Thank you to readers Ian H. and Aline S. for being the 149/150th subscribers of Chocolate Cherry Cookie. I love writing CCC and I’m grateful to all of you for indulging me with replies and feedback.
Big upcoming week, with two days to highlight:
Election Day. In Issue #19 I highlighted OpenBallot’s voter guide of voter guides. If the props feel paralyzing, it’s for you.
Valkyries Day. Wednesday, 12-2pm, along the Embarcadero. Mayor Lurie will kick off the parade with MVP Gabby Williams.
Visitors to San Francisco would be forgiven for thinking our WNBA team has been around for decades. In fact, only 2 years. Give people something to believe in! I am in awe of how the team has taken the city by storm in such a short time. Walking around yesterday, purple was everywhere. Pumpkins painted purple, skeletons wearing Valkyries hats. The energy at the game was electric. Legend Nancy Pelosi won best fit.
Here is a fun article about how Warriors owner Jacob Lacob brought the WNBA to San Francisco. Maybe we’ll do a CCC field trip to a game next season.
CCC Place of the Week: Fillmore Billiards
While you’re not obsessing over how the Valkyries became the most valuable WNBA franchise in 24 months, I have another side quest for you: billiards.
Fillmore Billiards is a institution just south of Japantown. The owner, Paul, created the space 14 years ago with six pool and two ping pong tables. It’s BYOB, BYOFood, and BYOMusic. That’s right - first-come first-serve aux.
Fillmore Billiards shines very bright (pun intended). Part of me wishes they’d turn down the fluorescent lights. Most of me hopes Fillmore Billiards never changes. On the way out, my boyfriend asked that I preserve it by not highlighting them in CCC. I reminded him that I have almost no readers. And, given only two tables were occupied at 10pm on a Friday, I’d like them to stay in business. Let’s all pick up a new pool habit.
Grab Bag:
If you’re new to CCC and having Sunday scaries, here are some places to look forward to next weekend:
Daymoon Bread, Sunset (Issue #17)
Grand Opening, Oakland (Issue #11)
Yo También Cantina, the Richmond (Issue #8)
It’s Its are a new shade of green. The Bay Area’s favorite ice cream sandwich purveyor switched from Blue No. 1 to a natural green dye, leaving mint ice cream sandwiches more subdued in color. No change to favor.
CCC favorite Food Folk has fun new goods in stock. Perfect for your next Saturday meander. Read more about Food Folk in Issue #14.
Did you know Jane the Bakery owns its own farm, Jane Grain?
Amongst environmental concerns and complex political dynamics, the start of dungeness crab season was pushed to January.
Lucas Sin is converting Mister Jiu’s into a Hong Kong-style diner (a cha chaan teng) for 2 days. If you can’t make it, here is a list of existing cha chaan tengs in SF. Per The Infatuation, “Only at a cha chaan teng can you devour bubbling baked pork chops over rice, follow it up with a peanut butter-stuffed french toast, and chase everything with milk tea that could double as rocket fuel.”
Big IYKYK. While searching to explain Avatar the Last Airbender, I discovered the EDM trend of sampling “appa yip yip” at the drop. Here and here.
Talk to you next week.
Seconding the love for Food Folk! I stop in there each week when I go to the farmer’s market and always leave with a little something that makes my week of food more exciting. My kids love the ube pancake mix and I love the panang curry paste especially! The owners are super friendly and fun to chat with, and have great recommendations.