The N-Judah Chronicles

There was no greater fan of the old Canvas Gallery than I - more than once when low-grade home Internet crapped out on me, the Canvas Gallery was a wifi safe haven to continue the bloggy goodness.

However, since it's passing, we've had a new addition to the neighborhood I've found to be a pleasant replacement, Pacific Catch, in the refurbished Canvas Gallery space on 9th and Lincoln.

Now, I have to confess I haven't actually had dinner here yet (although I've seen what others have ordered and it all looks great), but that's because Pacific Catch has been luring me in there with an incredible happy hour, one that's not only from 4-6pm , but also late at night (something we've needed around here for a while), and at both times they serve a great bargain-priced menu of assorted fish and deep fried items, along with some great cocktails.

For example, the spicy tuna roll, which is fairly sizable and quite well made, is only $4.95. I've also tried their sweet potato fries (normally an abomination, but here super awesome), and a friend of mine tried the calamari (also looked good). They also have their own specialty cocktails, which, although costing a bit more than their well counterparts, are made with some pretty exotic ingredients.

They make a great pisco sour, among other pisco-based drinks. But even more amazing? They have more than one kind of pisco! Unheard of, I know! My personal favorite is the "Lime in the Cocoanut" which features toasted cocoanut syrup muddled with limes and pisco, with a splash of soda.

But even if you order a nice, ordinary $4 well cocktail, you're going to get a really well-made drink. No bar mixes, only fresh fruit juice, and the well pours are of good quality. Either way you can have a nice drink and a snack on the way home and get out of there for about $10.

But best of all, this is not some impersonal Tipsy McStaggers "chain" with impersonal waitstaff...everyone that works here is friendly, polite, and makes you feel welcome and want to come back. This is why I've returned as often as I have (about once a week, time and schedule permitting) since I sometimes work a strange schedule and actually have time at the end of the day to do something fun (while other times I'm chained to my desk until late).

Next time you're done with a walk in the park on a warm day, check it out, and you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised!

Pacific Catch
9th Avenue and Lincoln
1 Block from the 9th and Irving N Judah Stop
Right In Front of the 71 Haight Stop

Posted by Greg Dewar at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Rather than try and keep up with work, other duties, the much needed upgrades behind the scenes and post half-baked blog posts, I'm going to take a few days off to just work on some things for the big "upgrade" of the site.

Now, I would have liked to have told you about some pro-Measure A rallies (which you could have attended as a supporter, or as a detractor) that apparently happened, but every time I email or call the pro-A people they never seem to call or email me back.

Thus, I'm going to assume that they've got this thing nailed, in the bag, pwned, whatever, have endless numbers of volunteers, money and support, and not worry too much about it. If it passes, yay, if not, then something else will be on the ballot in some future election that might be better. Right?

In the meantime, if you were to give some advice to a tourist, either from one of the many fine states that make up the U.S., or perhaps a foreign tourist who is staying at a hotel downtown or in one of our many fine tourist areas, what would it be? What hidden treasures of the "real" S.F. would you recommend to them, and how would you recommend they get their on a cable car, MUNI train, or bus?

Thanks for your help and see you in a few days...

Posted by Greg Dewar at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lately, it seems we've been having a mini-revitalization of nightlife in the Inner Sunset. First, we had the Blackthorn transform from a run-of-the-mill bar to a great place to have a drink and a good time.

Now, the new owners of what was once the dull, boring Eldos Brewery, have transformed that venue into the new Wunder Brewing Company - and if you haven't been there yet, I strongly advise you to do so. Many may be put off by the space since it once housed such a boring, lame restaurant. Erase said memories and start anew, forthwith!

First, a word about happy hour - this is probably one of the best bargain happy hours I've found in a while. Not only do they sell their beers for a mere $2.25 (i.e. less than what one pays for crap beer at a corporate chain) from 4:30-6:30, they also have a special menu of discount-priced items as well. How good is the food? Well, put it this way - I hate sweet potato fries, normally considering them an anomaly at best, and yet they make some so good I actually enjoyed eating them (and no I wasn't that plastered either). I also tried their homemade pretzels (amazing) and the rest of the menu looked pretty good.

