Just like up-and-coming areas all over the world, San Francisco’s Mission is a mix between hip bars and a few areas you have to watch out in. The Mission is SF’s Mexican neighbourhood, with a famous parade for the Day of The Dead and a bunch of taco joints on Mission Street. Read on to find out how to make the most out of it.
You can get there by getting off either at the 16th/ Mission or at the 24th/ Mission BART stops.
The Mission is still home of the city’s gangs and drug business. It’s interesting to see how the atmosphere from the somewhat sleazy Mission Street changes just a few blocks down, on the hip Valencia. Here gourmet restaurants and coffee roasters, together with thrift stores and boutiques make you feel at the centre of the world’s fashion. BetaBrand‘s disco clothing and AfterLife boutique are the most interesting shops, while Craftsman & Wolves definitely has some of the best coffee I’ve had abroad. Try its squared chocolate croissant or, if you’re brave, its Rebel Within muffin with a boiled egg inside.
The Mission is famous for its street art, which can befound everywhere around it but especially in the tiny Clarion Alley off Valencia.
The Mission hosts San Francisco’s oldest building, the Mission Dolores church, with a great museum of the American Indian, a calm cemetery and a very interesting chapel. It’s also close to the lovely Dolores Park, with great views of the city.
Close to Mission Dolores you’ll find the unique Namu Gaji restaurant, a Korean/Mexican fusion joint that makes tacos wrapped in seaweed and wonderful beef fries.
Stop by Bi-Rite creamery to try some honey lavender and salted caramel organic ice-cream. It’s really yummy, and although it doesn’t have the Secret Breakfast (Bourbon and Cereal) flavour that Humphry Slocombe down on Harrison Street offers, it’s definitely better and cheaper.
Other culinary discoveries include the Californian/Creole Radish restaurant on 19th and Lexington and Bar Tartine‘s marvellous morning bun – but be ready to queue with other die-hard San Fran foodies!
Finish your Mission experience with a drink in heavy metal brewery bar Zeitgeist or at The Lexington, San Fran’s most famous Lesbian bar.
Pictures: Carolina Are
Proprio come molti altri quartieri nel resto del mondo, il Mission di San Francisco é un incrocio tra bar strapieni e zone da evitare.
Mission Street é la via messicana per eccellenza, con parate per il giorno dei morti e Taquerie. Potete arrivarci tramite BART alle fermate 16th/Mission o 24/Mission. É una strada particolare, con ancora ombre di traffico di droga e lotte fra gang.
Poco più avanti c’é Valencia, la via più hip del quartiere. Qui negozi di usato si alternano con boutique come BetaBrand e Afterlife e caffé gourmet. Provate Craftsman and Wolves: ottimo macchiato, insoliti croissant e un muffin con dentro un uovo sodo.
Ma il Mission é anche un quartiere storico: la chiesa di Mission Dolores é l’edificio più vecchio di San Francisco e risale alla prima colonizzazione della zona.
Se siete in vena d’avventure, sulla stessa strada c’é Namu Gaji, che fonde la cucina messicana con quella coreana con dei tacos avvolti da alghe e patatine al manzo. Da provare!
Altre scoperte culinarie includono la cucina creola/californiana di Radish e il morning bun di Bar Tartine – ma preparatevi a fare la fila!
Finite la serata al bar per metallari ed amanti di birra artigianale Zeitgeist o al bar lesbo più famoso di SF, Lexington.
Foto: Carolina Are
