San Francisco and what to do in it

I gotta side with Stevie...jello is delicious and all, but the toothpick sculpture is incredible.

but....i guess that i am more on the side of 'realism' in depictions of my delightful area, and while the toothpick thing is amazing, i am more into how incredibly real-looking the jello stuff is. i mean, even if i just saw a picture of it without context, i would say, "THAT IS THE BAY BRIDGE MADE OUT OF JELLO HOLY SHIT"

http://www.lizhickok.com/images/05baybridgeM.jpg

the jello is cool looking but still seems like 'artist uses gimmick to get press' whereas the toothpick guy is more 'crazy dude in basement who would be doing this with his free time even if nobody cared'...which I find much more respectable, really

and toothpick guy's work is sentimental which appeals more to me, plus the whimsy of the ball things

and come on... 35 years.

I have a very, very weak spot for Rube Goldberg contraptions, also.

me too

I have overdosed on hipster Rube Goldberg contraptions recently (yes, this is a thing) but this dude redeems the genre.

http://sfist.com/2011/04/27/hallelujah_bart_may_test_late-night.php

^plz start in July

Pls 2 let me know your sched when you make it Proctor Florbius.

what, u think we can be pleasant in person?

Steve's a rad bro, Morbs, as I recall you are irl. ;)

oh Morbsies, when have our rendezvous been anything but lovefests...

well there haven't been any since the ILBB bludgeoning began.

I'm creeping toward booking July 2-6, rather than after SoCal.

Any recommendations for vegetarian-friendly places that are close to a BART station?

I like this place, lots of faux-meat:
http://www.goldeneravegan.com/

Looks great, thanks!

think I'll be staying in the Lower Haight this time, as the closing of the Eagle has sounded SOMA's death knell

Any recommendations for vegetarian-friendly places that are close to a BART station?

Always trust Shasta, but I prefer Enjoy over Golden Era in the fake-meat Chinese game. Their Kearny street location isn't too far from the Powell and Montgomery stations: http://www.enjoyveggie.com/

Near 16th and Mission:
- Gracias Madre (straight-up great mexican that happens to be organic/vegan): http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/
- Udupi Palace (killer South Indian. Order the paper dosa for dinner and a show): http://www.udupipalaceca.com/
- Also Cha-Ya for Japanese but they're closed indefinitely :(

Near Civic Center.
- Ananda Fuara. Little more old-school veg menu but tasty and they're total sweethearts: http://www.anandafuara.com/

Those a are all vegetarian or vegan. If you open it up to veg-friendly, the list gets... um... pretty extensive.

Wow good recommendations, I will have to check out Enjoy. I should say that Golden Era offers more Vietnamese (ethnic Chinese) flavors at first glance in comparison.

Cha-Ya I would shy away from, that place was bizarre, I could never figure out what they were trying to do.

Ananda Fuara I haven't been to in years but aside from the food (which I enjoyed), perhaps they've toned down the cult-y aspect? They put on the hard sell on their ashram (?) to me last time, kinda scared me off.

Haha I have been to Enjoy years ago on a lunch date, yeah it was good.

I really dislike Udupi Palace. Maybe Vik's has spoiled me?

Morbs, Lower Haight is much better than SoMa imho. Same hood where we met you the last time couple times you were here (Toronado and Madrone?)

Golden Era is totally culty

T/S:

Pamphlets on the counter when you walk in

vs.

Multiple staff members surrounding your table insisting you pay visit to their ashram

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/03/supreme2.jpg

yes, I'll be staying near Toronado, I think, and also the Independent, where Ted Nugent is playing that week.

lol jaxon OTM wrt golden era though really the only thing that bothers me is the TV screens in the dining area.

re: ananda fuara they've toned it down then. Haven't been since 2008 but I got nothing stronger from the staff than good vibes. Think there may have been some postcards of, like, sri chinmoy performing feats of strength or something.

my god i hate san francisco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQR8zaN9AhY&feature=player_embedded

I hear the rent's cheap in Vallejo

wait, that just looks like people having fun and being happy.

jaxon hates murals and accordions

also bubbles

Morbz, the lower haight is just okay. soma still has better bars. (esp. if you're looking for men and not boys).

i mean, i understand that it's all like 'aren't we so special it's the mission' and how lol that whole sentiment is, but anyone who is disgusted at street fairs/festivals needs to have head examined.

i hate fun

looking is just too exhausting. I'm sure I'll drink in SOMA, I just don't wanna sleep there.

(also may have date in Oakland w/ a biker)

xxp

I live in SF, not Oakland Morbs.

not even in jest, bub

jaxon would be happier if Sunday streets were dudes playing italo-balaeric in flannels and workboots. XD

that Missions streets video just reminds me why I moved to the East Bay. It almost looks fun to me now that I don't *have* to deal with the traffic snarls, annoying daytime drunks (including obnoxious aging frat-boy upstairs neighbors who used to make me dread any kind of special event in the city), and all the other baggage that goes along with the hundreds of festivals that seem to be going on.

Has it always been like this, and I'm just getting older and grumpier; or is it neighborhood merchants associations trying to drive more traffic into their main thoroughfares at the expense of the people who live there?

reading back over that, it's pretty clear to me that I am indeed older and grumpier than I was when I first excitedly moved to SF. :(

i hope you don't live in berkeley

you don't have to deal with traffic snarls if you don't drive

Why did you have to drive in SF?

yeah exactly. and in the mission, the only reason to complain about cars is that there are too many of them.

parking in the Mission is nowhere near as bad as it used to be.

I live in the Lower Haight, so I haven't driven to the Mission in eons; it's walkable or I take the 22 or I cab.

redistribute the rights of about .01% of the city's road system - for a few hours - and people start w/ conspiracies about the neighborhood merchants associations or whatever