Not only is the beer significantly better, the atmosphere of this place is significantly more friendly and in touch with the neighborhood. The staff are friendly and funny, the vibe of the place is relaxed and unpretentious. and from the looks of their website they are planning special events and other attractions in the future.

Once again, the Inner Sunset's nightlife just took a turn for the better, and took a once-dull and cold space and turned it into somewhere you'd want to be. Whether it's having a drink after a craptacular N commute, or meeting up with friends for a night out, your best best is another locally owned, fun, and reasonably priced venue here on the N Judah line.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

As I am busy working behind the scenes on some pretty interesting changes to the site, I am doing a quick roundup of a few events around the N, including:

- The NJC's favorite bar, the Blackthorn Tavern will be hosting a benefit concert September 29th for leukemia research. Check it out!

- The San Francisco Blues Festival returns this weekend at Fort Mason. MUNI didn't publish any specific transit information, but the 22, 47, 49, and the 30 Stockton can help you avoid the parking mashup that'll happen if everyone drives there.

- The annual San Francisco Love Parade, with like, a zillion DJs and whatnot, will be on Saturday also. Many MUNI buses and trains will be delayed - hopefully they won't cut service like they did back when this blog got started!

- The 49ers will be playing against the (infamous) Seattle Seahawks this weekend at Candlestick/Monster/Whatever Park. The people at MUNI have provided this guide to using MUNI to go to the game - like a lot of MUNI provided info, it's rather complex and gives you more options than perhaps you're used to, but wade through it and avoid the parking and driving hassles.

If you have an event you'd like to feature here, feel free to email me and let me know about it for future posts!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You know you've picked the right afternoon to make that last stop on the way home of a very productive day of work, at the Blackthorn (where the awesome folks who work there make a late afternoon of rugby and live music like, awesome), and not only do you get to meet the lovely ladies of the Miller Chill crew, but ALSO the Miller Lite ladies giving out free bottle openers.

True, I've been drinking Miller Lite for years with limes and/or hot sauce and tomato juice, but if the Miller Chill ladies are handing out samples, and don't have that awful Clamato crap in their beer, well then let's just say the day was a two-fer.

Yes, the photo is a bit night-goggly, but it's better than nothing. Otherwise I'd be vulnerable to the "pictures or it didn't happen" meme, right?

Woo hoo!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I've just returned home from a fun evening at the Blackthorn Tavern, the unofficial bar of the N Judah Chronicles. Thanks to the pub trivia superheroes, recruited by Anna from SF Metblogs, we not only had a great time, we won! Woo hoo!

If you're in to pub trivia and have a free Monday, the Blackthorn's deal, co-sponsored by Brainstormer, is a pretty good one. Not only do they offer a drink special, and free food (tonight's was chicken curry!), you have the chance to win fabulous prizes. Most importantly, the vibe of the crowd is fun, and win or lose, you're bound to have a great time.

We made a bit of a splash when we named our team Stop Global Warming, Ban Burning Man, which was kind of funny. Plus, I got to meet several of the Loyal Readers in person, which was even more fun, including the wonderful person who bought our first BBM t-shirt. Thanks for reading the site!

It's always nice to meet folks who read the site and offer some feedback, and it's especially fun after a Pilsner Urquell and racking one's brain about James Bond trivia, and figuring out who the oldest Rolling Stone is.

Most importantly, it was an evening of good fun in a good locally owned business with good people. Can I use the word "good" any more times in one sentence? Yes? Good. .

UPDATE: I got a nice note from Quizmaster (and Loyal Reader) Stan, who hosted last night's event! Check it out!

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the great writeup of the quiz last night at the Blackthorn. Thomas had mentioned to me after the quiz that the blogger of the N Judah Chronicles was one of the guys who I'd called out for a prize. I'm a semi-regular reader of your blog (I live on 21st and Judah), so I was thrilled. I'm glad you had a good time. Did I say "good?"

