i covet bar carts. i saw this amazing vintage bar cart on elle interiör, and haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. it may have originally been some kind of tacky restaurant serving cart, but now it’s been re-purposed into an industrial chic cart for serving up cocktails in style. just in time for holiday parties!

this bar cart via lonny is a pretty nice one, too. it’s nice to have a few mixers on hand when guests pop in, right. society social has a variety of excellent little bar carts, too. and tradewind tiaras teaches you tricks to make an edible cocktail garnishes. pretty, no? here’s to holiday cocktails! have you got any favorites?

hey, there – it’s friday, so i’m bringing you a new addition of the 415. this time it’s another one of my favorite neighborhoods, hayes valley. and, it’s appropriate we’re headed there today, because tonight is their 20th annual holiday block party. from 6 to 9pm this evening, december 2nd there’s one big open house, with all the small shops serving drinks and snacks, playing music and hosting general revelry.

hayes valley has been revitilizing itself in leaps and bounds, including its latest proxy project. Proxy is a temporary two-block project located in San Francisco which seeks to mobilize a flexible environment of food, art, culture, and retail pop-up shops within some incredibly cool, renovated and re-purposed shipping containers. you gotta see it!

you gotta eat:

absinthe – excellent raw bar, burgers and cocktails. a great spot to stop in and rest your weary feet and quench your thirst after a long day of shopping.

bar jules – an adorable little eatery comitted to serving sustainable meat and fish. a nice spot for brunch. and, i love their sign.

blue bottle coffee – where the coffee connoisseurs drink their special drip coffee. look for the line on linden street. it’s worth it.

dobbs ferry – west coast food and east coast style with an “old world” feel, for locals, by locals.

fritz fries – these are served up with as many sauces as you can dream up, including White truffle artichoke ketchup and Miso mayo. wine and beer are served too.

hayes & kebab – healthy sized portions of yummy and authentic Mediterranean and middle eastern food. i love the wraps.

le boulange – it’s part of a small san francisco bakery chain, but most excellent. the french toast is like a beautiful little soufflé, and the salad nicoise is delish.

miette – sweet little bakery just off hayes street on octavia, it’s a bit tucked away, so don’t miss it. lovely little cakes and sweets in a charming little shop.

momi toby’s revolution cafe – i love this spot. a true local hangout with a european feel, you’ll always find regulars chit chatting the day away at the outside tables. yummy spot for lunch.

ritual roasters – part of the proxy project, ritual coffee is located in one of the repurposed and recycled shipping containers, and are my favorite bay area beans.

smitten – amazing ice cream stand with a one-of-a-kind ice cream machine, now named “Kelvin.” Kelvin’s uniqueness stems from its ability to make the smoothest, tastiest ice cream from scratch in 60 seconds from liquid nitrogen.

suppenküche – wonderful german pub with an excellent beer list. sit communal stye and get to know your neighbors while dining on some excellent Wiener Schnitzel and bratwurst — all very homemade.

two sisters bar and books – a cozy space where there’s always time to linger over a cocktail or coffee, have some yummy food, and share a bit of all things literary.

zuni cafe – my favorite restaurant in all of san francisco. it’s a bit on the outskirts of hayes valley, on market and gough. go there — order oysters on the half shell, a caesar salad, shoestring potatoes and their world famous roast chicken to share.

shopping:

alla prima lingerie – highest quality and prettiest lingerie around. definitely a place you want to treat yourself.

dish – beautiful, modern designer clothing for women in a really lovely space. i like just floating around in here, and checking out their jewelry too.

cisco home – From their giant poufs, and pretty chandeliers, everything in the shop, including Cisco’s custom made sofas make me swoon.

flight 001 – the modern traveler’s dream come true — they carry the chicest and most contemporary of travel accessories, luggage, and travel guides.

gimme shoes – just like them name – gimme these shoes! the coolist, most classic designer footwear in the city.

inside modern – mid-century modern home furnishings and accessories, just off the beaten path on gough street.

lava 9 – one of the city’s best handbag shops. if you’re looking for accessories, this is a great spot – accessories and jewelry too, for every taste and budget.

lavish – unique accessories, locally designed clothes and fantastic letterpress cards and stationery, it’s a great place for gifts!

lotus bleu – bright, colorful graphic modern textiles and home accessories to create playful but “real” living spaces. great one of kind furniture too.

mac – modern appealing clothing. i love this store, not just for the amazing designer clothing they carry, but for their collection of vintage portrait paintings. a shop with true character.

peace industry – the most beautiful handmade felted turkish rugs around. go look, you will love them.

propeller – mid-century modernists will love this shop. wonderfully unique home furnishing and lighting, not to mention great accessories and artwork.

