no surprise to anyone who’s tried their pizza.

I haven’t made it to Nizario’s up in the Castro lately, but I remember their slices weren’t that bad. Of course they’ll be going up against some pretty steep competition here so it’s anyone’s guess to see how they do!

The world burrito tour continues!  When MM reader Keturah checked out the previously mentioned Dolores Burritos in Berlin last summer, he came away slightly unsatisfied by the experience.  Not looking to repeat that ordeal, he decided to try something new:

This summer, I have discovered Taqueria Ta’Cabron!  The burritos are pretty huge – an order of guacamole and a burrito is plenty for two people to split.  There are a few odd things about presentation, though.  For starters, the burrito is wrapped in paper, kinda like a doner kebab.  Sour cream is served on the side.  Everything is spiced perfectly, although it could really be saucier (the salsa, etc is also served on the side).  The beer selection is not as fancy as Mission Delores (Dos Equis & Corona), but they do have a HUGE selection of tequila.  Located in Kreuzberg (a neighborhood not unlike the mission), it seems super popular with Americans, and the staff speaks Spanish as well as German and English. The menu also offers tacos, enchiladas, tamales and tostada de ceviche, though I haven’t gotten past the burritos and guacamole – maybe next trip!

Apparently people have been saying good things about this place, so I suppose it’s worth a shot if you find yourself in the area but tiring of schnitzel and soljanka.  At the very least, it beats the burritos in Paris!

At the very least, it’s way better than a Paris burrito!

Previously:

• This is a burrito in Korea
• On the other hand, this Korean “burrito” was damn good
• NYC ‘burrito’
• Guten Tag! Mission Burritos in Berlin!

So this means that I can finally *actually* use the marvelous bike lines that were striped over a year ago!  Although they were a much-needed addition to a very hectic section of the street, the problem used to be that the concrete over which the bicycle lanes were painted was jacked up so badly that riding within would at worse cause one to wipe out or at best come away with a serious butt-massage.

Now we are treated to the smooth buttery bliss of fresh pavement and I don’t have get in the way of cars anymore!  Everyone wins!

Previously:

• Treacherous 17th Street Potrero crossing gets bike lanes!