San Francisco

Art History: Street Graffiti

A colorful passageway between Hipster Mission and the Mexican Mission is Clarion Alley. San Francisco is filled with graffiti art, and there is a big concentration in the off the beaten paths of the Mission district. This alley has been present in SF history since the sixties. The Clarion Alley Mural Project produces more than 100 murals on the alley itself and streets around the neighborhood. The muralists who's work covers these walls run the gamut of experience and technique, often being new artists who are wanting a place to display their work. These muralists here come from every walk of life and include every social group. Conceptual and spray can art, folk and futuristic work all touch on important historical and present social issues that affect the Bay Area and the world today. So, while it can be intimidating to get lost in a new city, this is a place worth doing so.

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Landmarks • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Turkey Tostada Love

I'll never get sick of Mexican food. But much as I love tacos, huevos rancheros, and mole, sometimes I need a little change of pace, but without having to completely abandon the flavors of Mexico. Which means that instead of walking down Mission or toward Valencia, head in the opposite direction after exiting the 16th St BART station along 16th Street, past Van Ness until you get to Poc Chuc, where you'll find ancient Mayan cuisine with contemporary twist. Traditionalists will be pleased to see carnitas and carne asada tacos, but the specialty here is the restaurant's namesake dish, a citrus-and-spice-marinated grilled pork with black bean puree. The goods don't end there--the menu also includes panuchos, a black bean puree-filled tostada topped with shredded turkey and lemon-marinated cabbage, and tacos de escabeche, with pulled turkey in black mole sauce. If you order the pescado frito, you'll get the entire tilapia, with the head, scales, and fins intact. Whatever you fancy, you can't go wrong. Wash it all down with a giant mug of agua fresca--I highly recommend the jamaica.

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Restaurants • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Lunching in the Valley

Okay so Stacks is a chain. But that shouldn't stop you from going there, because it's one of the best places for breakfast and lunch in the Hayes Valley. Their crepes and waffles are tasty--loaded with fresh fruits and nuts; their salads and sandwiches are scrumptious; the wait-staff is courteous and knowledgeable; and the garden ambiance and Mediterranean color scheme is reminiscent of the elegant days of San Francisco when hats and furs were in.

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Restaurants • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Size Matters

"No Al Pastor," said the lady with the silver tooth, apologetically. No Al Pastor? It's like the Salvation Army saying 'no bibles.' So I ordered carnitas with black beans, and sat down with a burrito as big as a baby. El Balazo, which opened in 2008, might not boast Niman Ranch pork or lightly-killed carne asada. It's all about the size. A super burrito should just about do you for a day. Not yet firmly established on Mission Street's taqueria alley, El Balazo faces nearby competition from evergreen Taqueria Cancun. But with cooking like this, a spacious, well-lit interior and a solid help-yourself rack of salsas, onions and chiles, this place looks like a keeper. 'Balazo' means bullet in Spanish, perhaps a reference to the quickfire service. Whatever the derivation, I'm going to be eating more burritos here, at least until I find the one with my name on it.

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Restaurants • Hayes Valley / The Mission

2010 Book & iPhone Release Party: 11/11

With the release of the 2010 book and the new iPhone App, NFT hits San Francisco like a helpful Dirty Harry, maps and text spewing from both barrels. Come celebrate the newness of these products in old-school hip hop style at Double Dutch in the Mission (16th and Valencia) on November 11 at 6 pm. There will be great prizes available (think free JetBlue tix, nights at the W Hotel, gift certificates to local restaurants), and, at press time, negotiations for a mime dunking tank are proceeding smoothly for all parties. Fingers crossed! Free 2010 SF NFT (print version) for the first 100 guests; own the foreword that made the Mayor crazy. Note: this party is partially sponsored by Le Tourment Vert absinthe, and if you show the NFT app on your iPhone, you get a free cocktail. Bonus: Free beer from 6-7. Go to the NFT Facebook page to sign up and get more details.

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Nightlife • Hayes Valley / The Mission

One, Two, Three...

Finally! A cavernous coffee roastery manned by sexy, tattooed baristas has made it to Valencia! Oh, wait... Okay so maybe Four Barrel isn't exactly reinventing the wheel (see: Ritual) but they do prove that people love wheels--er, espresso. The barn-like roastery and shop features exposed brick, vaulted beams, and animal heads, and though some other review sites whine that it's not drip-coffee-swilling-table-hogging-laptop-canoodler friendly, anyone with half a clue can see that that's not the point. The point, dear friends, is coffee, and Four Barrel is getting there. Though the french press still lacks vivid and precise flavors, frequent Barrelers say it's improved its single-region roasting skills since opening. Meanwhile coffee-snobs and coffee-slurpers alike can appreciate a cholesterol-laden accompaniment of Dynamo Doughnuts: apricot-cardamom, lemon-thyme, take your pick of fresh and unlikely combos. Thanks to Four Barrel, now you don't even have to trek across the Mission to get just-roasted joe.

