"Blueberry Boy Bait may sound like a B-side song from an alternative band, but it's actually just an ice cream flavor offered by Humphry Slocombe, a small shop in the Mission District. Owner and former pastry chef Jake Godby has made the name Humphry Slocombe synonymous with flavors and ingredients not often found in ice cream or sorbet. Case in point: best-seller Secret Breakfast,the flavor that launched a thousand Humphry Slocombe fans,a combo of homemade cornflakes and bourbon. Traditionalists will be happy to find "normal" flavors, too, but it's Godby's "march to your own drum" ethos that brings out his best work and keeps people lining up for creative scoops. Pick up a copy of The Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book , with 40 recipes you can re-create at home."

"The date-night dinner-and-a-moviestandard has been taken to a new stylish height at this acclaimed restaurant in the Mission District. Grab a table on the patio under the strings of lights todine on seasonal California cuisine while films flicker on the back wall. It's romantic, and easily one of San Francisco’s most unique dining settings. But don't think of Foreign Cinema as just a gimmick. The stellar cuisine is the real scene-stealer here, which is why Foreign Cinema is consistently ranked as one of the city’s best restaurants. Chef Gayle Pirie and her partner, chef John Clark, havetransformed this into a destination restaurant. Reservations are still tough to get, especially for Saturday night and Sunday brunch, but plan ahead and you'll be glad. From fresh local oysters on the half shell to caramel pecan sticky buns to apopular sesame curry fried chicken, the food is always as stellaras the setting, making date night or brunch with friends an eventyou won't soon forget. The adjacent wine bar, Laszlo, isperfect for predinner drinks or nightcaps."

"Soup for Supper at 18 Reasons 18 Reasons is a new type of community center—one that connects San Franciscans to food and food to community. The goal is to they teach San Franciscans how to cook and eat together. Run by the locally famous Bi-Rite organization in the heart of the city's food scene between Valencia and Guerrero, they offer classes like Carving a Turkey and Making Jam, as well as host community dinners that they call Soup for Supper. Join locals at the 18 Reasons Community Center for a class or Soup for Supper—$5 gets you a gourmet bowl of soup, fresh bread, and connection to the foodie community."

"Tour Balmy Alley's Murals in the Mission The colorful murals in Balmy Alley are the lower Mission’s own version of the better-known Clarion Alley murals. Stroll through the small, pedestrian-friendly alleyway to see public work by local artists, a tradition that began in the mid-1980s in response to human rights and political abuses in Central America. Today, you can see murals depicting scenes from human rights abuse to local gentrification to natural disasters. Want to learn more? Take a tour with Precita Eyes Muralists."

"The Most Delicious Ice Cream in the World- Seriously. It's no wonder that on any given weekday afternoon, the line for ice cream at this legendary San Francisco establishment goes out the door and wraps around the block. Once you try it for yourself, you'll understand: it's just that good. With flavors like salted caramel, honey lavender and roasted banana, it is one of the creamiest, most tasty treats you could ever experience. The location is an added bonus: right across from Dolores Park in the Mission District, grabbing a cone and heading to the park on a sunny day is a scoop of heaven on earth. Here's a tip: if you get a small cup, you can still get 3 different flavors (I learned of this afterwards, so of course I had to head back the next day to make sure). If I lived in San Francisco, everyday would be a Bi-Rite kind of day."

"Now that's a Matzo Ball! The Wise Sons Deli menu claims that the Matzo Ball soup is "better than your Bubbies" I didn't have a Bubbie, but I did have this soup and it was...delicious. Savory broth with dill and the big ball had the consistency of polenta. My friend has the Rueben sandwich and the corned beef was so flavorful I had immediate food envy. Almost. For someone who didn't grow up around Jewish Delis, I'm marking Wise Sons as where I get my education on the subject. I'll go back to answer such questions as: What's an egg cream? Is Challah bread thick or thin? Can I try both a pastrami and a corned beef Rueben? Or is that just too much? Wise Sons Deli is an open-air, but small restaurant right in the heart of San Francisco 's Mission district. As a note, right down the street is Humphrey Slocombe ice cream parlor."

"Rockin with Baby and the Luvies Great time at this fun little club in the Mission enjoying the first big gig from Ilana, Lessley, Galen, Jackson and our very own Chris Colin, doing us proud."

"Stop for Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco You could walk right by this incredibly popular restaurant on Mission Street and not even be able to tell what it was, thanks to the misleading “Lung Shan Restaurant” sign out front. What will tip you off? The incredibly long lines of San Francisco’s foodiest hipsters waiting to get inside the dive-y restaurant and eat Sichuan-laced, inventive Chinese dishes like sour chili chicken and kung pao pastrami. Mission Chinese has two branches—the second is in New York City—but the San Francisco location is what turned the young chef Danny Bowien into a household name. Mission Chinese has eat in, take out, and delivery; no reservations or parties of more than eight. They’re open from 11:30 am to 3 pm and 5 to 10:30 pm Thursdays to Tuesdays."

