Why haven't I written about Philz coffee yet?!?!

For real.

So I often go to Philz for some innovatively designed delicious coffee - whoever thought of mint leaves in coffee is a genius! I just cannot believe I have never talked about it on this blog before!


They have locations in SOMA, the Mission, the Loin, and the Castro (which is also a Sit & Spin). Although there is a location in Berkeley, this is a blog about SF, not hippietown. I love the Mission location because it feels so much like home and has all sorts of different people lounging on the miss matched furniture. Oh, and there are science experiments going on.

I recently went to a poetry reading right next door to the Mission location as well. I arrived at the address and met up with some friends outside. Outside of what, you ask? Oh, a dirty, rusty, metal garage door. The Kaleidoscope Poetry Center is hidden behind an old metal door, but when the location is open to the public, a beautiful, bright, colorful room full of paintings and art appears. I have never had so much enjoyment hearing people read poems before.


I know this picture does not do it justice, but I highly suggest checking out the Kaleidoscope Poetry Center in the near future!

Wicked Grounds

Coffee + board games + kink shop = amazing?
Who knows, I've never been that great at math...

When a coffee shop is combined with a kink shop, all you get is fun. Meeting a friend at the enchanting cafe today made my day even more awesome! I've wanted to go to this shop for a while and finally got the chance to. I strolled in, ordered an iced mocha and looked around. On one wall was the menu and on the other was whips, chains, leather, and studs. Among the more interesting things I saw today: Beefcake coloring book, stuffed animal bacteria, and some... *ahem*... other things...

If you're there for a while and don't know what to do, there's a bookshelf full of card and board games. "Fact or Crap?" is especially fun! The iced mocha was well made and perfect after I had walked around all day today. The grilled cheese sandwich I ordered along with the drink was tasty.

I heard their bagels are to die for, so next time, I'm ordering one. I'm definitely going back to the kink & coffee shop sometime soon!

Follow them on Twitter, Fb, Yelp!, or from their website.

SF MoMA & Coffee

I haven't been to the MoMA since the stained glass bridge installation was up and running. I feel as if it has been forever, but as I stepped back into the wonderful building, I was met with some amazing, gorgeous pieces that I would love to share with everyone. Since I thought photography of the artwork was forbidden, all of my photographs were shot with a cell phone, hidden from the attendants and probably the worst quality you've ever seen. As I later found out, taking photographs of the artwork is not forbidden. Oh well...

The Veronica (not pictured)
By Jay Defeo (1957)
Painting, Oil on Canvas
Quite possibly my favorite as of late, Google it for a picture


Harvey
By Robert Arneson (1982)
Drawing, Conte Pencil, Watercolor, Oil Stick, Graphite on Paper
Great, especially for Pride this weekend


Typewriters
By Various Artists (1952-1960's)
Metal, Plastic, Paint


Self-Portrait
By Andy Warhol (1967)
Painting, Acrylic and Silkscreen Enamel on Canvas
How the hell does someone do silkscreening on this large of a scale?!


The Spirits that Lend Strength are Invisible II
By Sigmar Polke (1988)
Nickel and Artificial Resin on Canvas Not my photo

I also extremely appreciated Chuck Close's large scale pieces, such as James, and William Kentridge's Preparing the Flute. The Agnes Martins were very calming and made me feel at ease and serene. The tiny Jackson Pollock was too small for me and the man whose name I completely forget's video sitting against the wall was quite moving as well.

Since any day out on the town wouldn't be complete without caffeine, I stopped by the cafe at the museum, Cafe Museo, for some coffee and a muffin. Blueberry to be specific. All the food -- from the margarita pizzas to the baked goods -- are made on site and are completely delicious. I had my usual cappuccino and was actually amazed at how talented the barista was; the cup of coffee was delightful.



Visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's website. For students, it is only $9 to go, ans since everyone is a "student" these days, there's really no reason why you shouldn't attend.
Make sure to go to the rooftop terrace, it is perfect on a sunny day!

UB: Urban Bread

Located in the Castro at the intersection of 18th and Sanchez, across the street from the ahh-mazing Samovar Tea Lounge, rests UB, which stands for Urban Bread.


Since I work closeby, I thought I'd stop by for lunch a while back and their bread is astonishingly great! I bought the cheddar cheese and garlic loaf for super cheap and munched on it for the rest of the day with my coworkers, since garlic is my biggest food weakness. They have sandwiches and pastries, fresh coffee and cupcakes, and such a wonderful vibe.

Urban Bread recently participated in the Flavors of SF event. Urban Bread is seen a healthy and "green", or environmentally sustainable place to eat.

View their Yelp! page here.
View their profile on the Green Cafe Network here.

Neighborhood Coffee Shop: H Cafe

This snug little cafe, nestled in the Castro, is on the corner of 17th and Sanchez, across from Refriend Cycles (awesome name!) It's So close to my work! It's just a short walk down 17th from the Castro street Muni station. (By the way, I hate these new Muni schedules/times/routes for the M and K lines! Ugh.)
The atmosphere is very cozy and warm, with an awesome setup; couches, pillows, and comfy chairs line one wall while nice tables line the other. I ordered an Americano and was sipping it as I read my newest book selection, Memoirs of a Geisha.




