Join us for Tag Along, where local writers, artists, food authorities, and celebrities shine a spotlight on the best food and drinks in their favorite Bay Area neighborhoods.

Colin Winnette is a long-haired, wide-smiling, game-writing bohemian living in San Francisco. Hailing from Denton, Texas, he’s worked as a bookseller on Haight Street, a copywriter for hospitals, and a ticket-taker at a movie theater. He’s also the author of seven books, most recently Users from Soft Skull Press, which earned a glowing review in the New York Times in May and another in The Nation in August. The book is about the perils and potentials of virtual reality and was written at a handful of bars and cafes in the Mission District. “San Francisco’s got a lot of heart,” Winnette says. “It’s a beautiful city to work in with deep literary roots.”

Winnette finished a book tour in spring 2023 and, on the day we meet to traipse through the Mission, he’s en route to Dog Eared Books for a print copy of the paper. He’s glad that, after emerging from COVID lockdowns, people still felt like coming out to say hello. He’s doubly thankful for the sleeper, unsung hangouts in the Mission that allowed his book to come to fruition. Join Eater SF as we accompany Winnette on a typical day of writing, caffeinating, drinking, and eating around the Mission District.

CoffeeShop

3139 Mission Street, San Francisco

Finding CoffeeShop on Mission Street is sort of like doing a word search puzzle; it’s the kind of hidden spot one could miss by blinking. The soy latte — and maybe an everything croissant on a peckish day — gets Winnette started each day. The shop itself, though, is well-known for its Sherpa, a rendition of the Bulletproof coffee trend. The joint, which has been in business for more than a decade, also freezes its coffee into cold brew ice cubes and makes its pastries in-house.

Winnette lived around the corner from this tiny storefront while he wrote Users, taking his soy latte to the sidewalk where the cafe stocks a few literal stumps. They work as tables, or in the writer’s case, a desk, as the 49 bus flies by. There are no plugs, no “work here” culture, as Winnette describes it. He gets through his coffee, works maybe an hour or so, takes stabs at early sentences, then heads on to the next destination. “I’m better when I indulge my restlessness,” Winnette says. “Rather than saying ‘Sit! Work!’”

Atlas Cafe

3049 20th Street, San Francisco

The sunny and expansive patio at this 20th Street restaurant plays host to a big daytime crowd. Winnette became a regular thanks to rock climbing sessions at Mission Cliffs a couple of blocks away; he’d come here for a smoked trout bagel, served on bread once the bagels sell out in the afternoon. The shop serves Grand Coffee from Mission Street, and the tangy espresso and foamy cappuccinos are both affordable and delectable. It’s the laid-back nature that allows Winnette to enter the writing space. “These are uninterrupted places,” Winnette says.

The bagel or a sandwich on rosemary bread, doesn’t hurt, either. He opts for a window seat, anywhere with a plug to recoup lost battery spent at CoffeeShop. But, just like that micro cafe, Winnette doesn’t stay here longer than a few hours before moving on. He attributes his frenetic approach to an undergrad interdisciplinary arts degree, one that had students in and out of various studios as a form of inspiration. The noise from the chatter of cafe-goers is still as important as the espresso and food. “It’s chaotic enough to become like the ocean lapping on the shore,” Winnette says. “Hypnotic.”

Phone Booth

1398 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

This lowkey Mission Street bar, a few blocks from decidedly not lowkey Tacos Patron, opens at 2 p.m. Or, that’s what you’d think from its posted hours — really it opens whenever it opens. Walking over isn’t too strenuous, though Winnette might hop on the 14 or 49 Muni lines to get a bit closer. The move here is a gin and tonic or a beer — nothing esoteric, just to get the wheels turning in a new direction. “This is me changing drugs,” Winnette says. “From caffeine to alcohol.”

To some, this decades-old bar is the perfect dive. Its pool tables and dimly-lit ambiance let Winnette unwind a bit, though he stays focused on the writing. He and an old pal, a high school teacher who lives a double life as a Jeopardy! whiz, would sip whiskey and read each other old poetry for fun. “There’s a great writing community in San Francisco,” Winnette says. “Even though the city has priced out a lot of great artists.”

Front Porch and Rock Bar

65 29th Street, San Francisco and 80 29th Street, San Francisco

A shot of whiskey with a pony boy Miller High Life is how the author ends the day. Rock Bar is one of those haunts that serves familiar faces day in and day out — and has now celebrated the birthdays of four neighborhood dogs over the years — on an otherwise unremarkable corner. Across the street, before hitting the pub, Winnette might grab dinner to take to the bar. Southern restaurant and bar Front Porch is happy to oblige; Winnette loves the veggie burger while his wife opts for the beignets, and, for company, they order a pitcher of signature cocktail Porch Swing.

The fried okra also goes hard, and Winnette says the grits — best with a fried egg on top — might be the finest in the city alongside the fare at Brenda’s. These are the meals that keep him ready for a swim with the Dolphin Club or pondering artificial intelligence civil rights (something Winnette thinks is just over the horizon). As he winds down at Front Porch or Rock Bar, he reads the paper, trying to be a human being after being a writer, he says. Sometimes his books’ reviews appear in those papers. But, most of the time, he’s just drinking a pickle back and eating fried okra after sifting through the white noise of San Francisco for eight hours or so. The author says these bars and restaurants remind him of Denton, in that they’re ubiquitous and unpretentious. “They have a thread of home,” Winnette says.

Sign up for the

newsletter

Eater SF

Sign up for our newsletter.