"Vegan Gone Wild! Fiesta wild.. I can only describe the vegan Mexican food of Gracias Madre as a truly unexpected experience of culinary genius. They transformed a wildly famous cuisine of bold, rich, hearty, and heavy flavors into a selection of healthy, earthy dishes that still taste Mexican. There are tons of places I'd eat at on a return trip to San Francisco but I would fly back for this food alone. In Texas we not only know good Mexican food, we live on it—you could cut us open and we'd likely bleed Mexican food—as do Californians. But San Francisco's Gracias Madre knows Mexican food best. Regardless of if you're a vegan, go for it. Just eat it. You won't be sorry and you'll feel full without have to unbutton your pants afterwards. Spot on!"

"Buy Right Pickup the best local food products the bay area has to offer at Bi-Rite Market. The Mission was not always the pantheon of San Francisco nouveau cuisine that it is today. Now, the area—especially the block of 18th Street between Guerrero and Dolores—is the hottest foodie street in the city. You'll know the street by the lines outside Delfina Pizzeria and Bi-Rite Creamery (which is separate from the market). But to get a glimpse into a real foodie hotspot, stop into Bi-Rite Market and dodge crowds for gourmet groceries, local produce, and a cooler full of small-batch cheese."

"Visit Craftsman & Wolves for a Modern Spin on Classic Pastries You might have caught wind of some recent buzz about this contemporary patisserie with its unveiling of the haute dog, Craftsman and Wolves Chef William Werner’s upscale version of the classic American food (think better meat and a flaky, buttery croissant instead of a bun). Or perhaps you’ve heard people talking about a Mission bakery that served a savory muffin with a soft-cooked egg inside of it (it’s call the Rebel Within). Whatever the reason, head to Craftsman and Wolves for a changing menu of classic and innovative breakfast pastries, cakes, confections, confitures, desserts, lunch, and savory fare, with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, beer, and wine to wash it down. Craftsman and Wolves is open Mondays through Thursdays from 7 am to 7 pm, Fridays from 7 am to 8 pm, Saturdays from 8 am to 8 pm, and Sundays from 8 am to 7 pm. Can’t make it to Mission? Stop by the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm or order through their online shop."

"People watching park Mission Dolores Park, aka Delores Park, is one of the most popular parks in San Francisco, especially when the sun is out and the mercury is up. On a sunny weekend, you'll be hard pressed to find a patch of green to plant yourself on, but that's what makes Dolores Park so much fun. Yes there is a playground for kids, and basketball and tennis courts, too. But the real sport here is people watching. You'll hear music booming between dog barks; people toss footballs, tightrope walk, and fling their Frisbees. Bodies slathered in oil glisten in the sun; ice cream melts down the arms of laughing children; the whiff of cut grass (and other questionable varieties) linger in the air. The abundant restaurants and markets in the area make make it easy to pack a picnic and fuel your day out. All you need to do is bring a blanket, plop down on a hill where the views reach to downtown, and chill out San Francisco-style. FYI: Dolores Park is named for Miguel Hidalgo, a priest in Dolores, Mexico who urged his countrymen to overthrow their Spanish rulers in 1810, sparking Mexico's battle for independence."

"Pizzeria Delfina in the Mission There's nothing more San Fransisco (or hipster) than buying a margharita (with pepperoni) and taking it to Dolores Park for some prime people watching. It may be easier than getting a seat in the restaurant. Don't forget the chilli flakes! How I researched San Francisco : http://nearafar.com/2011/09/12/how-i-researched-san-francisco/"

"Fried Brussel Sprouts...you'll love vegetables this way! Located in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco , Marlowe's is a great little neighborhood spot with delicious burgers and a wide beer selection. But one treat they are known for are their Brussels sprout chips—they'll turn any veggie hater into a veggie lover!"

"Stroll down 24th Street, San Francisco 24th Street in San Francisco (not to be confused with 24th Avenue!) is one of my favorite walks in the city. Hop off BART at the 24th Street - Mission station, and walk the 1-mile length of the street to see what cultural commentators mean when they say things like "this is a neighborhood in transition." Sizzling aromas flow out the door from La Palma Mexicatessen (stop in for a tamale or a dozen) and Taqueria Guadalajara, while grocery stalls line the streets stocked with papayas so ripe they look like they're about to burst. These storefronts knock up against vintage clothiers like Minxy, highly experimental ice cream flavors at Humphrey Slocombe, and farm-to-table sausage at Pig & Pie, an eatery that inhabits the former space of record store Discolandia. Old institutions and newcomers alike are painted over with the Mission's characteristic murals. If you want more information on the works you're seeing, you're in luck, because Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center - also located on 24th St! - can hook you up with a tour."