Reliquary – vintage-inspired, well-curated clothing and accessories, with a super friendly staff. dogs are welcome, too.

zonal – great contemporary furniture juxtaposed with vintage-inspired collectibles and accessories, as well as some really great original paintings by local artists.

this week’s tips:

• for great restaurant ideas and the latest openings check out eater, and tablehopper – two experts in the field of eating.

• keep up to date on news and the latest pop-ups at proxy sf, sign up for their newsletter.

• hayes valley photo by greyvdm.

Hello! My name is Jen and I write the blog, Honey Kennedy. I hope you’re all having a wonderful week — I’m sure most of you are starting to get a little crazy with the holidays coming up. I thought I’d share some things that I think would be lovely for lounging around the house. They’d also probably make fantastic gifts for some of the more difficult people on your list. I know this because I am, admittedly, one those difficult people! Thanks for having me, Victoria. Happy Holidays, everyone!

1. Boiled Apple Cider Syrup: This syrup sounds amazing. There is also ginger one, but the apple cider syrup sounds lovely for putting in cocktails, mocktails, baked goods and desserts right now. The Fall Apple Crush cocktail sounds delicious and there is even a stuffing recipe. For the record, the only way I will eat stuffing is if it is homemade with big chunks of stale crusty bread, so it doesn’t get mushy. Also, bunches of thyme and shallots are a must in my book.

2. Stoneware Striped Teapot: I’ve been losing my mind over the amazing new furniture and housewares line from Portland company, Schoolhouse Electric. I’ve started collecting the Blackline Stoneware and this beauty is next on my list. I’ve already picked up some of the mugs and latte bowls and I’m over the moon about them. They’re so durable and classic.

3. Pendleton The Portland Collection Blanket: I’m crazy about this gorgeous wool blanket. It even comes with a handy leather harness strap to carry it around easier. I also love the other Portland Collection blanket from Pendleton with the mustard trim. They’re both perfect!

4. Portland’s 100 Best Places To Stuff Your Faces: What’s better than lounging around reading about places you can go eat once you leave the house? I’m excited to check this book out. I live in Portland and I have barely scratched the surface of all the yummy food we have in this town. (photo via Alder & Co. ♥)

5. The Adler Sofa: Like I said, I’ve been going cuckoo over the big new line from Schoolhouse Electric and this sofa is at the top of my want list. I admired it online and was then thrilled to be able to go sit on it at the beautiful new Schoolhouse Electric showroom. I didn’t want to get up! I just wanted to go home, get a book and a blanket and camp out on the deep, lovely velvet masterpiece. SO COMFY!

6. Trotski & Ash Recipe Calender: I love the recipes that the Australian ladies behind Trotski & Ash, Sarah Trotter and Romy Ash, come up with. This calender has beautiful photographs by Lauren Bamford and includes recipes that you can easily pull out and save. These will sell fast! Find HERE.

okay, so this version of the 415 could take a while. today i’m covering the mission district, where i probably spend most of my time. i have a lot of friends who live here, have shops here, and well, the mission has some of the best shopping and food in the city if you know where to look. i’m gonna help you out with that right now. there’s so many fab spots, i just know i’m gonna forget some – so i will add to this list and am happy to update with your suggestions.

and don’t forget — the 415 is a precursor to something big coming. i promise, you’re gonna like it. so stay tuned. i won’t tease you too much longer.

so, the Mission — along Valencia Street (from about 16th to 24th Street) there’s tons of cool vintage and boutique shops, clothing and home accessories stores and a loads of inexpensive cafes, wine bars and yummy and very affordable Mexican Food, among other exotic cuisines. and there’s a stretch of 24th street from Potrero to Guerrero with tons of great finds, as well. and then there’s a corridor along 16th street with even more! and don’t forget Dolores Park — a grassy knoll with amazing view of the city, the occasional outdoor movie, and well, pretty much hipster-central.

you gotta eat (and drink):

bi-rite market and ice cream – this is my favorite grocery store, ever. the best and freshest gourmet ingredients one could ever hope for. and the salted caramel ice cream across the street is sure to be your downfall.