The post Tour San Francisco Writer Colin Winnette’s Favourite Mission District Cafes and Bars appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Entrepreneur asked Yelp to dig into its data, to reveal which ones America loved the most. Together we created America’s Favorite Mom & Pop Shops, a list of 150 local, independently owned and operated businesses across 10 categories — including, yes, home and local services.

To see every category, as well as the methodology behind the list, click here. Below are the 15 companies included in the home and local services category.

Note: Some businesses may have multiple locations. Only one location is listed for each.

1. Pink Plumbing & Sewer

Phoenix, AZ

Company website | Yelp page

This mobile business, owned by Chris Martin, can dispatch a repair crew to anywhere in the Phoenix Valley for both scheduled appointments as well as emergencies (to which they can respond 24/7). A particular plus is Martin’s insistence upon flat-rate pricing, with no extra work done without approval.

The best plumbing service out there!” reads one Yelp review. “I have always been very happy and totally satisfied… received super service from Pink along with peace of mind.” “I contacted them Easter Sunday evening,” reads another. “[They were] prompt, professional and installed our new water heater in no time.”

2. Lani’s Tailor & Atelier

Redmond, WA

Company website | Yelp page

Owner Andrea Kim’s atelier has been a Downtown staple for knocking on 40 years now, which is a soaring achievement for any independently owned small enterprise. A seasoned designer, Kim makes wedding dresses from scratch, which is why brides-to-be constitute a sizeable chunk of the clientele.

But that’s not all. She’ll also alter/restore existing dresses and gowns, as well as tailor men’s and women’s suits, shirts, jeans and jackets. “[They] worked me in last minute for a next day wedding,” offered on gent on Yelp. “Amazing service with a smile! Great, great value.”

3. Rain of Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV

Company website | Yelp page

There is arguably no urban population in the nation more acutely aware of the sustainability and efficiency of its water supply than Vegas. Since 1996, Michael Chuk’s company has made a mission of providing clean, safe and cutting-edge water quality systems, which can feature water conditioners, softeners and reverse osmosis filters.

Describing his hard water problem, one Yelp reviewer vividly described his dilemma: “Our water was essentially liquid rock, so we decided to get a water softener installed… Rain of Las Vegas [was] trustworthy, knowledgeable and professional… Our showers are awesome now.” An added bonus: All its systems are USA-made.

4. Hero Air

Chicago, IL

Company website | Yelp page

In June, Canadian wildfires caused air quality in the Windy City to hit 5 out of a possible 6 on the particulates meter — a mark classified as “very unhealthy.” The episode brought new focus on the need for indoor air quality systems, a service that this 10-year-plus business specializes in.

President Vladimir Yanev’s team services both the city and its suburbs, and can tackle boiler and furnace/installation and repair, as well as HVAC builds/service/repair and maintenance (including ductless mini splits for room-individualized temperature control). And if one Yelp review is any indication, there might also be an impromptu seminar offered in the bargain. “My granddaughter was very impressed with you taking time to help us understand the boiler,” it reads. “I am looking forward to you taking care of all our boiler and hot water tank needs.”

5. Texas Electrical Connect

Austin, TX

Company website | Yelp page

According to the National Fire Protection Association, wiring, lighting, cords and plugs cause approximately 35,000 home fires in the U.S. each year — which result in between one and two billion dollars in property damage. Owner Miguel Alonzo is here to save you from future calamity. His areas of expertise include lighting, electrical panel, doorbell and security system repair, as well as troubleshooting/addressing issues with generators and A/C systems and a variety of other challenges, both business and residential.

“Power in the bathroom was out,” recalled a Yelp reviewer. “They checked all the outlets and found the problem behind some DIY work that was done wrong. They fixed it and improved safety by moving the switch to a location that met code…all in the same day.”

Related: How This Home Care Service Makes Sure It’s Always Running on All Cylinders

6. 5 Points TV Installations

Hialeah, FL

Company website | Yelp page

How hard is it to mount a TV? Home renovation geeks might say it’s easy — but for everyone else, it’s fraught with embarrassment and actual peril, including wall damage (should you fail to find the studs and/or use the wrong anchors), injury/damage resulting from drops, electrical short issues and/or mounting at the wrong eye level (the results much more irritating than you might imagine).

In other words, it’s time to call a pro. Since 2010 this small operation, just outside of Miami, has been relieving home and business owners of those headaches, and can also handle the installation of speakers and sound bars, as well as shelves and stands.

7. A Few Good College Men

Gaithersburg, MD

Company website | Yelp page

Dany Afeni is the owner of this diversly-capable moving company, which not only serves the entirety of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, but can also assist with further-flung jobs up and down the Eastern Seaboard and even cross-country. Services include simple deliveries (for stores that do not arrange for shipping) and traditional packing and moving, but also junk cleanouts, storage, furniture assembly and mattress removal.

“I had a move from MD to VA to MD in one day,” reads one Yelp review, “and I appreciated the status updates so I could notify the second party of when the team would arrive. They are so speedy and friendly!”

8. Bronco Pro Kleen Carpet Cleaning Denver

Denver, CO

Company website | Yelp page

Strategically-placed carpets can be a sanity restorer, especially for homeowners with large pets and/or kids. But there’s a problem: Those carpets are also magnets for allergens, bacteria, proteins and dust. If improperly or too seldom cleaned, they’ll contribute to indoor air pollution, and so exacerbate asthma and other breathing problems.