Come by and say hello when you're in the Blackthorn for the quiz again. I'm enclosing the pic I took of your team last night, which will be posted this week on the Blackthorn quiz page. You can use it on your blog if you wish, since you're in this one.

http://www.brainstormer.com/venueDisplay.aspx?venueID=170&state=ca
Take care, Stan the quizmaster

Posted by Greg Dewar at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The weather is looking pretty good, summer's officially here, and quite a lot is going on in town this weekend! Let's review:

- This weekend, as I mentioned earlier, is the grand re-opening of the Blackthorn Tavern on Irving Street at 9th. This should be a fun day to check out the new and improved Blackthorn. Be sure to tell them the N Judah Chronicles sent ya!

- Also this weekend, there's the big Gay Freedom Day Parade on Sunday, as well as the Pink Saturday festivities and Dyke Parade (yes that's what it's called). There are some service announcements for MUNI at both - you can check out the updates at the MUNI/MTA website. For Saturday's schedule, click here and for Sunday's changes, click here.

If you have friends coming into town for either day, try and encourage them to take Caltrain, or BART into town, instead of driving, if not to "save the earth" then at least to spare them the nightmare of trying to find parking or fighting traffic.

No matter what you decide to do, have a great weekend! And as always, if you see or hear of anything fun, unfun, or just plain San Francisco on MUNI, drop me a line!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 9:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For several years, I've been a patron of the Blackthorn Tavern, located on Irving Street just past 9th Avenue, and it's always been a pleasant place to have a pint and hang out on a Sunday afternoon. I'd always meant to write a review for the site, but never got around to it. For once, procrastination has its merits, as the Blackthorn has been taken over by new ownership, and even before their grand re-opening on June 23rd, the improvements are already starting to show up.

Now, don't get me wrong, there was nothing egregiously heinous with the Blackthorn in its previous incarnations - I've been a patron on and off since 2001 - but even before the many renovations that are being worked on this week, I'd noticed a definite change in the atmosphere of the place.

If I were to put it in one word, that would be "friendly." When I go in for a casual pint after work or on a weekend, I feel welcome and usually end up staying longer just because it's such a pleasant place to be. Not all bars can claim that, and for me it's important. After all, if one is spending their money in an establishment, you at least want to feel welcome, right?

There have been other changes as well. On Fridays, they often have free food at happy hour, and they've added new flat screen TVs as well, so you can watch sports, or whatever, from pretty much any seat in the bar. They are continuing the Blackthorn's tradition of hosting live music, and they've even got Wi-Fi available as well.

I am looking forward to the re-opening this weekend, and hope that once things get rolling, the reviews on Yelp and elsewhere get updated accordingly. Given the Blackthorn's overall coolness, and proximity to the 9th and Irving N-Judah stop, this is probably one of the best bets for a night on the town right on our Mighty N.

Blackthorn Tavern - 834 Irving Street - 415 564 6627
Next Door to Our Favorite Market, the 828 Irving Market!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

What isn't happening today? I mean, really!

Surely by now you've been forewarned that our well-mannered, kind, and respectful friends of mass transit, Critical Mass, will be having their monthly cookie scream today, right when you're trying to leave work and enjoy your weekend. Patron Saint of Truth, Dan Noyes had an interesting story in the run up to today's festival of rage.

But wait! That's not all! Downtown San Francisco will also be invaded by Zombies at 6pm, also. Oddly enough, the rabid undead that live on human brains have a code of conduct that's actually better than that of the rabid bike riders. Fascinating. If they're looking for brains, however, a fight with Critical Mass may not be such a great idea.

But wait! It's also Towel Day, in honor of the late scifi humor author Douglas Adams. No word on if legions of wannabe Hitchhikers will be awaiting Vogon ships in downtown, but this is San Francisco (which Douglas Adams described in one of his books as "people starting a new religion is just their way of saying hi").

It seems like it was just yesterday I was out taking random photos on a crazy Friday. And just like that day, Park Life Store will be having an opening reception at their store/gallery on Clement Street.

There is plenty of fun for everyone today, and this weekend. I've been trying out Upcoming's website to find events, along with those dependable sites FunCheap SF and My Open Bar as well. Happy Commuting!

UPDATE:Ok, one thing that wasn't happening today - MUNI running properly in the tunnel! I got on an inbound train at Van Ness, only to get the whole "we're moving really slowly through the tunnel, take a surface bus instead" announcement. Thanks to MUNI I was late to another appointment. Thanks, MUNI.

