i also agree sfgate is trash now, but I also think these things are trash and if SFFD hates them then all the better
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Saturday, 2 September 2023 05:10 (one year ago) link
it's such an absurdly different set of standards re safety/planning compared to housing ... which is something SF needs.
― sarahell, Saturday, 2 September 2023 16:08 (one year ago) link
coming to SF to do a reading at booksmith and staying just one night at the Metro Hotel, in/near the Haight... If I can only eat/drink one thing in the neighbourhood, any tips for specific dishes or locations?
I think I'll have just one afternoon and morning to myself; was thinking of wandering around in (pick one) Japantown/Valencia St/City Lights zone... I've been to SF only once before, explored the Castro/Dolores Park and had a burrito in the Mission
― sean gramophone, Wednesday, 13 September 2023 13:56 (one year ago) link
if you've already been in the mission no big reason to hit valencia st again though there is good food there. as someone who considers myself 'old school' re: SF I'm always going to say hit City Lights and Vesuvio/Specs (bars), though the interesting things in north beach have diminished over the years. 101 Records is still up there though (just the 'store' part, not the insane basement with 100000s of records piled in a heap for $1).
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 13 September 2023 14:05 (one year ago) link
also congrats on that reading. I have to drive my kid to a job interview in the evening so I don't think I can make it, otherwise I definitely would.
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 13 September 2023 14:07 (one year ago) link
Friends just opened a new spot a few blocks from where you're staying, it's fantastic:
https://sfist.com/2023/09/01/new-cocktail-bar-with-food-from-nopalito-vets-stoa-debuts-in-lower-haight/
If that doesn't look tempting there's a solid low-key/no-name sushi spot across the street (pretty hard to get into but lmk and I can get you in), great pizza just next door to your hotel (Ragazza), great Italian a few blocks north (Che Fico).
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 13 September 2023 16:27 (one year ago) link
xpost Oh just saw this is tomorrow night! Sorry I won't be able to make it either, already double booked that evening, but the Booksmith is a great place for an event and hey, Amoeba's just a block or two over.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 13 September 2023 16:34 (one year ago) link
Japantown is underwhelming, if the weather is nice I'd aim for North Beach for City Lights and general tourism otherwise Valencia corridor is a great option in terms of energy and vibrance.
There are some lowkey gems near Booksmith as well, e.g. The Alembic next door.
I just looked up your event and I've got a commitment. Sorry sean.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 13 September 2023 16:35 (one year ago) link
if my kid finishes that interview quickly, i'll head over
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 13 September 2023 16:45 (one year ago) link
Dang I'm very close to this location! But out of the country atm.
NOPA is my food rec for the area, get the pork chop!
Hope Stoa works out, but feel like that spot down there is cursed lol. Enjoy your stay!
― octobeard, Wednesday, 13 September 2023 20:34 (one year ago) link
It would (have) be(en) great to meet you, but thank you for all these tips!
― sean gramophone, Wednesday, 13 September 2023 22:15 (one year ago) link
Anyone planning on Hardly Strictly this weekend? Going Saturday afternoon for the Third Mind (Dave Alvin's instrumental semi-freakout project) and the Church, though I may swing by earlier for Jimmie Dale Gilmore.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 25 September 2023 22:45 (eleven months ago) link
i’ll prob watch online if available again this year
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 25 September 2023 23:19 (eleven months ago) link
Can't make it, unfortunately.
― what you say is true but by no means (lukas), Tuesday, 26 September 2023 02:20 (eleven months ago) link
Yep gonna see Aaron Dilloway/Victoria Shen, Kevin Drumm, Olivia Blocke & Daniel Menche at the sheer hellish miasma stage.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 26 September 2023 22:52 (eleven months ago) link
Ha yes, was reviewing that -- delighted to see Recombinant back.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 27 September 2023 03:47 (eleven months ago) link
if you go i highly recommend Leyla McCalla - we saw her open for Neko Case last year & she was excellent, and her band is tremendous
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 03:58 (eleven months ago) link
Today is the last day you can use a paper BART ticket :-(
I remember finding one on the ground that still had $60 on it!
https://cvhsolympian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/bartticket2-e1433773892822.jpg
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 18:08 (nine months ago) link
Nice find!
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 19:04 (nine months ago) link
wow the stacks of these with like ten cents on them that I used to have to take to Powell St. to get combined together into one brand new BART ticket worth $3....
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, 29 November 2023 20:13 (nine months ago) link
There are quite a few stuck in my old books, I used to use them for bookmarks all the time
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 20:22 (nine months ago) link
We arrived in SF yesterday on the last leg of our trip up the coast. Lunch was in Pescadero at Duarte’s Tavern and dinner was at Tadich Grill. Classic restaurants, both. Slept like a baby after 1.75 martinis from Tadich. Cioppino was delicious.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Friday, 8 December 2023 16:05 (nine months ago) link
Damn I remember occasional work parties Tadich being the high point of the shitty job I had downtown in the 90s!