Bronco Pro Kleen is here to solve that problem. It’s based in Denver’s Applewood neighborhood, and uses eco-friendly gear that’s safe for pets and kids. It also includes a truck-mounted steam systems designed to apply extra cleaning and odor-removal power to carpets, yes, but also to home and car upholstery. The company will also repair carpets in a pinch, and emergency services are available.

9. Tony LaMartina Plumbing

St. Louis, MO

Company website | Yelp page

Though now in its 41st year of servicing “The Lou,” this small enterprise actually taps an even deeper lineage: The LaMartina family has master plumber-class expertise that goes back more than a hundred years. Those stripes show in LaMartina Plumbing being placed in Angie’s List Super Service Award ranks seven times now, as well as it’s A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau of St. Louis.

Tony and crew’s capabilities extend from bathroom upgrades to lawn irrigation services and water heater installation, and from kitchen sink to garbage disposal maintenance/repair. For larger jobs, financing is available, too, and an added plus is the ability to track service crews’ ETA via GPS.

10. MMPC

Long Island City, NY

Company website | Yelp page

MMPC was among the first companies in this sector to integrate the EPA’s Integrated Pest Management Practices into its services. With environmental awareness as a cornerstone, the resulting approach explores a variety of approaches to rodent and insect infestations “before pesticides are even considered.” It also partners with state and other entities such as the FDNY, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Health and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York — with that same goal of effective but sustainable and careful application, keeping kids and pets particularly in mind.

Solutions could be hot- or cold temperature-based, for example, or emphasize exclusion (sealing pest entryways or exit paths). Beyond that, fumigation is always an option, along with natural and other pesticides.

Related: A Buzzing Business: How These Entrepreneurs Turned a Longtime Annoyance Into Successful Careers in Pest Control

11. Isle Locksmith

Honolulu, HI

Company website | Yelp page

Servicing Honolulu (and Oahu more broadly) and owned by Shai Rosen, this small business takes no small pride in its response times. “On a Saturday evening, my elderly relative found herself locked out of her apartment,” one Yelper wrote. “Shai arrived within 15 minutes…and our whole issue was resolved.” Another, locked out of his office, recounts a technician from Isle Locksmith arriving on site in 15 to 20 minutes.

Rosen and crew’s considerable list of capabilities includes lock installation and repair, keypad entry assistance, broken key extraction, car key duplication, lock changing (including electronic/smart variants) and safe lock service.

12. Auto Pro Detailing

Fremont, CA

Company website | Yelp page

With two locations (Fremont and Dublin), this company serves the entirety of the East San Francisco Bay community, including San Jose and Silicon Valley. Very much a family enterprise and founded in 1994, its owner, Marvin, has brought on his brothers, wife and daughter over the years, and offers a considerable range of services, from paint protection and correction to headlight restoration, full auto (including engine) detailing to tinting services.

Describing persistent scratches that had defied other treatment, one Yelper turned to Auto Pro Detailing and recalled: “[They] promised me 80% [scratch correction], but delivered 100%! The car looks new again!”

13. Kingdom Electric

Portland, OR

Company website | Yelp page

Among the qualities that a truly capable electrician should have (including expertise and good communication and time management skills), adaptability is too often overlooked, and is a highlight of this small Portland business. “[Owner] John understands that not everyone can afford to tackle massive projects all at once,” recalls one Yelper. “I greatly appreciate the guidance and patience… He is a skilled electrician, but even better, is a wealth of knowledge regarding home renovations in general.”

The company can take on a wide variety of issues, including AC installation, electrical panel repair and circuit breaker installation (among others), as well as a newer service of increasing importance and one that’s very much in demand: EV charging station builds.

14. Star Locksmith

Brighton, MA

Company website | Yelp page

Family owned and operated (with Bulent Hatipoglu as the principal), this company harnesses decades of experience in the field and serves the greater Boston metro area. Residential, auto and commercial services are on hand, whether the need is lock changing, new installation, electronic/smart lock repair, rekeying, vehicle lockouts or a variety of other issues, as well as the occasional and unexpected extra.

As one Yelper recounted, “After closing on our new home, everyone immediately said to change the locks. [Bulent did] the entire job (6 locks) done in about 30 minutes. Before leaving he noticed our main entrance had some wonky screws inserted which was hurting the doorframe… in the blink of an eye, [he] had new screws in and the door shuts perfectly.”

15. Residential Express Services Heating & Air Conditioning

Springfield, VA

Company website | Yelp page

This service and repair company tackles the vital task of making HVAC systems perform more efficiently, safely and reliably — all of which are vital for a home investment that can easily run tens of thousands of dollars. It does it so well that the years are flying by: It celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2023.

HVAC is a complex job; it also involves air duct cleaning and repair, duct sanitizing and lint screen cleaning. The crew here additionally specializes in gas/electric furnace and water heater installation and repair, as well maintaining/fixing thermostats and air conditioners, and offers an ongoing service plan designed to extend the life of home HVAC systems. The company is able to respond to the entirety of Northern Virginia.

Related: Why This Industry Is Experiencing Incredible Pandemic-Fueled Growth

The post America’s 15 Favourite Native Dwelling Service Companies appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The 1980s were a particularly uninspired time for Bay Area design, according to local architects. When asked for their most- and least-favorite local buildings, all three had picks designed during the Reagan administration on the bottom of their lists. 

Lada Kocherovsky, principal with Page & Turnbull, also chose to concentrate on what could still be at one of her least favorites: the Crocker Galleria. A plan for a major renovation to the early 1980s downtown mall was pitched to the Planning Department in 2019 but seems not to have moved forward since then. Kocherovsky remains optimistic.

