Janine Kahn

SF Weekly Tuesday Freebie: Giants Tickets

Last Night: Taste 2008 at Root Division

Ask A Mexican on YouTube - Bathtub Edicion

Free MP3: Lou Lou & the Guitarfish

Last Night Photos: Bonnaroo Day 1

Extra Snaps: Ironwood BBQ

Marina Clubbing, Gavin as Gardener, Renegade Craft Fair, King Khan and Sara Bareilles: Your Monday Morning Hangover

Photos: Week on the Street (Part 7)

Bay Area Contestants Bust Out of American Idol Auditions at Parc 55 Hotel

Guitar Superstar, Brews on the Bay, Jell-O Wrestling and Shepard Fairey: Your Monday Morning Hangover

Tonight: Joy of Sake

Election Day Photos: Part 3 (Around Town)

Black Friday Free Tix: Sebastien Tellier and Mike Relm Peanut Butter Wolf

It's Black Friday but we're business as usual here at All Shook Down. So for the most faithful of our readers -those who find themselves checking this page when they could be out getting some marginally awesome deals or sleeping in- here's a choice of two freebies from our friends at the Mezzanine ... More >>

Twitter Alert: Little Skillet to Start Offering Breakfast Tomorrow

Janine KahnFortify yourself with a taste of the South before facing that drab gray office cube: The folks at Little Skillet (330 Ritch at Townsend) just twitter-announced they'll start offering breakfast starting tomorrow at 9 a.m. Here's the menu: -Breakfast po'boy with scrambled eggs, cheese, scal ... More >>

Dir en grey, Black Friday, Toys for Tots and Bazaar Bizarre: Your Monday Morning Hangover

Weekend wrap-up by Janine KahnSorry to shake you out of tryptophan-induced slothfulness, but it's Cyber Monday, kids. And that means you're supposed to blow what's left of the shopping dough you didn't honestly have last week on marginally-cheaper memory cards and online escorts or something. It's ... More >>

Friday Sundae: Ghirardelli Square's Peppermint Bark Sundae

For the holiday season, the elves at Ghirardelli Square's Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop (located at 900 North Point St.) are offering two Christmas-y concoctions: peppermint hot cocoa and a peppermint bark sundae. We thought the sundae was a wee bit overpriced at $8.95 (before tax), but figured hey, ... More >>

SF Weekly Ticket Giveaway: KPFA Crafts & Music Fair

Attention all you artsy-crafty All Shook Downers and mid-December X-mas shoppers: We've got four pairs of tickets to the KPFA (94.1 FM) Crafts and Music Fair at the Concourse for either Dec.13 or 14 (one day, your choice). Here are some cut-and-paste details (click the above link for more): "Dis ... More >>

Santacon 2008, Ski Team: The Party, The Cure, Skot Olsen and Too $hort: Your Monday Morning Hangover

Weekend wrap-up by Janine KahnSunday was nasty and rainy, but that didn't keep photographer Jen Cash home in Walnut Creek. Click here for her photo set from 111 Minna, which had been converted into a retro winter wonderland with snow on the floor and attendees in 80's neon ski garb for "Ski Team: Th ... More >>

Last Night: Sarah Brightman at the HP Pavilion

Brightman Visits Dark Side in Her Partially Gothic Show - Chirpily Sarah Brightman San Jose HP Pavilion December 17, 2008 Review by Meredith Brody; Photos by Janine Kahn It was a dress that did it. Or, more accurately, it was a photograph of Sarah Brightman in a completely mad dress, a layered, r ... More >>

MP3 of the Day: An Even Scarier Solstice

'Tis the season for H.P. Lovecraft's fictional creature of horror, Cthulhu. Why, we're not entirely sure. We got our first holiday dose of the Ancient One a few weekends back at Bazaar Bizarre in Golden Gate Park when we ran into some red-eyed ornaments at NifNaks' booth and contemplated picking the ... More >>

Saturday: Silent Night, Deadly Night at the Knockout

Here's one for those who are just plain over this largely manufactured holiday season with its peppermint-flavored lattes and remixed carols. On Saturday, Dec. 27, head on over to the Knockout for the Xmas edition of the club's new Broken club night, "Silent Night, Deadly Night." DJs Ts, Rantz, and ... More >>

Two Gallants, Q-Bert and Laughing Squid's Unholiday Party: Your Monday Morning Hangover

Weekend recap by Janine KahnWe're shaking ourselves out of holiday lethargy here on All Shook Down, and we'll be alive-alert-awake-enthusiastic (OK, maybe "sober" is a more accurate term) through Wednesday afternoon. We've a lot planned for New Year's Eve, but before we get ahead of ourselves, here' ... More >>

Video: Sweet Saturday at CocoaBella

(Chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt and CocoaBella owner Michael Freeman) Last Saturday, our intrepid Web editor Janine Kahn and I hit up the original location of CocoaBella Chocolates (2102 Union), joining about 30 others for the store's first Top Chocolatier Pairing of artisan chocolates and alcoho ... More >>

