[babberly-blog]

Baby Blues BBQ (and Drugstore)

Looking for drugs? You are definitely in the wrong place. Looking for great ribs and a wide variety of sweet and spicy BBQ sauces? You’ve hit the mother lode!

Baby Blues BBQ occupies the corner store that, since 1929, was Disernia's Pharmacy; more recently referred to as thee olde Rexall Drugstore. Someone made sure there was no way to escape the history by restoring most of Rexall’s old neon signs around the front and above the door, in some ways dominating over the newer, more modest BBQ neon signs. You may have driven by a few times, especially at night, without realizing this subtle difference. I know I did. One thing is for sure, the difference between ribs and drugs is subtle at Baby Blues. The ones I happened upon and ate, the ribs that is, were cooked to perfection and literally fell from their attached bone, their succulent taste rendering the palette of sauces momentarily unnecessary.

Meat choices at Baby Blues include beef brisket, pulled-pork, all sorts of ribs (baby-back, Texas-style, Memphis-style), chicken, wings, Louisiana hot links, salmon and all kinds of combinations thereof. Their fine sauces range from mild and sweet molasses to blow-your-mind habanero spicy.

I imagine vegetarians could revel in the assorted tastes of the southern-style side dishes offered. Cornbread, okra, collard greens, mac and cheese, regular and sweet mashed potatoes, corn on the cob were all tasty enough without having to rely on meat. Beware, the “blue” in Baby Blue seems to reference bleu cheese, or Roquefort, and this pungent yet delicious cheese finds its way across several dishes, sometimes unannounced. Tastier still though were the pork and beans and the chicken smoked rice. Ok, I give up. I confess it would be absurdly ridiculous for a vegetarian to attend this joint.   

In the meat-heavy, lots-of-grub category, Baby Blues holds up to fierce neighboring competition and the menu includes a handful of salads too. Sorry again, vegetarians; the best come served with smoked salmon or smoked trout. There are some inexpensive sandwiches too, including de rigueur Po’boys, pulled-pork, burgers and the aforementioned pair of smoked fishes in sandwich form.

There are lots of long tables, some short tables and a couple of nooks and crannies; never a lack of room. Nevertheless, they always take reservations. There is also a long welcoming bar with lots of bar stools and the Giants’ game, at least this very second.

Where Precita meets Mission St., just a block south of César Chávez Avenue and into the once-trumpeted Socha triangle (groan), lies Baby Blues BBQ. They have lunch specials, online ordering, delivery and are open till 10pm, except on Fridays and Saturdays open till 11pm. 

Rexall’s neon signs still dominate the corner

Lots of windows provide excellent light

The kid’s korner is the crevice under a staircase, just like home

Flasks of scrumptiousness line every table

The far table: great for private parties of dozens of your closest friends

Ready for great BBQ?  Check out this hidden gem and let us know how much you love it!

[babberly-blog]

The Great American Grilled-Cheese Kitchen Experiment!

The American Grilled-Cheese Kitchen opened its second location in the space formerly occupied by Café Gratitude’s failed Mission experiment, on the corner of Harrison and 20th, set right across the street from Flour+Water.  By all accounts, it’s even better than their flagship kitchen near South Park in SOMA. The newer Harrison location is nicer and roomier, does not suffer as much from the dot-com lunch rush and, if memory serves right, has a slightly better, more imaginative menu.

Nine different grilled-cheese sandwich variations conscientiously priced between $6 and $9 become a myriad of possibilities when combined with bacon, turkey, ham, chicken, roast beef, mac & cheese, roasted tomatoes, pickles, jalapeños, wild mushrooms, arugula and/or caramelized onions for a dollar or two extra. I ordered the Piglet, made with deliciious Tillamook sharp cheddar, cured ham, apple mustard and rosemary butter. It may seem like the most expensive grilled-cheese sandwich in San Francisco, and it probably is, but let me tell you: it is worth it, at least as a scrumptious once-in-a-while indulgence.  

The menu also includes several great, inexpensive cheesy breakfast choices, including vegetarian fare like fresh fruit salad, oatmeal and granola. And not to be outdone by all the surrounding competition, they offer a couple of interesting soups and a handful of salads named after the staff members.

The restaurant is strategically located just east of the heart of the Mission, equidistant from the 16th St and 24th St BART stations, a few blocks from the hustle and bustle of Valencia and Mission streets. It has a few simple tables and lots of bar stools, as if inviting you to get close and chat with the hosts. It almost evokes a small-town charm and a simpler time; its retro metal robot mini-collection and other antiques behind the bar give it the same old-timey feeling as their tasty home-made raspberry lemonade.