“I do hope something nice comes of it,” she said.

Lada Kocherovsky AIA, Principal with Page & Turnbull

Kocherovsky has been a principal at Page & Turnbull for over 25 years and has worked on commercial and civic projects ranging from the adaptive re-use of historic buildings at UC-Berkeley and Stanford to the creation of the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. 

Favorites

1645 Pacific Condominiums 

1645 Pacific Condominiums (Google Maps)

Kocherovsky couldn’t resist a few Page & Turnbull shout-outs to kick off her list, first citing this Grosvenor-owned project completed in 2013. Designed by BAR Architects, the Nob Hill development was based on an initial concept design sketch by Page & Turnbull. 

“It’s one of those rare examples of a housing project that doesn’t look like the rest,” she said of the former 1907 garage whose historic facade was integrated into the mid-rise condo building. 

San Francisco Ferry Building 

San Francisco Ferry Building (JaGa – CC BY-SA 4.0 – via Wikimedia Commons)

Kocherovsky called the historic Embarcadero building a “quintessential San Francisco landmark and an icon, a symbol of the city.” Page & Turnbull oversaw the Ferry Building’s major restoration in 2003, and is leading a current renovation project, which will add a bayfront plaza, indoor-outdoor dining, pedestrian pathways and new retail spaces. Another restoration from Architecture Resources Group that involves repairing some of the structure’s façade and a new paint job in custom-made “Ferry Building Grey” began in 2019. 

Kochervosky said the 1898 building was the city’s “immortal phoenix of real estate, with the remarkable rebirth of the building in the early 2000s, when it became something it wasn’t ever before without losing itself. That gave the Ferry Building a new life, and it could happen again now. It’s a commercial real estate success story.”

181 Fremont St. 

181 Fremont Street (Google Maps)

For her last pick, Kochervosky gave kudos to Heller Manus Architects’ design of the LEED Platinum luxury condo tower, completed in 2018 and developed by Jay Paul Company.

“The San Francisco skyline has changed a lot over the last few years, and the Fremont Street high-rise with its expressive diagonal element recalls the towers of 1950s and 1960s architecture in San Francisco, yet it is appealing as a contemporary gesture,” she said. 

Least Favorite

Crocker Galleria 

Crocker Galleria (Google Maps)

Kochervosky called this downtown mall “the opposite of a love-at-first-sight building” that “reminds San Francisco of the worst of the typical 1980s, and the least appealing aspects of postmodern architecture. It’s kind of an eyesore to me, and I’m glad they’re talking about redeveloping it.” 

San Francisco Marriott Marquis 

San Francisco Marriott Marquis (Marriott)

Another ‘80s build made it onto Kochervosky’s least favorite list: the 39-story Marriott Marquis across the street from the Moscone Center. It had its opening day on October 17, 1989, the same day as the disastrous Loma Prieta earthquake. 

Kochervosky called the city’s second-tallest hotel tower a “child of its times” that “dominates central Market-Mission streets with its stepped façade, reflective glazing and arched penthouse windows — though not in a particularly attractive way.”

Federal Building

San Francisco Federal Building (HaeB, CC BY-SA 4.0 – via Wikimedia Commons)

This 18-story SOMA tower was designed by Morphosis and completed in 2007. It is the first LEED-certified federal building, with perforated stainless steel panels that are supposed to naturally regulate the building’s temperature rather than a traditional HVAC system. 

The innovative environmental features led to a design award from the American Institute of Architects’ San Francisco chapter in 2008, but Kochervosky was not won over. 

“Its scale is wrong,” she said. “Nor does it relate to the adjacent architecture in any way. So it’s just not a great fit in the neighborhood.”

Charles Blosizies FAIA, Founder and Principal at the Office of Charles F Bloszies

Blosizies has led his own San Francisco-based office since 1985 and specializes in projects that merge old buildings with new designs, like his 10-story 2009 addition at 1 Kearny Street. He had a best and worst list, as well as an architectural “wildcard”: the Cow Palace, the former livestock pavilion and current event center on the San Francisco/Daly City border that he called “the most un-San Francisco building imaginable.”

Favorites

Angler’s Lodge

Angler’s Lodge (WPA)

Blosizies thinks more people should check out this “hidden gem” adjacent to the casting pools in Golden Gate Park. Both the lodge and pools were built as part of a Works Progress Administration-funded project in the late 1930s. The building is meant to mimic traditional mountain lodges, with rustic woodwork and stone and houses a library of books and media on fishing and casting, according to the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club website. The club still hosts tournaments and fly fishing classes, with rods available to borrow.

Hallidie Building

Hallidie Building (Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0 – via Wikimedia Commons)

“According to legend, everyone hated” this Willis Polk-designed downtown building when it was finished in 1918, Blosizies said. But it was one of the first to utilize glass curtain walls in the U.S. and “planted the seeds for the modern era of glass and steel architecture,” he added. 

It now sits on the city’s list of registered landmarks and underwent a three-year historic renovation beginning in 2010 that fixed up its sheet metal decorative elements, repainted it to its original blue and gold color scheme—in honor of its first occupant, the University of California — and replaced all the glass. It currently houses the San Francisco chapter of the AIA. 

8 Octavia Condominiums

8 Octavia Condominiums (Google Maps)

Stanley Saitowitz’s 8 Octavia is “one of a very few sustainable buildings to use sun control as a design driver, expressed by its over-scaled vertical blinds, and by far the best residential building built in the Octavia Corridor,” Blosizies said. 

