Mission Mission

Except for that one straight-edge guy down there.

(via Dirty Dave)

Welcome to “Drama Talk and Drinks”, a new feature here on Mission Mission. Our friends Katie Cruz and Brittany Janis go see a local show, then they go to a bar, get drinks, and talk about it. For the first installment they saw The Happy Ones at the Magic Theatre and then had drinks at Royal Cuckoo. Here’s their report:

We braved the wild coastal lands of Fort Mason to see opening night of The Happy Ones at Magic Theatre, directed by Jonathan Moscone. We made it back to the Mission and went to Royal Cuckoo to debrief. This is a transcript of our drama talk.

B: What should we get to drink? I feel like we should drink something that they drank during the show…They drink so many bloody mary’s and martinis and gin…

K: And sangria.
(orders gin and tonic)

B: What do you think the name of this review should be?
(orders a martini)

K: Oh sweet Jesus…How about “Slow start but ends with a bang”? At first I was like “Whaaat is this?” But their acting actually got better as it went on. Those first few scenes they were trying so hard to be happy 70’s Americans.

B: RIGHT! So, I would have called it “The Incredibly WAY too Happy Ones”. When they actually let themselves get serious the play had some really lovely moments.

(more…)

As of 6pm tonight!

Here‘s a blast from before the bust of ’01. When Slanted Door used to be on Valencia and places like Mangiafuoco on Guerrero used to offer basic Italian grub and grog (“It has chianti and what else do you need in an Italian restaurant”).

Benders was Sacrifice, serving up rum ribs and voodoo pasta in a tiki setting (“Don’t ask about how this purgatorial “tiki lounge” fits in, it just does”).

Booze was referred to as liquids and Amnesia charged a whopping $2 for live shows. Over at The Uptown a good jukebox was defined as one stocked with Dylan and Morphine, but beers were $3 and the dude next to you could probably tip you off on a well priced nitrous tank.

The current de-gentrified Club Veintiséis on Mission near 26th was the gentrified 26 Mix, a “sound bar” offering up a high quality listening experience while you sipped on your suds à la Tokyo style bars which feature a premium soundsystem and choice djs.

Bonus interview with dj Spesh aka “dj Special K” of club QOÖL fame right here, who will surely get a kick out of this decade old frosty picture we’ve unearthed.

Reader Tom asks:

Hi,  I live over by Jack’s on 24th.  The place has been closed since the new year, it was a shock to see it dark on a Friday night.  No sign or notice stating that they are on holiday.  Does anyone know what’s up?  I hope the closure is temporary, no updates on their Facebook page either.

Website is still up, but it has no updates.

Anyone have any ideas? Did they fall into financial ruin after DJ Purple’s departure? Did the city outlaw the sale of single-serving drinks out of mini-pitchers? Is the Jack’s crew at a 2-week a team-building ropes course retreat? We must know!

Update: Kevmo fills us in:

It was sold over the summer (I think, it might have been more recently). New owners are most likely just getting ready to gut the place for whatever renovations they have planned.

Our pal Sarah recently “retired” to Oakland but realized that the only way she could get her SF friends to visit would be to educate them about all the rad things the East Bay shares with the city, so she constructed this comprehensive compendium of comparisons between the various bars, restaurants, and other fun that each side has to offer.  Even your groceries are covered:

Rainbow Grocery (The Mission) / Berkeley Bowl (Berkeley)

Can you imagine Rainbow but twice as large, half as expensive, and with a fantastic meat and seafood selection? If not, go visit Berkeley Bowl, or its newer location, Berkeley Bowl West. The Bowl is an East Bay staple, and can satisfy every hippie, health nut, hipster, and politically conscious bone in your body.

She’s got an Oakland answer for everything from Bender’s and Bi-Rite to Toronado and Tartine, so if you’ve ever been the slightest bit reluctant to venture to the other side, please do read on.

Our buddy Broke-Ass Stuart, who bartends at Evelyn Lee on Thursdays, brings us news regarding the disgustingly beautiful creation known as Frito pie:

What’s a Mission Frito Pie? I’m glad you asked. A Frito Pie is a Texas thing where a serving of Fritos is topped with chili and nacho cheese. While those are great, I’ve decided to put a Mission style twist on it. We’re adding chicharrones, as well as hot sauce like Tapatio or Cholula, to the mix. Honestly, I just tried some and it was amazing. Possibly the best drunk food ever. And we’re giving them out totally FREE.

So, I’m assuming I’ll start seeing all you lovely people on Thursday nights now? I mean, not only are you getting FREE Mission Frito Pies, you can get a shot and a beer for $6. See you soon.

I hope they serve it straight out of snack-sized Frito bags.

Local bartender, musician, DJ, and all-around rad guy Josh Yule was recently interviewed in the SF Examiner, and he had some fairly interesting things to say:

I’m from Florida. I don’t want to piss off my Florida friends. Florida has a different way of thinking. Most people there aren’t forward-thinkers, they’re backward-thinkers. And that’s why I came out this way. I wanted to get as far away from the South as possible. I think I’m a San Franciscan now. I think after 10 years, I have my residency — I hope. I’ve been told by a friend who grew up here that after 10 years, I am a citizen of San Francisco.

I hope he’s right, because that means I’ll be an official citizen soon too!  There are plenty more poignant tidbits, like how to make a French 74 and whether or not the Knockout is haunted, so read on.

[Photo by the talented Beth LaBerge]

Okay, well I was bummed to announce that last weekend’s Haçeteria would be the last Haçeteria at Deco because of Deco’s impending closure or whatever, but now I’m stoked that the owners of one of my perennial favorite places are gonna be doing something new. Here’s what our tipster tells us:

Here’s some news… the four main owners of Benders have just bought a new bar, its called Deco Lounge now in the TL, it changed owners this week and it’s being taken over by Benders.

It’ll have a different name.

The Deco space is great. There’s an entertainment license, three big rooms on the main floor — and I think there’s an upstairs AND a downstairs. I’m sure the Bender’s team will deliver something killer.

[Image by Google Maps]

Bartender mistook “soda water and the check” as “soda water and some Jack.” Oh shit.

— Josh Ellingson (@ellingson) October 24, 2012

Can anybody beat that one?