― sarahell, Friday, 8 December 2023 18:52 (nine months ago) link
i've gone to Tadich each time i've visited the city this year (3). which is more than i went when i lived there. Had sazeracs the last couple times, which were as good as the martinis are.
― matcha man (outdoor_miner), Friday, 8 December 2023 19:39 (nine months ago) link
glad to hear it hasn't closed like everything else downtown
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Friday, 8 December 2023 22:50 (nine months ago) link
What did you get at Duarte's? Half & half soup and olallieberry pie?
I should have mentioned there's a bakery across the street from Duarte's that bakes my favorite loaf on the planet (roasted garlic/artichoke heart/herb rustic loaf)...
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Friday, 8 December 2023 23:14 (nine months ago) link
I had fried smelts and a garden salad; my wife had artichoke soup and a grilled cheese, but we shared everything. That artichoke soup was so good.
We’ve had just the best trip and there feels like there are a million more beaches to stop and see, especially north of Monterey.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Saturday, 9 December 2023 00:04 (nine months ago) link
Oh, and we shared the olallieberry pie with vanilla ice cream. Excellent. I started reading about olallieberries while there. I didn’t realize they are a type of blackberry.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Saturday, 9 December 2023 00:08 (nine months ago) link
Please come back to Santa Barbara when I am not across the Pacific on my own vacation!
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Saturday, 9 December 2023 19:17 (nine months ago) link
We will be coming back for sure!
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Saturday, 9 December 2023 19:19 (nine months ago) link
Glad you've had a good time for sure!
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 9 December 2023 19:24 (nine months ago) link
Thanks!
We went to Toronado (beer bar) on the lower Haight last night. My wife said, “I never thought I would be in a bar again that smelled like [our dive bar in law school]”.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Saturday, 9 December 2023 19:58 (nine months ago) link
oh cool! I thought for sure Toronado had closed sometime in the past
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 9 December 2023 23:04 (nine months ago) link
Beer selection was insane and the vibes were great once I got the hang of it (don’t ask questions).
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Saturday, 9 December 2023 23:12 (nine months ago) link
Rosamunde recently closed but yeah Toronado is still kicking along.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 9 December 2023 23:14 (nine months ago) link
guy at door: you know this is cash only
― matcha man (outdoor_miner), Saturday, 9 December 2023 23:40 (nine months ago) link
rosamunde can go to hell (at least the original owner known as "Smiley")
― matcha man (outdoor_miner), Saturday, 9 December 2023 23:41 (nine months ago) link
I think rosamunde is reopening?
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Sunday, 10 December 2023 00:48 (nine months ago) link
(it reopened yesterday)
Yeah I heard some rumor about that. Like the workers took it over?
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 10 December 2023 02:08 (nine months ago) link
Feel like I'm the only SF resident on here sometimes... Rosamunde (Haight) never closed it was sold to Rosamunde employee #1 who rebranded it as Berliner Berliner. She also makes her own sausages unlike Rosamunde that buys their product from a major big box retailer.
Toronado also never closed but the two bars that paid a hefty sum to license the name (SD and Seattle) both closed in the past 5 years. Toronado just celebrated their 36th anniversary, still employee owned and operated. They own the whole building so they are approaching legacy status. I wish PBKR would have let me know as I have a sizeable tab there that I could have hosted a round or two.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 10 December 2023 08:18 (nine months ago) link
Hurrah for clarity! Anyway drinks on Steve er wait
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 10 December 2023 14:29 (nine months ago) link
Have not met any ilxors in real life. Maybe next trip!
Steve, thanks for putting Duarte's on the map for us and to all the other CA folks who offered advice.
We're back home feeling very lucky and recharged.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Sunday, 10 December 2023 15:56 (nine months ago) link
Oh I wouldn't have met you guys, just sent a round lol.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 10 December 2023 17:10 (nine months ago) link
I ate at John’s Grill last night
― brimstead, Sunday, 10 December 2023 17:25 (nine months ago) link
:(
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Sunday, 10 December 2023 17:44 (nine months ago) link
I would have loved to have met up but didn't want to impose on plans -- also it's been a bit of a holiday whirl for me on various fronts!
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 10 December 2023 19:01 (nine months ago) link
Thanks, Ned. Would love to meet up on another trip some time.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Sunday, 10 December 2023 20:46 (nine months ago) link
Just a quick note that I'll be at the Laetitia Sadier show at the Chapel tonight! My birthday treat to myself, and why not?
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 2 March 2024 23:59 (six months ago) link
Ok as a former Seattle resident (like 20+ yrs ago at this point) I am super excited about KEXP Bay Area (in 2 wks!)
― fajita seas, Wednesday, 6 March 2024 01:53 (six months ago) link