The scene at 26th and Harrison, 5:00 pm today.

KPIX is reporting a gas leak in the Mission District. Evacuations include businesses, homes, and a preschool at 673 Valencia Street. The leak seems to be the result of a construction mishap.

KPIX:  Story and Video

Benjamin Bratt Maverick Spirit Award

It was a thrill to be front row when Cinequest presented Benjamin Bratt with the Maverick Spirit Award. We, the audience, were also entertained with a screening of “La Mission”. Benjamin and his brother worked together on “La Mission”. The film, set in the San Francisco Mission district, tells a story of intolerance and the love of family.

La Mission will be showing at the Kabuki April 16th

Tickets and Info.

Trailer “La Mission”

facebook La MISSION

Also check out the Metreon for show times.

A few days ago Mission Mission broke the news that Mission Street Food, the weekly happening where a chef takes over a crummy little Chinese takeout kitchen and produces a strange and wonderful gourmet meal, is getting its own place, to be called Commonwealth.

But it’s not all in place. They are looking for backers so they can buy kitchen equipment. Using the Kickstarter micro-granting site, you can donate a small amount which, combined with donations from hundreds of others, will fully equip their hearth. Plus, they promise to donate half of what they get through Kickstarter to charity after they’ve been open a year. Plus, the whole restuarant project is a non-profit charity-benefitting thing. You can’t go wrong.

The Mission district of the city: it’s like Camden only with wider roads and more second-hand bookshops.

She means a U.K. Camden, not the one in New Jersey (but I don’t know if she means Camden Town or the London borough of Camden; I’m thinking the former). Anyway, that was Rachel Cooke, writer for the Guardian (U.K.), in a feature on Dave Eggers in which she visits the writer and publisher’s lair on Valencia and finds him warm, modest, and soft-spoken. She covers his entire career, then visits the pirate store, where “I fall into a swoon of happiness.”

We were on 280 north approaching Ocean Ave. when I remembered a show that I had seen on The Food Network. Guy Fieri (Diners Drive-ins and Dives) stopped in at “Joe’s Cable Car Restaurant“. Ten minutes later we were ordering burgers from our waitress, Savannah.

Our freshly ground steak beef burgers were just as good as Guy had described them on TV,  but my husband thought that they were overpriced for the quantity.

Joe’s Cable Car Restaurant
4320 Mission Street @ Silver
San Francisco

Open: 11am – 11pm
7 Days a Week
(except announced holidays)
Joe’s Cable Car Restaurant flickr set

SAVANNAH

One of my favorite charities, Mission Graduates, helps reinforce basic skills for kids in the Mission District and prepare them for college. Now they’re having a fundraiser where the grand prize is a trip to a Costa Rica resort. Mmm, looks romantic.

In other fundraising news, have you seen Kickstarter? People put their project proposals online and ask people to donate small sums. Projects range from the artistic (films, books, other art projects) to small businesses like these three women starting a cake bakery. And your donation is only accepted if the whole project is supported by tens or dozens of people and reaches its fundraising goal. What’s really fun about Kickstarter is that it combines the thrill of internet shopping with the thrill of helping others. Cool idea!

Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt was born in San Francisco. He attended Lowell High School. He then spent some time at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, but he left to star in the television series Juarez. Bratt is best known for his work on Law & Order.

Benjamin and his brother, Peter worked together on “La Mission” a film which tells a story of intolerance and love of family in the San Francisco Mission district.

On March 4th Peter Bratt will introduce “La Mission” to the Cinequest Film Festival audience. After the film Benjamin Bratt will follow with a 30 minute conversation at which time he will be presented with the Maverick Spirt Award.

Cool cars, San Francisco, and Benjamin Bratt – well worth the to drive to San Jose.

Cinequest Film Festival

Maverick Spirt Event – Peter and Benjamin Bratt

Screening of “La Mission”

California Theatre – 271 South Market Street – San Jose, CA 95113

Thursday, March 4, 2010 @ 7:00pm

Price $15

The film “Ready, Set, Bag!” (formerly titled “Paper or Plastic?“) will be shown tonight at the Roxie Theatre in a benefit for the San Francisco Food Bank, the city’s non-profit group that helps feed thousands of families every week using groceries and produce donated by stores and growers. The program starts at 7:00 pm.

The film follows the finalists in the National Grocers Association Best Bagger Championship, which is exactly what it sounds like, I guess. Also on the program is a short, Leonardo, by Pixar animator Jim Capobianco.

Speaking of the Food Bank, VISA is doubling donations to the group right now. So go to their website and give ’em some money. The Food Bank is a great community organization.

Tonight’s the annual Dia de los Muertos event in the Mission. Unlike previous years, the procession starts at 24th and Bryant rather than in front of the Mission Cultural Center. The event starts at 7:00 p.m.

Bring pictures of dead loved ones, wear black, feel free to dress in skeletal attire. Kids are welcome.

Just a note to tribal/Burning Man types: leave your freaking bongo drums at home, OK?