The American Grilled-Cheese Kitchen is kid-friendly, caters to vegetarians as well as pig lovers, and opens until 9pm (until 4pm on Mondays and Tuesdays).

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen’s not-yet iconic spatula sign

The specials board may be just be a ruse to catch mice

Zebra-cock: the grilled-cheese-inspired art is as unique as it is bizarre

Simple décor and good natural light add to the cozy ambiance

Each table is named after a type of cheese

So if you are looking for the best #grilledcheese in #SF, make sure to visit the American Grilled-Cheese Kitchen and let them know your friends @babberly sent you there! 

[babberly-blog]

A New Gem in the Tenderloin, Welcome Redford!

So Long the Ambassador, Hello the Redford!

Just a few months ago, the owners of the Brixton, in Cow Hollow, took the place occupied by the dark and questionable Ambassador lounge and radically transformed it into a cool, hip, modern, spacious restaurant and bar. They named it the Redford. Sparingly yet inventively designed by Parisa O'Connell, the Redford draws you in with a unique initial welcoming glow and the promise of a well-stocked bar. But it is so much more.

The Redford is equipped with a full kitchen featuring an extensive menu that includes healthy and adventurous choices, strong classic and fancy signature drinks, a whiskey plank featuring four shots of whiskeys of the month, and a killer 5-7 happy hour (a great selection of draft beers at $4, Ketel One lemonades for $7, half-priced bottles of wine and half-priced appetizers such as Bourbon deviled eggs, an exquisite ahi tuna tartar and a giant meatball). I’m not lying about the giant meatball.

Set in the epicenter of a three-blocks radius of popular Tenderloin bars like the Swig, Ruby Skye, the Clift Hotel’s renowned lounge, Café Royale and the inconspicuous Bourbon & Branch, the Redford entered the fray by hiring helpful, friendly staff, and acquiring comfortable furniture, two simple, key but often over-looked qualities at any establishment. Without actually arousing suspicion of any age or body-type discrimination on their behalf, the staff also happens to be young and good-looking.

The Redford is equally ideal for a mid-week glass of wine or a weekend bender. It is slick and elegant while remaining casual, relaxed and unpretentious. It has a good mix of brick walls and wooden booths. It has lots of room for big parties, but also cozy booths for  romantic dates.

The Redford also boasts a separate upstairs level bar decorated with its own antique 48-star United States flag and faux loft sports-bar ambiance. The TV is not as well-hidden as the one in the main bar area. I was there during the afternoon soccer match; it was empty and the score was nil-nil, but in all honesty, it was still quite early in the game.

The Redford is open daily from 5pm until 2am although food is only available until 11pm. It is located at 675 Geary between Jones and Leavenworth.

  The Redford’s new sign aims to be more clear than esthetically pleasing

  An ugly old tractor wheel is the centerpiece of the main bar

Parisa O’Connell’s décor includes several large reflective circular objects

The Brazilians were more likely to turn up for the second half of this afternoon match!

Check out our Facebook page for a 360 video that shows you the whole venue.

See you at the bar!

[babberly-blog]

Enjoy the Weekend

FRIDAY

Glass Candy

@ Mezzanine; 9:00

Synth-pop lived a nice befi life in the late 80s and managed to spawn a few slightly memorable bands and even fewer "staple" songs of the genre. Still, even today the occasional synth-pop flavored band will come along to remind us of the promise synth-pop had/has. Tonight, check out Glass Candy and be reminded.

  SATURDAY

Music Video Night

@ Madrone Bar; 10:00

Remember when MTV actually played (gasp) music videos? Yeah, we can barely remember it, either. But you can join the fine folks at Madrone bar tonight to relive those glorious times as some of the station's best videos ever are played.

  SUNDAY

Pink Martini

@ Stern Grove Festival; 2:00

Pink Martini is quite an eccentric outfit. Consisting of up to 14 members for any given song, the group beautifully blends damn near every music you've heard of.  Jazz, pop, rock, swing, and even dipping into the style of old musicals, these guys are a treat to watch live.

  Pink Martini wholeheartedly believes in the power of sprawl — at least of a certain type. Though the Portland group has frequently been classified as a "little orchestra," "little" is a deceptive term in this case; the band usually includes anywhere between 12 to 14 members commanding all manner of instruments. Moreover, the 19-year-old squad's suave sound flits and glides between styles, creating a mélange out of lounge, jazz, pop, and classical music — all while taking pronounced influence from old-school Hollywood musicals, too

[babberly-blog]

Alie Layus at Twerk Thursdays

It seems that these days it's not quite enough to just be a good DJ. You have to have an angle of some sort to really make it.