UPDATE 2: Here's a few photos, belatedly posted on Flickr!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

After all the drama we've been having on the N-Judah (and MUNI in general) I thought it might be time to lighten the mood a little bit and highlight a few random events and things this weekend.

Aside from the alcohol-fest that is "Cinco De Mayo" (which you can safely engage in if you ride MUNI this weekend), it's also Free Comic Book Day at participating retailers around town. You can use this handy locator to find the retailer nearest you -- I'll be heading to Amazing Fantasy on Irving and 8th, and my all-time favorite, Comix Experience on Divisadero, both easily accessible by the N-Judah.

On an unrelated note, I'm curious to know what (if any) social networking sites readers use. I am considering some changes to the site as we approach the anniversary, and would like to hear if any of you use Upcoming, Flickr, the much-dreaded MySpace, VOX.com, Ning, Consumating.com (a site I recently ditched) or any others. There are some new things I'd like to try out here, but I want to get a sense of what would be of use and what would not. Post your responses in the comment section below!

This weekend should have some nice weather, so get outside, take some pictures, ride the N-line and hope that it works for a change this weekend...if I take any interesting photos, I'll be posting them to my Flickr site this weekend!

PS: Feel free to continue posting CC's of complaint letters to our Save the N-Judah entry this weekend too!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Note:Please pardon the gap in entries...my other job is having busy season right now and I can't post as often as I'd like! But fear not! Plenty of MUNI goodness is on its way!

This morning I read some sad news in our local paper - it seems Robert "Bobby" Cook, owner of the Owl Tree has died. And once again, we've lost not just a great bartender or a cool little locally-owned bar, but also a little bit of what makes our city ours, and not someone else's.

I'd actually prepared a backup column for the N-Owl nightlife guide of what I called "theme park bars" in and around The City, and the Owl Tree was one of our stops, for many reasons. One was of course the fact the place was covered in owls. Really. I mean, like, tons of owl pictures, owl statues, owl anything. Perfect for the N-Owl guide.

More importantly, the proprietor, Mr. Cook, was easily one of the coolest, old-fashioned, righteous bartenders in town. "Mason Powell" and I did a tour of three places, and the Owl Tree was one our favorites, because he was a nice guy to talk to, and ran a bar the old-fashioned way. If you were a guy and you ordered a Cosmo, you more or less got shown the door!

I'd gone to the Owl Tree on and off over the years, and inevitably what brought me back was the personality of its owner, and his excellent cocktails. Thus, when I read he'd died, I was really surprised, since the last time I'd been there he seemed to be his usual hard working, personable self. All of us here send our condolences to the family, and to the Owl Tree's many patrons who will no longer be able to rely on Bobby's cocktails and personality to liven up a Saturday night.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First in a series of reviews of nightspots easily accessible via Muni

Last Friday I had dinner with a cool friend of mine at Osha Thai (previously mentioned on this site). As always it was great food at a great price, and this time we tried out the fried banana dessert. Not only did it taste good, but check out the amazing presentation on the plate. When it arrived I'd assumed it was a painted design on the plate itself!

Afterwards we went to a cocktail mixer hosted via Bay Area Linkup at a bar on Natoma @ 2nd (just a couple of blocks from the N's Montgomery St. Station) called John Colins. I'd never been there before, and although it is not my usual style of bar to hang out at on a Friday night, I was willing to give it a try, especially since it was located literally around the corner from the Thai place.

From the outside it is a very unassuming little place, but the inside of the bar is very cozy, and can get quite crowded at happy hour.

However, despite this, I didn't mind the crowds that much. The atmosphere was quite fun, wasn't nearly as pretentious as some other downtown-y bars can get, and as the meet-up time of 8:30 p.m. approached, the crowd thinned out just enough for our group to find each other just fine and have enough breathing room to socialize.

My good friend took some pictures of the decor in the bar, which had a sort of subdued tiki islander theme, as did the drink menu.

The thing that really stood out for me was how friendly, efficient and skilled the bartenders were at John Colins. Their drink menu is really interesting, and though a bit more pricey than I'd usually like, were well worth it. I ended up trying a few different ones, and as you can see in this lovely candid shot of me with a Mojito they're rather potent, as well.