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Coffee , Restaurants • Hayes Valley / The Mission

A Pork Chop and a Beer

One of two excellent gastropubs in San Francisco, Monk's Kettle has a friendly and knowledgeable staff who love to educate customers about their frequently turned local and international beer selections. And should you make it through the near-Bible-ish girth of the beer menu, you'll learn more about types of beer than you came in for. Lager, pilsner, stout, doppel, Lambic, Gueze...it's a beer drinker's paradise. Chef Kevin Kroger's pork chop--brined in brown sugar and apple cider, topped with mustard bechamel and paired with a cheddar scallion potato cake and bacon-mottled Brussel sprouts--is among the best in the Bay Area. His chicken sandwich, pot pies, and mac-and-cheese also claim ardent fans. Lines start early for this tiny gem, which takes no reservations; Monk's Kettle is noisy, fun, has great food and energy, and certainly one of the best beer selections in the Bay Area.

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Nightlife , Restaurants • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Party on the Patio, Even at 11 am

The time to come to Zeitgeist is now. Now, in the summer, where the days are hot and the sun in the afternoon beats down on you and your beer in their large outside patio, forcing you to drink faster. That's the allure of this staple, former biker bar. It has probably best and biggest outside patios in the city. And the large picnic tables encourage big and small groups, as well as the making of new friends. Opening at 11am this is the perfect spot to cure a hang over with one of the strongest and spiciest Bloody Mary's SF has to offer. Be warned! All drinks are by the pint. When you need a break from drinking you can treat yourself to some ridiculously inexpensive burgers (veggie also available). Take a breather, mingle and head to the bar again. Because on warm nights and days by the time you get your drink you will be thirsty again.

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Nightlife • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Snobbish About Bikes. In a Good Way.

This place feels pretty cliquey--and occasionally snooty--when you first go in. But the people that own and run Box Dog are simply passionate about bicycles and want you to be too. Their friendliness levels go up in direct correlation to how often you go in there too, so regular customers will find the service exceptional. Bottom line: they genuinely want you to have the best bike for you--and that's to be applauded.

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Bike Shops • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Diving. No Posing.

Now that the more obvious sections of the bar-laden Mission District are becoming increasingly overrun by folks from other neighborhoods and hipsters trying way too hard to look tough, it makes sense that the more low-key--but still hip--locals move a few blocks away. Thieves Tavern offers comfortable booths, friendly bartenders, two pool tables, ample space to dump your bike at the back of the room and a clientele that is actually willing to intermingle with each other. Ideal for those seeking dive bar goodness without all the posing.

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Nightlife • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Adult Candy

I miss the feeling of being a kid in a candy store. My sweet tooth has since matured, of course, so it's only natural that I should move onto a candy shop for grown-ups. Miette Confisserie is just what you would picture an old-fashioned sweet shop to be, all decked out in pastels with bowls of hard candy and bubble gum imported from overseas, European and locally-made chocolates, as well as tasy macaroons and cakes from its sister patisserie. And just as your tastes have grown up since the days when you gobbled away at your Nerds and Sour Patch Kids, so have the prices. At 75 cents to $1 a piece, you'll hesitate to grab a handful of chocolates or gumballs. But you'll probably still come away with a good selection of sweet treats. Who can resist a place that sells chocolate-covered gummy bears from Sweden?

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Shopping • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Tattoo You

There are so many brazillions of reputable tattoo shops in the Bay Area, it can be totally overwhelming figuring out where to go and who to trust your precious, precious naked flesh with. Well, the Painted Lady should be at the top of your list. Not just because it's one of the friendliest, least pretentious parlors in San Francisco; not just because the owner, Kelley Premeaux, is one of the raddest (and wisest) ladies you'll ever meet; not just because it's an aesthetically pleasing shop... Most importantly of all, the work Kelley does--alongside Bobby Peru and Erik--is some of the finest, most detailed and delicate tattoo work around today, no matter what city you live in. She can do any style with aplomb, but if you're looking for dainty 'n' detailed, this is the only place to go. It may not be the most hyped tattoo spot in town, but it is certainly one of the best.

