Mission Mission

Strollers down Valencia Street this weekend were greeted by a friendly individual hawking Volkswagen-made grilled cheese sandwiches.  Mozzarella and sharp cheddar on marbled rye with healthy slices of tomato and avocado.

How much do they cost? “However much you got, man.”  Well then, I happen to have $3.  “Awesome, have some extra avocado!”  I didn’t possess the constitution necessary to attempt the homemade absinthe, however.

It was a pretty classy setup inside, with linoleum flooring and various amenities including a sink and sizable hot plate grill.  Blue Oyster Cult blared from the speakers, completing the scene.  Even if I was possibly contributing to this fellow’s Burning Man fund, that grilled cheese sure hit the spot.

Not that Beretta needs more praise (just today it was singled out as the New York Times’ most egregious omission in its weekend Valencia Street feature) but we finally did pay a visit late last week. Katie had asked Mission Mission readers for advice (Beretta: Hype or the Real Deal?), and she got a hearty response.

Many made clear that the cocktail menu is the star of the show, and it was commenter Johnny0 that mentioned the Improved Whiskey by name. Great name, and it lived up to it. Rye, absinthe and some other stuff, dry as can be. If you like whiskey, be sure to get yourself an Improved Whiskey. Thanks for the tip, Johnny.

We’re pretty sure all the food was good. The staff was efficient. The decor was fine despite being deficient one fountain. We also had an Italian lager we’d never heard of called Menabrea. Menabrea has a funny website.