This is not something that Alie Layus ever has to worry about. As a former Playboy model, she has all the angle she needs. It also helps that she's a bad-ass and well respected DJ.

Come check her out tonight at manor West's Twerk Thursdays. Come for the great music and,...well, let's face it. She's nice to look at.

Get on the guest list for FREE entry before midnight. Doors open at 10:00.

[babberly-blog]

Word Perfect

  There are few current authors that are household names: King, Rowling, Grisham (maybe Gaiman and Patterson if you’re a big-time reader). You can also add Danielle Steel to that list and place her right up near the top.

This is an author that has beaten out Rowling and Seuss combined in terms of figures and stats. And what some may not know about her is that she once owned and operated the Steel Gallery in Presidio Heights until it was closed in 2007.

Now, Mondays-Fridays, you can see some of her work at the Andrea Schwartz Gallery from 9-5 in a show called “Word Perfect.” Steel will be serving as guest-curator…and rightfully so.

[babberly-blog]

Rebecca Solnit at Elks Lodge #3

Rebecca  Solnit stops by San Francisco Elks Lodge #3 tonight at 7:00 to promote her new book and delve into storytelling and the art of creating self.

Sounds deep, sure, but once you hear Solnit talk about such tings, you'll understand why her new book The Faraway Nearby is so exceptional and why Solnit herself is such a treasure to see live.

If her name sounds familiar, it's likely because you've at least seen (if not read from cover to cover) her book Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas.

With accompanying piano by Dawn Oberg, this is a can't miss event for anyone that enjoys literature and a MUST BE THERE for fans of Ms. Solnit.

[babberly-blog]

Shark Week Begins Today

No...not the Shark Week we're accustomed to on TV. This Shark Week is being held at the Aquarium of the Bay and will be open from 9 am - 8 pm all week.

From basic trivia to the chance to actually touch a leopard shark (you know, if you're into risks), there will be something for everyone that has always been fascinated (or afraid of sharks).

And hey, if you haven't yet been to the Aquarium of the Bay, there's never been a better time to experience it!

[babberly-blog]

Enjoy Your Weekend!

ALL WEEKEND

Last Light

@ Minna Gallery; 5:00

Ivy and Jacobsen's paintings are both melancholy and haunting at the same time. Imagine ethereal landscapes where quiet forest animals lay waiting for night in some beautifully impossible forest. That comes CLOSE But you really just need to see for yourself.

SATURDAY

All Night Long: 1-Year Anniversary Party

@ Public Works; 9:30

A full year of funky and inventive disco. Can you believe it? A full year. We'll be celebrating the one year anniversary with All Night Long veterans like Garth of the Wicked Sound System...and we'll be celebrating "all night long."

  ALL WEEKEND

@ The Castro Theater; 8:00

Trapped in the Closet Sing-Along

Trapped in the Closet is a 33-chapter drama done in a vocal style that is sort of like a song but not really. R. Kelly has always been ambitious and a little out there, and this project proves it. Come experience the first 22 chapters, complete with props and subtitles so the uninitiated can sing along!

[babberly-blog]

Were YOU at the babberly Launch Party?

  Every birth deserves a celebration.

And we’re not just talking about babies, either.  A celebreations is in order for anything new and exciting.

Such a celebration was held for babberly on July 18th. With a live DJ, a boisterous crowd, drinks, and great music, it was the perfect way to celebrate the launch of the new and improved babberly app.

For those not yet in the know, babberly is a user-based app designed to connect people around the country, helping them share information about businesses in an instant. Best of all, any actions that users take on the site allow them to earn babberCRED, which translates into real money to be used at babberly-featured merchant destinations.

Now, to make babberly even more exciting, the app has taken the next step in becoming a fillu mobile social app. Now, babberly has made the transition from SoLoMo (social, local, mobile,) to SoLoMoP (social, local, mobile, payment). This gives babberly an amazing virtual payment layer that now gives the application every possible layer to become truly mobile.

Now maybe you get the cause for celebration. Never before has a social app allowed for complete and total mobile accessibility to all of your favorite merchants.

In order to add this layer, babberly’s babberCRED system works in tandem with the world of Bitcoin, helping to create a robust payment layer in addition to babberly’s pre-existing hyperlocal functionality.

This is truly a breath of fresh air in a SoLoMo marketplace that has become predictable and stagnant. Keep an eye out for the growth of babberly as they move forward with their new innovative mobile marketing solution.

And if you’re still not in on the party, what are you waiting for? Check out babberly today and see for yourself how it transforms mobile marketing for businesses and consumers alike.

[babberly-blog]

Niels Meulman's UNISMS

  Niels Meulman has an impressive background in art. He has an extensive background in advertising, formal design…and graffiti.