The corridor used to be part of the Central Freeway, which was demolished in 2003 after being damaged during Loma Prieta. Recently, State Senator Scott Wiener has been among those calling for the removal of more of the freeway overpass to make room for more housing, but has faced pushback from neighborhood groups fearing gentrification. 

Least Favorite 

Sutro Tower

Sutro Tower (Getty)

Blosizies acknowledged that in the 50 years since Sutro Tower went up near Twin Peaks it has become “a revered icon for some, but not for me.” 

“It was ugly when it was erected and getting uglier as it is adorned with more and more cell antennae,” he said.

900 Kearny Street

900 Kearny Street (LoopNet)

Blosizies said the Francis Ford Coppola-owned Columbus Tower, built in 1907 and also known as the Sentinel Building, is an architectural beauty. But the neighboring tower at 900 Kearny Street, built in 1989, “makes a feeble attempt to mimic the Columbus Building and represents the worst type of new:old architectural references.” 

100 Van Ness

100 Van Ness (SGB)

Bloszies is all for office-to-residential conversions, but said this one missed the mark. The 1974 office tower near Civic Center, which formerly housed the California State Automobile Association, was converted to over 400 apartments with a design by Solomon Cordwell and Buenz in 2015. 

“The new façade and especially the forms at the top are not much of an improvement to the skyline near City Hall,” Bloszies said.

Andy Rastetter PE and LEED AP, Associate at Buro Happold 

Rastetter is both an architect and a structural engineer in the Oakland office of London-based Buro Happold and has worked on designing the seismic system at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA, among other projects. 

Favorites

De Young Museum

De Young Museum (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rastetter chose Herzog & De Meuron’s 2005 rebuild of the De Young Museum for its “natural extension” of surrounding Golden Gate Park, which he prefers to the Academy of Sciences’ 2008 rebuild across the concourse. He also appreciates how the De Young provides a “great backdrop to art” that has a strong presence without overwhelming the works inside. 

Chapel of Chimes

Chapel of Chimes (Jon Evans from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 – via Wikimedia Commons)

Rastetter pointed out the “incredibly ornate interiors” of Julia Morgan’s 1928 redesign of this Oakland building, which has been used as a funeral home since the 1980s. He called the chapel “possibly the best kept architectural secret in the Bay Area, considering that it is freely open to the public seven days a week” as well as “some of the most ethereal interior environments I have ever come across.” 

Salesforce Park

Salesforce Park (Salesforce Transit Center)

Rastetter raved about the Pelli Clarke Pelli design of Salesforce Park, which he called “one of the best urban spaces in San Francisco.” The four-block-long elevated park above the Transbay Terminal opened in 2018, then closed almost immediately afterwards when cracks were found in two steel beams, then opened again in summer 2019. The company’s neighboring namesake 61-story tower itself is “nothing special,” which put it on the top of his least favorite lists.

Read more

Least Favorite

Salesforce Tower

Salesforce Tower (Hines)

Also designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli and the last of Cesar Pelli’s designs to be completed during his lifetime, Salesforce Tower got a thumbs down from Rastetter. 

“The tower that defines the San Francisco skyline should not be so ordinary, mundane or phallic,” he said. “This was a missed opportunity to do something great.”

Neiman Marcus Department Store

Neiman Marcus Department Store in San Francisco (Niles Bolton Associates)

Rastetter called this Johnson/Burgee design from the early ‘80s “probably Johnson’s worst project, there is almost nothing I like about this building.” Its only redeeming feature is the original turn-of-the-century City of Paris atrium, he said, which was saved by preservationists when Neiman Marcus bought the Beaux Arts building in the 1970s with plans to demolish it. 

“It feels like the atrium is held captive behind the poorly detailed post-modern façade,” he said. 

Vaillancourt Fountain

Vaillancourt Fountain (Getty)

Rastetter concedes that the early 1970s fountain by Canadian artist Armand Vaillancourt in Embarcadero Plaza is not a building, but the precast concrete square tubes make the 40-foot-high structure “very architectural in its size and proportions.” 

“This sculpture literally makes the plaza look worse,” he said. “But these days you could argue that it blends in nicely with the adjacent homeless camps!”

The post Bay Space architects on their most and least favourite San Francisco buildings appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

After 70 years in San Francisco and a change of ownership that resulted in an imaginative menu update attracting several TV shows to its doors, HRD Coffee Shop has closed.

The San Francisco Standard first reported the news, and owner Sydney Saidyan confirmed the restaurant would be closed on Friday, June 23. He says the pandemic has exacerbated problems with the landlord; Because of some of these issues, the restaurant was unable to add outdoor dining, adding to HRD’s losses. “I’ve lost confidence in my partners, in other words the city and the landlord, to really see us as their valued partner,” says Saidyan. “We realized that when we’ve done everything we can, we basically can’t go on, and we couldn’t really get to the point of saying we can go on for another year or two.”

As the Standard reports, HRD Coffee Shop was founded by Ben Chan, an immigrant from China who wanted to open a breakfast spot in the China Basin. He opened HRD in 1953 — rumored to be named for the “HRD” on the front of the human resources office where the restaurant began — and eventually passed the business on to his nephew David Yeung and partner Joanna Banks in 2009. They brought Saidyan into the restaurant business, enriched the menu with his unique brand of kimchi and bulgogi burritos that fused Asian ingredients with Mexican food, and led to appearances at Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Saidyan says Yeung left the company three years ago and has been the sole owner ever since.