Deflina and Delifina Pizzeria – both so delicious! delfina is the upscale sister of the yummy pizzeria and they never disappoint.

dynamo donuts – some of the best donuts ever. try the bacon maple apple. but get there early – they go fast!

foreign cinema – if it’s a nice evening, sit outside and have dinner while watching a ‘drive-in’ type movie on the back wall. good food and amazing atmosphere, it’s one of my long-time favorites.

Gracias Madre – the most excellent vegan Mexican food ever. i swear – it doesn’t even taste vegan, whatever that means — but you could have fooled me.

humphry slocombe – crazy good homemade ice cream with equally insane flavors. try the secret breakfast — cornflakes and bourbon. uh-huh.

kiji – probably my very favorite sushi bar and always the most inventive and fresh rolls around. sit in the cozy back corner, i love it here.

local mission eatery – all local all the time. local farmers and local tastes, local vendors and local artisans, local community and local people. a great spot for brunch.

luna park – the food is delicious (i love the salad Nicoise), but my oh my – their desserts? best chocolate chip bread pudding and coconut creme pie i have ever tasted. they deliver through grubhub, and it’s a real problem for me.

mission cheese – cheese, and lots of it. American artisan and farmstead cheese, California beer and wine, and organic produce, coffee, and bread. yum.

Range – nestled in the heart of the Mission, i love this tiny spot. excellent small plates, and super yummy mixed specialty cocktails. i like to grab a bite at the bar.

the royal cuckoo bar – probably my very favorite local bar. it’s super dark and sometimes i could live without the occasional organ player who drops in, but i still love their mixed drinks, and cozy atmosphere. taxidermy and mood lighting.

Spork a former KFC – and a great spot for dinner. try their original recipe KFC biscuits, or the seared sea scallops. mmmmm.

St. Frances Fountain – hipster breakfast hangout in an old fashioned soda fountain. lots of yummy vegan breakfast options, too.

taqueria san francisco – my personal favorite in the world of burritos and carne asada tacos. i used to bring my dad here when he visited. fond memories.

Tartine – a yummy bakery, beyond any bakery you’ve probably ever eaten at. look for the long line around the block — it’s totally worth the wait. have the bread pudding. have it all.

the summit – coffee house meets communal workspace. bring your laptop and you’ll fit right in. stay for the blue bottle coffee.

walzwerk – on the outskirts of the mission, on south van ness, this east german restaurant is the real thing. i love their schnitznel!

shopping:

826 Valencia Pirate Store – author dave eggers’ ode to the pirate. a kid’s store, but great fun for grownups, too. everybody needs a spyglass and an eyepatch. great workshops for kids here, too.

arkay workshop – everything in this store adorable, or handmade or local and it’s all really affordable. great clothing, jewelry and home accessories it makes a great spot for finding gifts.

apartment – i love these guys. there’s many vintage home stores on the Valencia corridor, but this is one of my favorites, and the prices are really reasonable.

belljar – sasha darling’s beautiful mission boutique. the belljar carries clothing, accessories and vintage home wares you won’t find anywhere else. a great little gallery with new openings all the time.

candystore collective – although they do serve up some candy in cute vintage jars, this shop is more about the fashion than it is about about the sweets. really cute home accessories and artwork, too. check their gallery schedule for regular openings.

Curiosity Shoppe – run by good friends of mine, derek fagerstrom and lauren smith, this is also one of my very favorite shops in the city. they do the best job of gathering uniquely beautiful, hand-crafted items, all under their sweet little roof. check their calendar for regular art openings, too.

dog eared books – wonderful new and used bookstore. it has just the right amount of attitude. love to stroll out with a couple of bargain books under my arm.

fire escape farms – cutest name for the cutest gardening store. just what you might think – it’s a great little shop for everything you might need to create your own small, but urban oasis.

hazel & gerties – very likely one of the cutest pet boutiques ever. decorated with proprietor jeannine giordan’s vintage collection of amazing pet paraphernalia. friendly and knowledgeable, too. lucy recommends!

Paxton Gate – science meets home garden, it’s a shop full of oddities and treasures — from taxidermy to exotic plants and belljars. their kid’s shop down the block is awesome, too.

pot + pantry – cutest little cooking shop around. owner donna couldn’t be nicer, and she specializes in new and gently used kitchenware, including products from Le Creuset, and Calphalon. they also carry a small assortment of food products from local artisans.