City of Burgers: The Sliders at Pickles

Janine Kahn Pickles 42 Columbus (at Jackson), 421-2540. Sliders (miniature burgers) are in fashion right now. Their origin might be the small, limp, onion-topped burgers you order by the bagful at White Castle, the East Coast chain known as Home of the Slider. These days you can find them ... More >>

Little GoCars are big polluters

Janine Kahn Pickles 42 Columbus (at Jackson), 421-2540. Sliders (miniature burgers) are in fashion right now. Their origin might be the small, limp, onion-topped burgers you order by the bagful at White Castle, the East Coast chain known as Home of the Slider. These days you can find them ... More >>

Eight Drinks That Give You the Energy of a Rapper

Janine KahnClick here for a full rapper energy drink slideshow.Even with all the vibrant energy contained in hip-hop, sometimes people need an extra little kick in order to take in the multitude of offerings the culture has to give. That's why rap-branded energy drinks are a good synergy of lifestyl ... More >>

Pop Review: A Taste of Oaxaca on Mission

Janine Kahn Tucked among the Mission's rampant taquerias, it's possible to find authentic regional Mexican food. An appealing new spot advertises its roots in its name: La Oaxaquena. Its tidy storefront, with tiny blue formica-topped tables and wooden chairs -- there are a few more seats perc ... More >>

Local Flavor: The Five Best Doughnuts in San Francisco

m.bibelot via FlickrDoughnuts from Dynamo: The maple-bacon is in the top row, centerThere may be no American food more enduring than the doughnut. Food snobs, vegans, cops -- who doesn't love a crusty sinker or a fat glazed dunker? In honor of National Doughnut Day, we thought we'd offer our guide ( ... More >>

Local Flavor: Humble Morning Pastries with an Upscale Chef's Touch

Janine KahnPastries from Arlequin Cafe: Huckleberry scone (left), rhubarb-ginger scone (center), and filled beignetsWhen a chef jumps from one upscale eatery to another, it's usually good news for, well, upscale eaters. But when high-style pastry chef Luis Villavelazquez left Orson for Absinthe in A ... More >>

Hot Meal: Martin Macks Reborn

Janine Kahn The tables in the front windows are a nice place to watch the passing parade known as the Haight. Martin Macks, the Irish bar and restaurant shuttered since a fire in September, recently reopened, freshened up with light hardwood floors and five bigscreen TVs. It's good to see ... More >>

Even Before It's Fully Open, Lower Haight Bagel Shop Satisfies East-Coast Cravings

Janine Kahn People who bemoan the donutification of the classic chewy bagel will soon be able to satisfy their urges at Roland's Bakery, a snug spot in the Lower Haight not quite fully open yet -- but accepting donations for a limited range of baked goods. On the day we visited, that included ... More >>

Inside a Happy Habit: A Factory Tour of See's Candies

Janine Kahn Our tour guide, Jim Paine."We have so much going on here that you really need to go through everything four or five times to remember it all!" warned Jim Paine, longtime production manager at See's Candies' headquarters in South San Francisco.Paine probably didn't intend  ... More >>

Sweet Beat: Xanath Ice Cream Shop on Valencia

Janine KahnJanine KahnA hidden flower has blossomed in the Mission. Xanath (shah-NATH), opened June 1 and is likely to attract serious foot traffic all summer long. So far, the lick-worthy organic ice cream, froyo, and milkshake spot has been overheard to cause squeals of "What is this?!?" from the ... More >>

Broke-Ass Foodie: Pho Clement 2

We try to spend as little time as possible under fluorescents, which is why we were heartened by news that a favorite (if ill-lit) pho place, Pho Clement, added a second location on Geary, sans harsh, flickering lights. Even pho looks better in soft light. There are two dozen numbered combinations h ... More >>

The 10 Most Awesome National Food Holidays

Happy National Pecan Sandy Day, everyone! The truth is, there's a different (and often strange) national food holiday for just about every day, even leap years. Here are our picks for 10 of the most awesome: But isn't Drink Beer Day every day?10. Lima Bean Respect Day (April 20)Apparently, the ... More >>

Pride Rides: The Mayor's Convoy, The Public Defender's Truck, The Assessor's Last-Minute Call -- and a Big Surprise From Eric Mar

Janine KahnAn artist's rendition of Jeff Adachi's dump truckAnswers are trickling in from our elected officials on how they plan on cruising at this weekend's Pride Parade. Starting at the top, Mayor Gavin Newsom takes the same approach with vehicles as he does with spokesmen -- if one is good, then ... More >>

City of Burgers: The Lasker Burger at Baby Blues B-B-Q

Janine KahnWhen there are excellent pork ribs, baby back ribs, pulled pork, and brisket on the menu, a burger might be the last thing on your mind. But if you're in a burger mood, head to Baby Blues for the superb Lasker ($8.95), a big, loosely-packed, 10-ounce beauty made of chuck ground with ... More >>

Sweet Beat: Our Food Critic's Sugar Crawl Through the Streets of S.F.