As for the HRD Coffee Shop story, Saidyan doesn’t think that’s the real ending. Citing various catering appearances at the Giants and local businesses, as well as the numerous reviews on Yelp and Google praising their restaurant, he says HRD will carry on — whether he’s at the helm or someone running the business and its various activities takes over trademarks and patents. He would prefer the San Francisco restaurant to continue, but indicated to the Standard that he would be willing to move the restaurant elsewhere. “After 70 years, our story is a story of perseverance and of an immigrant who came to this country,” Saidyan says. “I have never seen myself as the owner, but as the steward of this man’s legacy. We did everything we could, but unfortunately it takes two to tango.”

Sign up for the newsletter

Eater SF

Sign up for our newsletter.

The post HRD Espresso Store, a San Francisco Favourite for Kimchi Burritos, Is Closing After 70 Years in South Seashore appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A golden retriever has skyrocketed serotonin levels online as he gets excited every time he sees the caretaker.

In a series of videos, Gordy, who lives in Tampa, Fla., is walking down the hall when he hears the man’s keys jingle. He then runs down to be greeted by his “favorite person”.

His owner added text to the story, and she points out that Gordy can’t contain his excitement as he leaps onto the man until he patiently sits down for a treat.

The video seen here was shared by TikTok user @goldengordy and has been viewed by over 428,000 people. More than 56,000 people have liked the video about the golden retriever’s unlikely friendship with the man.

Stock photo of a golden retriever. A golden retriever’s reaction to the caretaker went viral. gorodenkoff/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The American Kennel Club describes Golden Retrievers as “sociable, trustworthy, and supportive family pets that are relatively easy to train.” They approach life joyfully and playfully and maintain this puppy behavior into adulthood.”

The Trusted Registry of Purebred Dog Breeds in the United States also states that Golden Retrievers are good with young children and families and are extremely outgoing with strangers. So it’s no surprise that Gordy gave the man a warm welcome in the video.

Gordy’s reaction has put smiles on thousands of faces and sparked conversations on TikTok, but research shows pets are a great way to meet people.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the WALTHAM Center for Pet Nutrition surveyed nearly 2,700 men and women in four cities: Perth, Australia; San Diego, California; Portland, Oregon; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Owning a pet was the third most common way they met people in their neighborhood, according to survey participants. The survey found that pet owners are 60 percent more likely than non-pet owners to meet people in their neighborhood they didn’t know before.

@goldengordy

#fyp #foryou #dogsoftiktok #wholesome #goldenretriever

♬ You are my best friend – Pub Dog

Hundreds of TikTokers have commented on the video and everyone seems thrilled to have seen the moment Gordy sees his friend.

One user wrote: “This is just adorable!!!!”

Another commented, “Needed this after a bad week.”

“It would be great to be greeted by Gordy every day,” said another.

Another TikToker wrote, “When dogs are so excited to see you, you just feel your best.”

Previously, Newsweek published the moment a postman “overreacted” to a dog, as well as viral video of a postal worker recording dogs greeting him during his shift.

Newsweek reached out to @goldengordy for comment. We have not been able to verify the details of the case.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet that you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our list of pets of the week.

The post Really feel-Good Clip Exhibits Golden Retriever Who Loves Handyman: ‘Favourite Individual’ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Rumors are circulating again that the Minnesota Vikings may be selling quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​to the San Francisco 49ers. Yes, it’s incredibly upsetting to hear the rumors for what feels like the 15th time, but it was this comment from CBS Sports’ Adam Schein who said the 49ers would be “clearly” the best team in the NFL next season .

But wait, I was told Cousins ​​wasn’t good enough to win a Super Bowl? How can Cousins ​​make the 49ers the best team in the league unequivocally?

Our friend at The Daily Norseman, Christopher Gates, wrote about Cousins ​​being Schrodinger’s quarterback and it makes sense, but it misses the mark on one point

Cousins ​​would be considered the last piece, not the centerpiece.

The Vikings hired Cousins ​​as mercenaries in 2018. They had a Super Bowl roster that many, including the Vikings, thought was one quarterback away from getting there. Case Keenum had a really good breakaway season in 2017, leading the Vikings within 60 minutes of a Super Bowl spot. With the massive question marks surrounding all three Vikings quarterbacks following the 2017 season, Cousins ​​was the final piece of the puzzle.

The thought was that Cousins ​​would surpass the Vikings with an overloaded roster featuring Stefon Diggs, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen on offense and the number one defense in football. In theory, Cousins ​​would only need to play able football. Things didn’t work out for many reasons and we continue to talk about cousins ​​here.

Sending him to San Francisco sounds pretty much the same, right?

They started three quarterbacks in 2022, with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo breaking ankles later in the year. They ended the season with rookie Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy tearing up his UCL in the NFC Championship Game. You have the weapons in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. They’re also bringing back number one defense and have an offensive genius in Kyle Shanahan.

The story goes on

It’s not like Cousins ​​is suddenly a Super Bowl quarterback by joining the 49ers, but being that big of an improvement in position based on what they had before fits the same motive. Cousins ​​is a hired mercenary who aims to be the capable quarterback for a great team and nothing more.

Story originally appeared on Vikings Wire

The post Analyzing why Kirk Cousins would make San Francisco Tremendous Bowl favourite appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

When Taco Bell removed the “Grilled Stuft Nacho” from its nationwide menu in 2015, Chris Sandberg was crushed.