Rare Device – just like it sounds, every object in the store has its own story, and has been chosen because it is either handmade, well-designed, useful, beautiful or all of the above. part gallery – check their schedule for upcoming art openings.

room 4 – great little vintage shop specializing in mid-century modern. i’ve spied some pretty amazing vintage clothing, lighting fixtures and portrait paintings here, too. owner david is really friendly, and Everything is hand-picked, stylish and seriously affordable.

schauplatz – lovely little shop full of vintage clothing and accessories. super helpful staff with a great eye for style.

stuff – a gianormous collective of vintage and antiques all under one big roof. and there’s parking too. woohoo!

thrift town - the mother lode of all thrift stores, it’s got three floors of secondhand finds. mind you there’s some gonna be a hunting here — where’s there’s a lot of great stuff, there’s a lot of stuff in general, so you’ll need to spend a little time here.

this week’s tips:

the burritophile – if you’re looking for the best burrito in the city – this guy’s tried them all. check out his burrito ratings!

check out scoutmob for loads of local san francisco deals. i share more of my favorite spots here, too.

• photo of foreign cinema via soma magazine.

the winter issue of sweet paul magazine is out, so i suppose it’s official – the holidays are upon us! i can hardly believe that’s true, and that thanksgiving feasts will be prepared in a few weeks time, but this issue of sweet paul is here to guide you beautifully through the holidays. the photography is gorgeous, and the decorating ideas quite sublime. and the recipes? perhaps even better, if that’s possible. check it out online here.

i get a lot of requests from y’all for travel tips to san francisco, and i’m always happy to oblige. i’m so proud of this city and love living here, and most especially sharing it with y’all. in fact, if you weren’t aware, i have a category on the blog devoted to san francisco happenings, and several of my favorites listed in the resources section (check out if you’re going to san francisco and you gotta eat). so, i thought i’d start a series rounding up some of my favorite spots for you. this week i’m going to start with my own san francisco neighborhood, noe valley.

and, pssst…there’s a surprise attached to this new 415 series. i’ve got a giveaway coming up that could make this information pretty valuable. that’s all i’m saying at the moment. but it’s gonna be big. it’s gonna be huge. standby.

you gotta eat:

24th street cheese company – just what you think it – a wonderful shop with a ginormous black board listing well over a hundred gourmet cheeses broken down alphabetically by type.

bacco – yummy italian specialties and authentic regional Italian cuisine, just off the beaten path on diamond street.

bernie’s coffee – a super friendly (non-chain) little neighborhood spot to grab your morning coffee and pastry. and they’ve got wifi, and outdoor seating too!

chloe’s cafe – for a top notch breakfast or brunch, and sidewalk tables, visit chloe’s. there might be a line, but it’s well worth it.

contigo – my very favorite and a love letter to Barcelona, serving up amazing spanish tapas. a fun spot to go with a group – try it all!

firefly – a magical and cozy little neighborhood spot serving up great comfort food, including a prix fixe menu Sunday thru Thursday.

incanto – a carnivore’s delight. a unique italian cafe, specializing in various cooking methods of utilizing all the bodily part of the beast.

la boulangerie – a san francisco bakery chain, but a yummy one. lovely french pastries and an excellent spot for coffee and brunch.

fattoush – an excellent little middle eastern cafe.

le zinc – a sweet little french bistro. sit outside on the garden patio and enjoy a kir royale.

lupa – the neighborhood italian trattoria.

noeteca – noe valley’s local cafe and wine bar. a place that will feel comfortable and familiar – a meeting place for friends and family.

noe valley bakery – the local baker serving up cupcakes, fresh artisan baked breads and custom cakes. yum.

pasta gina – my favorite neighborhood grocer – for italian specialties. best meatballs, homemade ravioli and cannoli around. so friendly too!

tataki south – sweet little sushi bar serving up only the freshest and sustainable fish.

the little chihuahua – excellent and super fresh mex, using organic produce and niman ranch beef. try the Fried Plantains Burritos. there’s a little outside patio, too.

shopping:

ambiance – clothing and accessories boutique for women, decorated with a vintage vibe.

curator – a sweet little shop with a line of clothing designed and produced in San Francisco. great jewelry and accessories, too.

lovejoy’s attic – sweet little vintage shop (try their charming tea room across the street, too).

omnivore books – best little cookbook shop in town. and frequent chef lectures are always on the menu. get a signed copy of your favorite cookbook.

phoenix books – the neighborhood new and used book seller.

rabat’s shoes – amazing shoes, like chie mihara’s!

urban nest – one part Parisian flea market, one part haven for pampering yourself, the urban nest is one of my favorite little san francisco shopping secrets.

wink – i love this adorable gift shop. from great bags, jewelry and home accessories to the cutest kids stuff, i always find something i want for myself at wink.

this week’s tips:

1. one thing i always tell visitors – the best time of year to visit is really right now – we get our warmest weather from about october to early november. bright clear, crisp days and not much fog at all. so keep that in mind next time you’re thinking of coming north!

