Thursday, February 23, 2012

Randy's Guide CCLXXIX (279)

Local Food Pick
Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous
699 22nd St. (at 3rd St.)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 970-0750

Yesterday, on a rare warm winter day, I hopped on my bike and pedaled into the Dogpatch. Here, I found a treasure trove of deliciousness in the form of ice cream. No lines. Metal spoons for tastings. Nifty shared tables and mini stools. This shop sits in the midst of a renaissance along the Third St. corridor, with Rickshaw Bags, Yield Wine Bar, and Serpentine Restaurant within a block or two. I ordered the bourbon & caramel, but other flavors that piqued interest included the ginger cookie and mung bean. The small at $3.50 was more than enough for my palate! 4-1/2 stars - 503 reviews

Previous SF picks: Radius; Limon Rotisserie; Art's Cafe; Little Star Pizza; Yamo; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Humphry Slocombe; Tu Lan; Foreign Cinema; Zanze's Cheesecake; San Tung; Katana-Ya; A La Turca; Boxing Room; Frances; Saigon Sandwich; Brenda's French Soul Food; Park Tavern; Broken Record; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Curry Up Now; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen; Firefly; Red Door Cafe; L'Ardoise Bistro; Pluto's; My Tofu House.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo/Ramen Parlor (San Mateo).

Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville); Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley/Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/Roseville).

Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville).


Local History
Martinez, CA: Named after Mexican landholder Ygnacio Martinez, this town on the Carquinez Strait is the county seat of Contra Costa County. Martinez served as a Gold Rush weigh station and Pony Express stop. Joe DiMaggio was born here, and John Muir died here. Shell Oil built its refinery in 1915, and a second refinery (now owned by Tesoro) also rests in city limits. A minor controversy started in 2007 when a beaver colony took root in an area creek. Current population: 35,824 (77% white).


Local Charity
Organization: KQED (88.5 FM). Founded in 1969, this NPR-member radio station ranks nationwide as number one for listeners and number one for Bay Area radio stations as of last summer. Radio personalities such as Michael Krasny, Terry Gross, and Neal Conan deliver sharp commentaries and intellectual debates on topical issues. The latest listener-based donor drive is underway. Now is your time to contribute! www.kqed.org

Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Common Ground Relief, LYRIC, Aldea Inc., Glide Memorial, City CarShare, Maitri, Loaves and Fishes, Friends of the Urban Forest, Farm Sanctuary, Bay Area Community Services, Blue Energy, My New Red Shoes, College Track, Foundation for the People of Burma, Vital Life Services, Little Angel Fund, San Francisco Health Services Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable Conservation, Ashoka, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Urban Solutions, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Shanti, Curry Without Worry, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, La Cocina, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, The Bike Kitchen, First Graduate, and Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Amy C).


Bay Area Weekend Highs
Record heat today. No significant rain is forecast for the next week.

~ THU-FRI ~
Coast: low-60s
SF: upper-60s
Bay: low-70s
North Bay: mid-70s
South Bay: mid-70s
Inland East Bay: upper-70s

~ SAT-SUN ~
Coast: mid-50s
SF: upper-50s
Bay: low-60s
North Bay: low-60s
South Bay: low-60s
Inland East Bay: mid-60s


Bay Area Top 3 Free Activities of the Week
1. Noise Pop 2012 [Thursday-Friday 5-8pm, Saturday 4-7pm]: Free happy-hour shows at Bender's Bar & Grill as part of the annual Noise Pop Festival, which promotes independent pop and rock bands over several days in San Francisco. The Papercuts were solid last night at the Independent; I highly recommend you find a show! 806 S Van Ness Ave. @ 19th St. www.bendersbar.com www.noisepop.com/2012

2. San Francisco Chamber Orchestra [Friday-Saturday 8pm, Sunday 3pm]: The focus will be Bach's Goldberg Variations, which are a set of 32 short pieces for string orchestra. Music Director Ben Simon will open with a talk to help explain the importance of this work. Performances will be at the Herbst Theatre (SF) on Friday, St. Mark's Church (Palo Alto) on Saturday, and the First Congregational (Berkeley) on Sunday. RSVP at 415.692.5258 or at www.sfchamberorchestra.org.

3. Game nights are all the rage. Homefrys, a San Francisco-based startup specializing in game nights, will do the hosting on Saturday night from 7-10pm at Coffee Bar. Offerings include Super Nintendo, life-size Jenga, and Apples to Apples. Food and drinks are available for purchase. 1890 Bryant St. (at Mariposa St.). www.homefrys.com


Bay Area Deal of the Week
IHOP is offering a short stack of buttermilk pancakes on Tuesday, February 28 to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Target is $2.7 million. Locations include: San Francisco (2); Daly City; South San Francisco; San Bruno; Foster City; Belmont; Redwood City; Santa Clara (2); San Jose; Emeryville; El Cerrito; Richmond; Walnut Creek; Vallejo; Hayward; Union City; and San Rafael. www.ihoppancakeday.com

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