The specialty item – a triangle-shaped tortilla filled with beef, crunchy red strips, sour cream and cheesy jalapeño sauce – was “the best thing I ever had at Taco Bell,” Sandberg said.

The day he discovered the dish, he liked it so much, “I had it every day for a week,” Sandberg said. “The following week, it was discontinued.”

After it was taken from the menu, he moved on and tried other items, but none measured up for him. It stayed fresh in his mind. And on Jan. 4, 2021, he decided to start a daily exercise challenge on TikTok, in the hope of getting Taco Bell’s attention.

Sandberg shared a video of himself, breathless in his bathroom mirror, saying, “Day one of exercising every day until Taco Bell brings back the Grilled Stuft Nacho.”

The seven-second clip went viral with hundreds of thousands of views. Sandberg doubled down on his unusual – and somewhat illogical – effort to apply pressure to the restaurant chain through physical activity. He posted another mid-workout video the following day, and every single day thereafter. In the roughly 470 days since he started chronicling his daily exercise routine on TikTok, Sandberg has shed more than 85 pounds.

“I’ve put in an unbelievable amount of physical work,” said Sandberg, who lives in San Francisco, is self-employed, and produces social media videos and short films. He emphasized that he does not work for Taco Bell and never has.

The goal of his workout antic is twofold: While his primary objective is to bring back his beloved Grilled Stuft Nacho, when he began his Taco Bell challenge more than one year ago, Sandberg – who weighed close to 300 pounds before the pandemic – what also seeking to lose weight. He decided to merge the two missions.

“I do understand the irony in exercising every day for a fast-food item,” he said. “It started as a joke that has clearly gone way too far, but I can’t stop now.”

Although Sandberg initially executed the idea in jest, he quickly realized “it resonates for people,” as losing weight can be a stressful struggle for many. He wanted to find a way to make his experience lighthearted.

Sandberg grew eager to get in shape after “I read that people who were overweight were more vulnerable to COVID, so that had been at the back of my head for a while,” he said, adding that he was 275 pounds when he started the exercise challenge, after losing 15 pounds over the preceding few months.

Sandberg thought that publicly sharing his weight-loss journey on social media might help hold him accountable while also potentially motivating others. He wanted something to set himself apart, a cause that might be comical enough to compel Internet strangers to cheer him on.

“I didn’t want the journey to be about a number on a scale,” Sandberg said. “I wanted it to be fun. I wanted the goal to be something that had nothing to do with my weight.”

Enter the Grilled Tier Nacho.

“Everyone loves Taco Bell,” Sandberg said in a bold culinary statement. “That’s just what came to me.”

Plus, he believed his efforts might actually work.

“Doja Cat wanted them to bring back the Mexican Pizza, and look what happened,” Sandberg said. “The Grilled Stuft Nacho is better than the Mexican Pizza, and the world needs to know that.”

According to the Taco Bell Fandom Wiki, the Grilled Stuft Nacho first appeared on the menu in 2013 but was discontinued in March 2014. It made a brief reappearance in 2015 before it was pulled for good. Some people were peeved, though probably no one as much as Sandberg.

“There is a common belief that everything at Taco Bell tastes the same, but the Grilled Stuft Nacho is the exception,” Sandberg said, explaining his appreciation for a specific sauce.

“I want to make this clear,” he said. “The cheesy jalapeño sauce is different than their creamy jalapeño sauce. Without the cheesy jalapeño sauce, it is just not the same.”

Sandberg found an online community that shared his taste in fast food. Someone started an online petition four years ago pleading with the chain to bring back the specialty item. The petition collected 792 signatures – including Sandberg’s. The appeal was not enough to revive the dish, so Sandberg decided to take matters into his own hands.

First, he began with at-home workouts, then incorporated weightlifting, high-intensity interval training and long-distance running into his regular fitness routine.

“There are days that you want to give up,” Sandberg said. “On the days that you do want to work out, that’s when you push yourself physically, but on the days that you don’t want to work out, that’s when you have to push yourself mentally.”

The post San Francisco man misplaced 85 kilos in a bid to get Taco Bell to revive his favourite menu merchandise appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

As the sun spreads onto 18th Street in the Mission District, it’s not uncommon to see Rafael Garcia juicing grapefruits in the Tartine Bakery kitchen, and, as the moon rises that same evening, it’s not uncommon to see him bringing a power washer into one of more than a dozen restaurants in the city. He’s recognizable by his iconic look: diamond earrings on either side of his chinstrap beard, a smile so joyous it forces his eyes to squint. But few regular customers, or even fellow staff, realize Garcia has a robust cleaning business that works primarily with restaurants in San Francisco and Oakland. His client list, now at 14, includes some of the Bay Area’s buzziest and best restaurants: Frances, Octavia, Wahpepah’s Kitchen, Understory, and Reem’s.

Rafael Garcia, who works as an assistant general manager at Tartine, began his tenure at the bakery on Guerrero Street after working as a janitor at a sausage company in San Francisco. It was 2011 and, while the cleaning job was fun, he wanted to gain a new set of skills. He started working front of house at the bakery, stocking cups and doling out croissants. “At that time, my English wasn’t so good,” Garcia says. “I had to learn to communicate with other people outside of Spanish.”