Janine Kahn Little Skillet's Red Velvet cupcake: First on the list. We wanted to take our friend Dieter on a tour of the best bakeries and ice cream stores in town. He's a well-traveled Berliner who loves to eat. But when we learned he was sleeping off his jet lag, we decided to put an ice- ... More >>

Because Somebody Had To: Your Gubernatorial Look-Alikes Article

While perusing the New York Times Magazine's 26.3 billion-word article on the (wo)men who would rule California -- which may well spur the rest of us to consider the merits of Nevada, Oregon, or Arizona -- a thought hit us. Not an important thought, but a thought nevertheless.For reasons unknown, se ... More >>

Buzz Machine: Dynamo Donuts - Now With More Room

Janine Kahn SFoodie has scouted out the perfect meeting or resting point for this weekend's Sunday (open) Streets in the Mission: Dynamo Donuts (2760 24th Street, near York). The donut mecca now has more space for rabid fans of its coconut, spicy chocolate, and maple donut with real bacon bits ($3). ... More >>

Tsunami Mission Bay's Boxless Bento: Splurge Worthy

Janine KahnYeah, we noticed it's not technically in a box.Unless you do sketchy things with other peoples' money for a living, $15 for lunch is probably out of reach. Except on super special occasions, like making it through another week still employed. Next time you have something to celebrate, hea ... More >>

Chocolate and Beer Highlight an Elbow Oktoberfest at CocoaBella

Janine KahnChristopher Elbow at CocoaBella.​The upscale chocolate boutique known as CocoaBella (2102 Union at Webster) will celebrate its fifth anniversary next week with an Oktoberfest party featuring a tasting from the store's close pal, artisan chocolatier Christopher Elbow, whose creations are ... More >>

Five Turkey Dishes the Pilgrims Would've Freaked Over

Janine KahnLa Oaxaqueña ​Nothing against the culture that brought us pie and the Bill of Rights, but roast turkey has to be among the most boring foods anyone ever engineered a holiday around. Fortunately we live in San Francisco, where subverting the dominant paradigm is almost mandatory. Li ... More >>

Celebrate December's Essential Dates with Penis Cookies and Cotton Candy Cocktails

Hazel G./YelpThe penis cookie, a must-have on Dec. 16.​With all the parties and shopping this month, we felt it was important to remind you about the really crucial dates in December ... and yes, it's all about the food. A note to pome and pastry freaks: You've already missed Pie Day and Red A ... More >>

A Schnitzel Sandwich You Can Linger Over: Your SFoodie Lunch Planner

Janine KahnTake your time with it.​Tue., Jan. 5, 2010 Schmidt's, Christiana Schmidt and Isabell Mysyk's tribute to the German wurst haus, feels right at home at the quieter residential end of Folsom. It's an airy, contemporary urban space that seems perfect for lazy contemplation of the veal ... More >>

Is Schmidt's Fed-Up Neighbor Victim or Aggressor?

Janine KahnIs a wave of NIMBYism threatening neighborhood restaurants like Schmidt's?​Our favorite morsel from the blogs. Rigoberto Hernandez's crack reporting at Mission Loc@l Monday about the apparently pissed-off neighbor upstairs from würst house Schmidt's smacks of everything that's bad ... More >>

Omnivore Books In Consulting Deal with Williams-Sonoma

Janine KahnOmnivore Books' Celia Sack will pick a book of the month, and has curated a collection of vintage tomes for Williams-Sonoma stores.​Williams-Sonoma likes Noe Valley's Omnivore Books so much, the bigger-than-God cookware chain has hired Omnivore's Celia Sack to serve as book consulta ... More >>

The Corner Announces February Pop-Up Schedule

Janine KahnThe Corner's new format is all pop-ups, all the time.​Even as local ur-pop-up Mission Street Food is headed for print immortality, San Francisco finds itself overcome by a new wave of temporary eateries. Today The Corner announced its February schedule of weekly kitchen residents. B ... More >>

San Francisco's Top Five Ice Cream Shops

Albert Law​We are no longer seven years old. We need to get that out of the way early when discussing San Francisco's Top Five Ice Cream Shops. Here's what that means: We don't care about toppings, mix-ins, family-friendly furniture or specials on your birthday. We don't even care about waffl ... More >>

The Corner, the Mission's Pop-Up Host, Shut Down

Janine KahnThe Corner.​Last year, when a scandal left The Corner without a chef, forcing it to close, then-manager Justin Glennon convinced owner Philip Bellber, owner of Cha Cha Cha and Boogaloo's, to reanimate the space as a host for popup restaurants. The weekly schedule has included barbecue, ... More >>