Mission Mission

Fresh off its lengthy winter hibernation, Indie Mart is finally back!  I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday:  leisurely strolling along a closed-off city block while sipping a bloody mary (on par with Zeitgeist’s) and scoping the latest offerings from local fashion designers.  The fact that the weather is supposed to be hovering around the 80s seals the deal.

Indie Mart has evolved since its humble beginnings into an all-day block party extravaganza, and this Sunday’s 3 year anniversary promises to be the biggest yet.  Over 100 designers will be strutting their stuff, and it’s not just clothes–you can find art, crafts (I scored an awesome wallet a year or two ago that I still use today), baked treats for the foodies, puppies for adoption, and even terrarium construction!  PBR is helping to sponsor the event, so be on the lookout for all sorts of rapaciously evil corporate giveaways as well.

Dress stylishly enough and you could even wind up on fashioni.st!  Or, dress metal enough and receive patches and goodies from the roving metal girls on hand from Heavy Metal Aerobics.  Or, just hang out and watch some of the cool bands that are performing like Music for Animals and Jonesin’. 

The fun happens this Sunday from 12-6pm at Thee Parkside and thee adjacent Wisconsin (between 16th and 17th St).  See you there!

[Photo by Owen Geronimo]

The misty weather made for quite a harrowing ride down Market Street this morning, as I saw this poor fellow go down just ahead of me as he was crossing those pesky Muni tracks.  He hit his head pretty hard on the concrete and started bleeding profusely out of a deep gash in his temple.

A number of cyclists dismounted to help the guy, who was shaken up pretty badly and sitting on the ground in a dazed state.  Some pedestrians also left the safety of the sidewalk to assist (I stood around and took photos like a jackass), a comforting scene that put the usual cyclist-pedestrian animosity on hold for the moment.  A driver even pulled up behind and got out of her car to try and help (the opposite of  going on a hit-and-run bicycle smashing rampage).

We implored him to stay down and wait for paramedics, but this was one stubbornly tough dude, and he eventually stumbled over to the curb under his own volition.  We all hung out with him until the ambulance arrived and took over.

All in all, an unlucky spill for this cyclist but an inspiring reaction from a group of strangers all accustomed to their own modes of transportation, be it walking, riding, driving, or cycling.  Be careful when it’s wet out there everybody!

Previously:

Muni-Cyclist “Collision” at 5th and Market St.

Creep In An SUV Targeted 4 Cyclists Last Night

The battle of 16th is on . . .

They had it coming . . .

I happened to walk by this place while the friendly new proprieters were repainting the interior (the yellow brick road motif will not survive the transition) and beckoning passerby to stop inside and sample the sausage.  The habañero kielbasa was quite a treat, but the real intrigue lies with the brown sugar bourbon bacon.

Hence the working title for B-cubed, the new burger and wine bar set to take over the allegedly cursed former Senses location on Valencia by 22nd in about 10 days.  Seeking to be known as “the winemaker’s speakeasy,” the idea is to offer hard-to-find ridiculously good quality vintages at prices that people can afford regularly.  You can get it by the taste, glass, bottle, or case!

If they keep finding stuff like the Beaucanon Napa Cab Sav, with its black tea and tobacco musk, or the intoxicating Hesperian Cab Franc that I sipped, there’s a great chance that the curse will be lifted and this spot will become an habitual neighborhood hangout (especially since they’ll be open until 2am).

Now all we need is Zaytoon to complete its 2 year metamorphosis and along with Lucca’s, El Majahual, and Beretta, this will be a power bloc once again!

Encountered this scene while on the way to El Farolito for an Al Pastor Super, attempting to shake the awful memory of Canadian burritos from my mind.  Needless to say I lost my appetite as soon as I realized what was underneath the yellow tarp.

This guy standing here on the right was allowed to remain inside the yellow tape, calmly smoking a cigarette while waiting for officers to question him (as a witness, not a suspect).

The victim was reportedly an “older guy” whose death was not immediately attributable to violence (I had heard what sounded like a gunshot moments earlier, so I initially assumed the that to be the cause), which leads me to believe that he may be a member of our populous homeless community.

Police had not yet determined cause of death and were waiting for the coroner to arrive.  A number of onlookers had gathered across the street to watch, the mood somber and surreal.

RIP Mission Guy.

Taken from what looks to be Guerrero St. 

[Photo and Title by Fred Mc]

Diligent reader mo kaze noticed that “they” glued in blue discs on 18th Street and thoughtfully snapped a pic for our consideration.  I am assuming that “they” refers to DPW officials and not aliens disguised as public officials detectable only by XRAY specs.

What do you think, readers?  Futuristic parking sensors or viral marketing campaign for the new TRON movie?  If the former, no word yet on whether or not they register pedestrians standing in parking spots and holding them for their friends’ vehicles.

UPDATE!!!

Looks like the future is here!  SFpark has the scoop . . .

Previously:

Okay for Pedestrians to Occupy and Hold Parking Spots?

While up in Vancouver, BC this past weekend to play a show with some rad Canadian punk bands, we came across TACO DEL MAR, alleged purveyors of the elusive Mission-style burrito.  Unfortunately, we were unable to sample said Mission-style burrito due to the fact that the “taqueria” closes at 11pm on a Saturday!

If they can’t even get authentic operational hours right, I shudder to imagine what sort of blasphemy they might be trying to pass off as a burrito.  The fact that their mascot appears to be a chili pepper with a dirty sanchez wearing a sombrero does little to comfort me either.

Previously:

Australian Mission Burritos Revealed!

Guten Tag! Mission Burritos in Berlin!

 The Best Way to Transport a Mission Burrito to Somewhere as Far Away as Berlin

Bobby Flay Can Eat A Big Fat Burrito

Our friend Katie is visiting Berlin and seems to have encountered an interesting phenomenom: 

Well, since those feisty Berliners already appropriated our beloved mission burrito, the least we can do is adopt something from them!

[Photo by andrewlove]

Previously:

Move Over Dolores Chiller, Meet The ‘Beerdolero’

Guten Tag! Mission Burritos in Berlin!

Eastern Euro Kitzch at Walzwerk