2. be sure and check out My Found Locals page, and look at other Bold Italic profiles for great locals’ favorites, too.

• top image via lockedcog; neighborhood image via thomas hawk.

i’ve been a fan of brookyln-based artist julia rothman since i first became aware of her beautiful work, somewhere around 2006 when i started the blog. but, i have to say, her latest accomplishment, her new book farm anatomy has to be my all-time favorite compilation of her drawings. julia is a city girl, but her husband’s from the country, so visits to the family farm created a curiosity in her about farm life, resulting in this fun, and incredibly useful book.

farm anatomy is one part visual tour and an educational anatomy of farm life, including how many eggs can one hen lay, how to plant an orchard; and then, one part cookbook. i love the sections on making dill pickles, dandelion wine, and the basic steps in making cheese and canning tomatoes. and it’s all adorably illustrated, which makes the fact-filled farm anatomy super fun and oh so charming! as someone who is really interested in growing my own veggies, canning and getting back to basics, i am super psyched to own this book.

how to enter:

you’re going to want a chance to win julia’s personally signed copy of
farm anatomy! to enter, simply comment below and let us know what you always wondered about farm life, or maybe you have a fun farm fact of your own! we want to hear it.

please comment by wednedsay, october 26th, and we’ll announce a winner on twitter! as always, please leave a way to contact you, either an email, website, facebook, or twitter.

YAY! winner has been announced – it’s carrie rosalind! thanks for entering everyone!

have fun and happy farming! and, for a look at julia’s full farm anatomy blog tour, hop on over here.

Well, this is gonna be pretty darn fun (and yummy)! This fall Mi Piace Kate Design is collaborating with San francisco’s Pot+Pantry (i posted about them back here), offering collaborative skill exchange opportunities — a series of free workshops, presented by local makers, chefs, gardeners, bakers, foodies and farmers.

And to celebrate the launch of the workshops, Pot+Pantry is giving one lucky reader and a friend of their choice a chance to snag a spot in their first workshop A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WINTER CONTAINER GARDENING (everything you need to grow winter greens in a small space) taught by Urban Veggie Starts on October 13th. The tickets are free to the workshops, but they’re keeping the events small, with only 12-15 spaces per event, so they’re going to go fast! to enter to win the 2 spots, just share with us what other workshops or cooking skills you’d love to learn more about. comment below before friday, october 7th for a chance to win.

From baking, brewing and cooking techniques to urban gardening, join MPK and learn more through their demonstrations, tastings and good conversation at Pot+Pantry. Expect Bay Area artisans and entrepreneurs from Sightglass Coffee, Eatwell Farms, Pastoral Plate, Revival Bar + Kitchen, Fire Escape Farms, Town Cutler, Urban Veggie Starts, plus many more.

•please remember you should be in the bay area, or be able to attend the Pot+Pantry event here in san francisco on october 13th. thanks and have fun! all events will be ticketed through event brite, and Pot+Pantry make the tickets available about two weeks before every event. Check back here for a schedule of all classes to come.

Pot+Pantry
3412 22nd Street @ Guerrero
San Francisco CA 94110
Telephone 415.206.1134

Follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

i mixed up a little concoction this weekend and it was so darn pretty, i had to take some snaps! basically, i juiced a medium-sized watermelon, two shiny red apples, and two peeled limes, and threw in a little fresh mint. quite delish, if i do say so myself! give it a try!

recently i met some friends for coffee at a fairly new spot tucked away just below nob hill in the tenderloin. i did not know however, when i was headed to hooker’s that is was that hooker’s — hooker’s sweet treats! i’d been a huge (make that ‘crazed’) fan of hooker’s salted caramels for a long while, and whenever friends are in town, i usually insist we pop over to bi-rite market to try them. but now, now i know that hooker’s has it’s very own adorable and vintage-inspired little cafe up on hyde street, so i’ll probably need to take them there, too. here’s a peek…such a cute spot to sit and sip. and eat hooker’s sweet treats!

• all photos © sfgirlbybay.