Garcia is as standard a sight at the Tartine Bakery as the country loaf itself. Paolo Bicchieri

As he put in his six-odd years of working at Tartine, his wife Rosa Lopez was gaining skills in residential cleaning. It was her idea to launch Lopez Cleaning Services in 2017 when she decided to launch her own house cleaning business. Tartine was looking for a new cleaning contract at the time, and he suggested they start there. “Five or six months later, they noticed it was looking good,” Garcia says. “So they invited me to clean the Manufactory when it opened.” In no time, he was responsible for both businesses, the commissary kitchen, and the 9th Avenue Tartine location when it opened — not to mention the gigs at customers’ homes that his partner, in life and business, was also taking on.

If there’s a textbook example of the power of word-of-mouth community, it’s Garcia and Lopez Cleaning Services. In short order he picked up contracts at Smallworks, a framing shop, and Mr. Muggle’s, a pet-sitting service, both of which are in the same Mission District milieu as Tartine — geographically and socially. When Nick Beitcher, owner of Midnite Bagel, went out on his own, he asked Garcia to clean his commissary space in the Dogpatch. Lopez Cleaning Services will handle the new retail location in the Inner Sunset, too.

“Rafa was the guy,” Beitcher says. “He knew every nook and cranny of the [Tartine] space and could do anything — equipment to fix, recipes that needed to be translated to Spanish, he was just the guy.” He’d watch Garcia go from a full shift at the bakery to a cleaning job that wouldn’t end until three in the morning, and he says he is blown away by Garcia’s work ethic. “He’s an incredibly hard worker,” Beitcher says. “There’s never any doubt he’s going to do what he says he’s going to do.” Garcia is sheepish, but acknowledges it’s been these kind of personal reviews that have allowed his business to flourish.

Garcia and his wife Rosa Lopez. Rafael García

Garcia is considered the resident master of any and all equipment, gear, and repair. Rafael García

The work does add up. Garcia says he and his wife love it — the hustle and grind — and really loves having clients and customers from both his business and his job at Tartine. Organizing his life, though, and feeling a sense of control is a main motivation. “We wanted to have our own time, our own schedule, and also for sure to make more money,” Garcia says. “To be free. Not living month to month.”

It’s been a hard time for Tartine. But not so for Garcia, though he did lose about 40 percent of his clients in the first year of the pandemic. The cleaning company has two rotating employees now, and he just added carpet cleaning and moving services to his offerings. There’s no limit in sight, he says. “Me and my wife, we’re growing together,” Garcia says. “I cannot know, but I want to make everybody happy. If you have a new opportunity, you have to take it.”

Sign up for the newsletter

Eater SF

Sign up for our newsletter.

The post How This Couple Constructed a Cleansing Firm That Helps A few of San Francisco’s Favourite Eating places appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Quick Response Firearms is one of the newest gun shops in Twin Falls. It is locally owned and operated. You have some really amazing things in there. The store is moving, but they won’t move far.

Right now they are behind Albertsons next to the liquor store on Blue Lakes Blvd. The shop is pretty small but full of really great stuff. If you’ve been around this complex recently, you may have noticed a sign with the Quick Response Firearms logo on the front of the complex. You will be moving to the front of the building. In fact, they are in the process of moving some things as we speak.

I’m not sure when the new store front will open for trading. I think their new location, while not far from the previous one, will work wonders for their business. If you didn’t realize Quick Response Firearms was back there, you could easily drive by or never know it existed. Now their new storefront will face Addison Avenue with a large sign that is welcoming and eye-catching.

The business actually only started online and has only grown since then. If you’ve ever walked in there you know that the people there are some of the nicest, knowledgeable, and interesting people on the planet. They’re great salespeople too. Almost every time I walk in there, I go out with a new toy.

The new store front isn’t open yet, so keep walking to its original location.

10 old Fisher Price toys that are a blast from the past

SEE: 30 Toys That Defined the ’70s

READ ON: Check out these totally awesome ’80s toys

MORE: See 30 Toys Every ’90s Kid Wanted

The post One Of Twin Falls Favourite Firearms Shops Is Shifting; However Not Far appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Abineau-Bear Jaw Loop in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness in the San Francisco Peaks, at the start of the fall color season. Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2017, when leaf changes were already visible at the top of the Bear Jaw, Waterline, and Abineau trails.

The aspen grove at Aspen Corner on Snowbowl Road is at the height of the curve.

The aspen grove at Aspen Corner on Snowbowl Road is at the height of the curve.

Aspen trees in full autumn foliage spray the sky over Hart Prairie in shades of gold on Wednesday afternoon. The turn of the year lasts for at least another week.

Autumn in Flagstaff is a magical sight. It really is one of the best places in Arizona to see stunning fall colors. The cool mountain air, the radiant sky, seemingly untouched forest meadows and lush aspen forests make leafing through from mid-September in the higher elevations and until the end of November in the lower elevations a top seasonal attraction for locals and visitors.

Because Flagstaff’s autumnal beauty is so incomparable, many of these magical places can be crowded with long lines of cars and swarms of people, all trying to see the gold, red, and orange tones. Some, like the ever-popular Lockett Meadow and West Fork in Oak Creek, can quickly turn into nightmare, attracting hundreds of people each day. But those aren’t the only options. Numerous other spots that are easily accessible on foot allow leaf-gazers to skip the long waiting times and bask in the autumn colors without the crowds.

Not only can hiking offer a better experience, but research shows that just a 30-minute walk can improve both your mental and physical health. Remember to wear light layers to ensure comfort throughout the day as temperatures can change drastically. Don’t forget to pack water, snacks and a camera!

Explore these trails and destinations for an enchanting glimpse of the fall colors:

The post Fall by foot: Get transferring this autumn with our favourite hikes to see fall foliage | appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.