My boyfriend suggested I keep the thread going on some of our past topics. About 50% of the time, he’s right. So here goes:
In Issue #19 I wondered why the excellent cookies from Luke’s Local were in bags, rather than on display. I reached out to Luke’s for comment. Turns out the bagged cookies were day-old and 50% off. We regret the error of suggesting there was a change. $1.25 for a killer cookie is a great deal.
Also in Issue #19, I shared that House of Air is closing in February. I’ve since gone to House of Air and…learned that an hour of jumping is more than enough. It hurts. I only kind of recommend. The person working there said that the owner is converting the space into AI company offices.
In Issue #16 I broke the news (maybe, I’ll claim it) that Fjord is expanding. They confirmed today via Instagram.
In Issue #10 I wrote about the movie theater renaissance. This week Emily Sundberg wrote about how movie screenings are the new brand event.
CCC Place of the Week is Cafe de Olla.
An all-day Oaxacan cafe off Mission, Cafe de Olla is a reliable favorite. I’ve had the chilaquiles, memelas, and tlayudas. The San Francisco Chronicle recommends the tamales too. The scene is lively, the outdoor seating is sunny, and you’ll want to hang around a while. Consider a drink at Horsie’s afterwards.
Grab Bag:
What are your favorite books on California? Help me build a reading list of the best books about our state. In the meantime, here is my favorite book on Texas.
Speaking of Texas, Senator-Elect James Talarico was on SNL last night.
Beyond James Talarico, there are lots of new faces in government. If you, like me, want to learn about some of our lesser-known new electeds, here are some profiles to start:
Back in California, crabbing is serious business. Yesterday reader Lauren R. and I went crab fishing. We came back empty handed, though many of the avid crabbers on Torpedo Wharf had better luck.
On Friday, authorities rescued and returned 95 dungeness crabs from an unlawful fishing operation in San Mateo County. Those cited were crabbing out of season (one day early), taking under-size crabs, and keeping more than their daily allotment.
One can understand why crabs are so expensive. The season is short, and frequently cut even shorter by the potential of neurotoxin contamination or interference with whale migration.
There’s an ongoing battle between whale conservationists and crab fishermen. This year, commercial crab season was pushed to January to allow humpback whales to complete their migration without fear of entanglement. Too many whales had already been entangled this year to allow the season to start as planned. This is the seventh consecutive year officials have pushed the season back.
I remembered that B. Patisserie was good, but I had forgotten that it is quite excellent. I went on a whim and loved the chocolate almond banana croissant and guava kouign-amann. It’s not the newest bakery in town, but it’s still around for good reason.
Old Friend Photobooth is opening their next location in Utah. It’s the first location outside of NYC. In 2024, Old Friend Photobooth opened their first booth in a Lower East Side bodega. They’ve since exploded, with lines down the block both at their LES and Downtown Brooklyn locations.
Editorial Note: Speaking from experience, trying to source and restore a vintage film photo booth is very hard. There’s just a few people who know how to restore old photobooths, and similarly few purveyors of the necessary ink and film. One could easily dismiss Old Friend as Instagram bait. However, knowing how difficult it is to get these booths up and running, I’m impressed.
Salon Salon Salon, a natural wine festival, is coming to San Francisco next weekend.
Pre-natural wine, consider line dancing:
Talk to you next week.
I loooove cafe de olla
Believe it or not my brother is an award winning whale-friendly crab trap designer https://www.dannygoldberg.design/projects/the-whale-winch