View their Yelp! page here and their website here.

Day out on the town (Part 2)

Destination two? The Ferry Building. Built in 1898, it was the absolute focal point of bay area boating transportation. If you were going anywhere in or out of the bay by water, you went here. The bell tower was meant to welcome visitors into the bay. And it welcomed us as we went into the building, which has now transformed into office spaces and an amazing retail area. I like to believe that it's just a permanent indoor farmer's market. My boyfriend and I went on a Thursday, which just so happens to be one of the days when the farmer's market and arts & crafts faire occurs out front of the building. We enjoyed ice cream, cheese, tea, and coffee, just not all together.
View their website here.
And look at just a few of the photos we took while at the Ferry Building.


Alex wearing a hand-crocheted knit cap outside at the arts & crafts/farmer's market area. What a looker!




Mushrooms and some employees at the Far West Fungi shop. The shop has tons of beautiful mushrooms and the truffle salt is completely amazing. View their website here.




Imperial Tea Court. Amazing Jasmine Oolong tea. First time I had ever drank out of that kind of cup.



Blue Bottle Coffee Company has some great caffeinated drinks.

I highly suggest going to the Ferry Building in the near future.

When you're feeling blue...

Want some delicious coffee in San Francisco while walking down the piers?
Go to the Blue Bottle Coffee Company, which is located in the Ferry Building on The Embarcadero.




My boyfriend got a mocha, for pretty damn cheap, and I sipped it for a bit. I must say it was one of the best I've ever sipped. I turned around for just a second and when I turned back, I realized it was all gone...in his stomach.

They have many other locations around the bay area, you should definitely check them out.

It's open usually 7am to 7pm, except for Sunday, which is open from 8am to 5 pm.

Visit their website here.

CAFFE TRIESTE

Caffe Trieste on Market is a cute, small cafe with everything from coffee to panini to gelato. I was on my way back from FLAX art supply, when I decided to stop in and get a quick something to eat. I came out with some of the best gelato ever, since it's a traditional Italian cafe.


Go to this small restaurant if you're by Van Ness and need some good food! It's super cheap as well; the place only has one "$" on Yelp!

View their Yelp! page here.
View their website here.

Crepes and Capaccinos

To the avid crepe-eater or restaurant connoisseur, the chain of Crepevine restaurants may not seem like much... But, I have to say, I had a good time this morning before selling some old purses at Crossroads Trading Co. when I really needed a boost of energy at Crepevine.

As Muni only takes 15 minutes to get from SF State to Church St., my last class ends at 10am and Crossroads doesn't open until 11am, I had some extra time to spare. As I walked into Crepevine due to the familiarity of it, I ordered my single cup cappuccino and went to sit down for a good read and drink.


I have to say, the drink was pretty good. Not the best, but pretty good compared to some bad cappuccinos I've had in my life. I recommend going to Crepevine if you're ever in the area and need some good coffee.

Considering the delightful drink, my new book, and the fact that I sold all the purses I took, this morning has been pretty good so far.

View the Crepevine website here.
View the Church St.'s Crepevine Yelp! page here.

Irish Coffee

This morning, with the first rain of the Fall season in San Francisco, I ran off to find a cozy coffee shop on Taraval Street in San Francisco with my friend, Grace, who lives in the area. After driving some ways, we parked across from a 7/11 and ran to the nearest cafe. The small bakery and cafe we found turned out to be this home-style, family-owned, Irish cafe called 'The Copper Kettle', complete with traditional flute music, green clovers, and HUGE cups of coffee (or hot chocolate, for Grace).


My capaccino was the biggest I'd ever seen, so much that I didn't even finish it. The small coffee house is also a pretty hefty bakery, having anything from scones to loaves of bread to doughnuts. The apple turnover I ordered, and the French toast Grace ordered, were also very delicious.

What made the place more fun is that the petite, delightful waitress had the heaviest Irish accent I've heard in years and there was a husky man in the corner talking to his friend in a Brooklyn accent, complaining about his job.

I definitely think this is my new, go-to cafe in Parkside!

View their Yelp! page here.

Hollow: Noun - An empty space within anything; a cavity

Nestled between 15th and 16th Ave., on Irving St., in the inner Sunset, rests the tiny, quaint coffee shop called Hollow. I ordered my usual cappuccino, but this time, it was anything but! When getting my caffeine fix, I usually shoot for a Peet's or a Starbucks, but this small shop really goes far beyond any major coffee chain cup o' joe I've had!


The cup was the perfect temperature, size, and taste! The mom and pop coffee shop had a polite, cozy atmosphere and smelled great, most likely due to a combination of the brewed coffee and the hand soaps for sale. Hollow sells small nic nacs, that seem to be a little pricey but perhaps worth it. The interesting little shop also sells cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and small delights. They looked delicious!
The trip to Hollow was for sure worth a ride on Muni down 19th with the mean, old people and large, grocery-bag-toting shoppers.
Off-the-wall: I found the bacon cupcakes on display a little bizarre, but I hear they're good...

View them on Yelp! here.

And thanks to Tyler Cornfield for showing/bringing me!