All in all, if you're looking for a place downtown to meet someone after work before heading out to places in the neighborhood, or on points accessible by our trusty downtown Muni streetcars, John Colins is a good place to go. Places like this get an extra level of scrutiny if they are out of my normal bounds of nightlife, and it passes the test with flying colors. Much of the credit goes to the hardworking bartenders who know to stock more than a couple of brands of rum, and take pride in their work and maintaining a fun place to check out. And being just blocks away from Muni, you can get home safely as well!

Pictures copyright 2006 by Visual Vixen

Got a suggestion for a future review? Email me your suggestions for fun, interesting, and cool places to go that are easily accessible by our beloved Muni!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tonight I was introduced to a really fun Thai restaurant, Osha Thai, thanks to a friend who works downtown. Not only was the food great (and spicy - "medium" would scare the heck out of most folks!), and the restaurant's decor and ambience quite nice, but the total bill for two people was really reasonable.

It is always nice to find a fun restaurant in town that doesn't require a second mortgage just to pay the tip, and Osha Thai is now an official entry on my "places I like" list, which will be revealed more fully as time goes on.

On my way home, I took the much-maligned N Judah Downtown Detour. Fortunately it was not raining, hailing, or crowded, so it was a nice quiet ride. Although I'd just as soon take my door-to-door service via the tunnel, it was actually kinda nice to take the detour and take a look at the parts of Market Street I rarely go to, unless I have to. There's all kinds of things to look at, and late in the evening it was nice and quiet. No crazies yelling, no weirdness. Just a calm ride home past the US Mint, et al.

Then the bus dropped me off at Safeway on Market Street. Now, normally I would just keep walking to the N stop at Duboce and Church, but I remembered they had a sale on avocados (4 for a buck) I wanted to take advantage of, so I walked in.

There is a maxim in the grocery store business that if you go in to the store withou a list, you're more likely to buy more things than if you didn't. There is another that for every minute extra you spend in a store on a shopping trip, you're going to spend at least $1 per minute.

Both were proven very true, very fast. They had just enough stuff I "sort of" needed anyway selling for a dollar, or some other such bargain that I ended up getting a basket and buying all sorts of cool stuff. Coke Zero - $1/six-pack, Dozen Eggs - $1, and so on. I ended up spending almost $15.

Then I looked at the receipt with all my "savings" and it told me I had "saved " $15, thanks to my Universal ID Card (aka the Safeway Club Card). Although I had spent $13 more than I had planned, the little "46% savings" tag on the receipt somehow made it "ok."

I headed out and caught the train ride home. Who knew a detour could show you a piece of the city one doesn't always pay attention to, and provide such wonderful bargains!

Posted by Greg Dewar at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1)

This weekend has a street fair or festival or rally or whatever for just about anyone who wants to come to town. It has been estimated that at least 10,000 extra people will be in the City, and possibly more. As luck would have it, while they tell everyone to "take mass transit" to avoid jams, this is ALSO the first weekend of reduced bus service.

Needless to say, it showed, as crowded buses met up with large crowds all around town. Then again, when you have like, 6 DJs blasting dance music at the Civic Center for the "Love Parade" (and featuring 8 dollar super potent vodka cocktails at Civic Center Plaza), which collided with an anti-war protest, which also was down the street from another street fair, etc etc. you get the picture.

Smooth move, Muni folks. Just when we need to try and get people out of their cars due to the Bay Bridge mess of construction, you cut service, and jack up fares. I realize that in today's business world the idea of charging more for less seems like a great way to do things, but I can tell you for a fact most people on the bus were just irritated at another fare hike coupled with less service. At some point, Muni will be charging us 200 bucks a ride to take cable car that goes nowhere once a day, if this "logic" keeps up.

I took the N-Judah downtown and checked out the festivities at the Civic Center, very loud and crowded, and took off for points elsewhere. Today I'm headed to the Cole Valley neighborhood festival, but I dare say I won't be dropping by the Folsom Street Fair - just not my scene - but I will try and get out on what looks to be like the last good weekend before the weather starts to change for good.

Posted by Greg Dewar at 3:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)