It may not be hard to grasp the fact that the graffiti part of his background is what makes his art so unique. He has used his experience with graffiti to create what he calls calligraffiti—a surprisingly brilliant blend of graffiti and calligraphy.

But his new exhibit, “Unisms” is much more than this clever creation. Attendees will see forms of abstract expressionism and colorful paintings that evoke more emotion that most movies or music can create.

To see Meulmans’ work for yourself, come by  White Walls Gallery between 12 – 7 until August 10th.

[babberly-blog]

Thrilling Adventure Hour!

  Locals may have already heard of the Thrilling Adventure Hour.  If not, here’s what you need to know.

It’s a podcast done in the style of old-timey radio show, put on by an amazingly talented group of performers. The show has gotten so much critical acclaim that spawned a graphic novel that is loaded with strong genere storytelling in the realms of noir, horror, sci-fi, and everything in between.

Until late October, you can swing by the Cartoon Art Museum  to see some of the artwork form the graphic novel. Illustrated by comic artists like Randy Bishop, Joanna Estep, Billy Fowler, and Chris Moreno, it is certainly something for fans of comics as well as Thrilling Adventure Hour to behold!

[babberly-blog]

Craig Childs' Apocalyptic Planet: Field Guide to the Everending Earth

Spend an afternoon with Craig Childs and discover how to survive in dead, barren areas of the world. The author of Apocalyptic Planet: Field Guide to the Everending Earth and a frequent contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Childs had made a career of exploring some of Earth's most extreme conditions.

Best of all, he's a great story-teller, and his journeys have given him more than enough topics to share.

Come by Marine's Memorial Theater at 7:30 tonight to hear some of his thoughts and stories.

[babberly-blog]

Enjoy the Weekend!

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

The Postal Service

@ UC Berkeley's Greek Theater; 8:00

The Postal Service is one of those bands that are polarizing; you either love them or, well, not so much. Still, it can't be denied that their album Give Up was the second best-selling album on the Sub Pop label's history...only outdone by Nirvana's debut. Quirky, insightful, and deeply poetic, The Postal Service is an act worth catching even if you aren't the biggest fan.

  SATURDAY

Geometry of Chance

@ Mirus Gallery; 6:00

Looking for a new way to appreciate art? Any artists that can step outside of boundaries is able to make us see art in a whole new way...and that's exactly what artist LX ONE has done with his art. Viewers may feel like they just stepped into Tron, given LX ONE's deep post-geometric symmetries.

  SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Renegade Craft Fair

@ Fort Mason / Festival Pavilion ; 11:00 a.m.

Custom tee shirts, unique food and artsy everything...you'll find it at the Renegade Craft Fair. If you're looking for a wholly unique and original gift for a friend, you'll probably find it here. The vendors are usually so diverse that you can literally find just about anything you could ever hope to find at a craft fair...and more.

[babberly-blog]

Action Fiction!

As if you needed another example of how superior the Bay Area's arts scene is, Action Fiction just keeps adding to the pile.

Here's the brilliant premise: professional local actors perform stories written by local writers. More than that, these performances often take place at some pretty spectacular locations such as on the top of Oakland's Tribune Tower.

Today's Action Fiction will take place at Chicken John's warehouse Chez Poulet and will include stories written by a wide range of writers, from sci-fi writers to SF Weekly columnists.

Fans of writing, plays, drama, and damn near any sort of entertainment are sure to enjoy Action Fiction, so come out at 7:00 to catch it.

[babberly-blog]

50 Shades! The Musical

If you haven’t read the 50 Shades of Grey series, you’ve at least heard of it. And face it…if you’re a guy, you were kind of secretly hoping your wife was reading them.

Well, the success of the series is evident. A movie is coming and the books are still flying off of the shelves.

Oh, and there’s a spoof musical, too. And you can see this at Marines National Theater at 8:00 (as well as a few other showings throughout the rest of July). The raunchiness of the books is gone, replaced by satire and well-intended mockery.

It’s fun for fans of the books and those that thought its popularity was silly. So really, it’s a win-win for everyone.

[babberly-blog]

Peter Murphy Performing Solely Bahaus Material

If you don't know who Peter Murphy or Bauhaus are, take an hour or so to remedy that. YouTube "She's in Parties" or "Bela Lugosi's Dead." You can thank us later.

For those that know full well who Murphy is, come out to The Filmore and celebrate 35 years of Bauhaus as frontman Peter Murphy performs songs from the Bauhaus catalog.

For true fan,s this current tour, The Mr. Moonlight Tour, stands as the first time since 2005/2006 that Murphy will perform full Bauhaus sets...and it is the fist time EVER that he has done this on his own.

The show starts at 8.