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Shopping • Hayes Valley / The Mission

FF: Size Doesn't Matter

This tiny studio sized gallery proves once again that size doesn't matter. FF Gallery is the physical counterpart to the culture and art community website fecalface.com. Open Wednesday through Saturday, this art space boasts monthly and during some summer months, weekly installations from artists who are inspired from the more underground, urban, skateboard, and graffiti counterculture. On reception nights the gallery explodes onto the street with people who've come by to see what new art FF has to showcase. You can often find folk, comic, and graffiti art, photography and mixed media pieces. The cozy space enhances the opportunity to mingle with guests and featured artist. So it's time to stop judging the gallery name and head over to what is easily one of the most vibrant art spaces in the city.

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Art Galleries • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Fancy and Fine

In my continued quest to find the Bay Area's best cupcakes, I stopped into Citizen Cake's bakery to sample its mini cakes, though I was also tempted by its delicious-looking sandwich cookies. The cupcake selection is small and inventive, with each cake exquisitely decorated, especially the rocky road and the signature cupcake of devil's food cake filled with whipped cream topped with chocolate ganache. I went with the chocolate chip cupcake, garnished with a soft mini chocolate chip cookie. The cake was good, but at $3.50, a bit pricey for something that was not overly spectacular. If I'm paying more than average, I should get something that would rival Sprinkles. I'll probably end up coming back to sample another cake, although the cookies may be the better option.

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Restaurants • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Books by Melissa

Melissa Richmond owns Bibliohead, and independent bookstore, that is nestled between two Italian restaurants on Gough Street. You'll find her behind the counter either cataloging incoming books or helping a customer find a title. This gem of a bookshop is small and cozy, and brimming with current bestsellers as well as those hard-to-find titles. Melissa specializes in classic literature, books on opera, ballet and the arts, and that rare find you won't see at a chain store. She buys books for trade or cash including children's literature, fantasy, mystery, philosophy and metaphysics. And if you're picking up a gift for a friend, Melissa has an eclectic assortment of greeting cards, too.

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Bookstores • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Merchant of Vino

Crazy about wine? So is Arlequin Wine Merchant. You'll find great value wines if you're on a budget--and who isn't these days--from California to South Africa. It's the place for premium wines, and those boutique selections, too. So if you're searching for a good pairing for your ratatouille or hosting a gallery opening or your ex-partner's new flame, you'll find the perfect bottle for the occasion at Arlequin. Every wine is hand-selected with love. Wine tastings and events are always happening there, too.

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Liquor Stores , Shopping • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Creatively Colorful

The minute you step into F. Dorian you're enveloped in a world of art, color, and design from around the world. Whimsical mobiles hang from the ceiling; creative groupings of vases, ceramic tiles, jewelry, and accessories beckon you from the shelves; contemporary paintings adorn the brightly colored walls; and Asian, African, and American antiques decorate the store. Manager Mitch Durkee lends his expertise when selecting a gift for that special friend. So stop in during lunchtime or before dinner. You'll go home with a smile and a great piece of art.

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Shopping • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Dogs Need Their Caffeine Too

While out walking one day I noticed lots of people in an alley in a long line. I got curious and walked over to see. They were in line at the kiosk of the Blue Bottle Coffee Co. So I joined them. It was ecstasy at first sip. Their organic beans come from around the world. Here is poetic espresso, robust cappuccino, caramely cafe au lait, and full-bodied drip coffee made to order. Each cup is sweet, rich and flavorful and you don't need to drown it in sugar and cream. And for added flair, the barista will top off your brew with a heart or a leaf design in steaming milk. There's also a jar of complimentary biscuits at the counter and a water dish out front for your dog.

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Coffee • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Self Serve Succulence

You come for the coffee and raspberry jam brioches, and I guarantee you'll be back for lunch. You'll be riveted to DeLessio's self-serve salad and hot bar laden with market-fresh dishes that include tamarind honey glazed pork ribs, BBQ brisket, meatloaf with smoked tomato jam, just to name a few. If it's sandwiches you're after try the turkey salad with chipotle spread or the roast beef with coppa. Add a side of cole slaw with miso and tuscan kale. But whatever you do, you must try their Felchin Swiss chocolate bubble wrap even if you have to take it home and devour it later. And if you're in a party mood, you must order the chocolate tower cake. You'll be everybody's favorite host.

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Restaurants , Shopping • Hayes Valley / The Mission

Middle Eastern Gold

I struck gold when I tasted the babaganoush at Hayes & Kebab. The right way to make it, and the way I ate it growing up, is to charbroil the eggplant first to give the dip that distinctive grilled flavor. Scoop it with warm pita bread and you can make a meal of it. But you won't want to stop there because the marinated lamb, beef gyros, falafels, and beef and chicken kebabs are succulent dishes too. Add a fresh tabbouleh salad and finish the meal with homemade baklava. Emin, the owner, and his staff will not only take your order but go back into the kitchen to prepare it for you. During it all you will experience warm Middle Eastern hospitality.

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Restaurants • Hayes Valley / The Mission