Neighborhood notes: Mission Picnic and other favorites reopen, GoFundMes help fire victims, and MAPP hosts virtual event

Mission Picnic and Arizmendi Bakery reopen

For those who have been deprived of rustic salads and sandwiches from Mission Picnic, fear no more. After closing down on March 16, the Valencia Street staple reopened earlier this month for pickup and delivery with some new additions to the menu.

“With the shelter-in-place and the trend in dining habits, we wanted to make our food a little less focused on catering and more focused on retail and the comfort side of things,” owner Sterling Tatsumi Price said. 

To match the new normal of working from home in pajamas (except for that dress shirt reserved for Zoom calls), Mission Picnic is now offering all-day breakfast. During its closure, Price worked with Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz, owners of Noosh, to “really revamp” menu items, such as sourcing meat locally and more subtle changes, such as cooking the cauliflower and carrots in the Garden Goddess salad. 

So, what to order? People are “going crazy” for the bodega breakfast sandwich, Price said, describing how some individuals return daily for the poppy-seed bun filled with fluffy eggs, bacon, cheddar, and more. Alternatively, one can opt for the new Mission Picnic veggie breakfast burrito. Though Price acknowledged that “everybody has a burrito in the Mission,” Mission Picnic’s vegetarian option “is nice, because it retains the classic San Francisco burrito flavor,” using soyrizo instead of chorizo. 

Browse the new menu here. It’s open between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Arizmendi Bakery on Valencia Street also reopened this Tuesday after shutting down for six days, according to its website. The business will offer to-go and window service only; and masks and social distancing are required. 

A sign posted on Arizmendi’s windows on Wednesday, July 22, said the business was briefly closing after learning that day that an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The bakery promised to test every worker and disinfect all surfaces and equipment before reopening.

Kahnfections Bakery expands 

Kahnfections Bakery recently expanded its outdoor seating — much like our bellies after doing a months-long informal tasting of neighborhood scones in which Kahnfections’ sour cherry scone came out on top. Apparently its breakfast sandwiches are also satisfying, but we have yet to try them. They have taken over a parking spot to allow for socially distanced eating. Pop on in between 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. (or after 8 a.m. if it’s a weekend). 

Dog Eared Books opens

Once again you will be able to browse for books at Dog Eared Books at 900 Valencia St. Distancing, masks and limited entry will all be enforced.

GoFundMes aid 14th Street fire victims

Three individuals lost their homes and several food businesses lost critical kitchen space in a five-alarm fire that started Tuesday morning, destroying or heavily damaging six buildings. Several GoFundMes quickly sprung up to raise funds for those affected.

At least five restaurants lost their shared commercial kitchen to the fire, a key area for preparing food for take out or catering while many restaurants are closed for in-person dining. One fundraiser, started by Simileoluwa Adebajo, head chef and owner of Eko Kitchen, promises to split the funds evenly between Eko Kitchen, Crêpe-Madame, ChilliCali, Fulfilled Foods and VeganBacon. It has already raised close to $30,000. 

Another GoFundMe started by former Crêpe-Madame employees, describes the owner’s continuing resiliency. 

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all future catering events were put on indefinite hiatus in March of this year, but Laetitia was resilient and pivoted to a pop-up to-go operation from a friend’s wine-bar storefront,” the page’s description said. “Unfortunately, disaster struck again, this time in the form of a five-alarm fire.”

Over $11,000 has been raised to rebuild Crêpe-Madame and employ a full staff when catering operations can resume, the organizers wrote. 

Wendy Parker woke up on the morning of July 28 to smoke and flames. While she was able to get out safely, she lost her cat and of her belongings to the blaze.

“Any donations (no matter how small!) would be deeply appreciated, and they will go a long way toward helping Wendy to get back on her feet,” writes Thomas Meade, the fundraiser’s organizer. “If you’re unable to contribute money right now, Wendy is also accepting material things, as well as love, thoughts, prayers, and good vibes.”

MAPP endures: Virtual event this weekend

Red Poppy Art House is hosting its bi-monthly Mission Arts Performance Project, called “Building Community Resilience Through the Arts,” via livestream this weekend. Though these “multidisciplinary, intercultural happening[s]” in the Mission usually involve transforming ordinary spaces into pop-up exhibition sites, this virtual event will include live performances and workshops. 

The weekend-long programming will include a Balkan-inspired music set by Balder ten Cate and Diana Strong, as well as a performance from Argentinian opera singer Claudio Santomé, along with other musical and dance acts on Saturday. Participants can attend several art workshops on Sunday, including a “kitchen printing” workshop where attendees can learn to use printmaking techniques such as monoprinting and food stamping. 

“Now, more than ever, Red Poppy Art House needs your support to continue facilitating relationships between the artists and our community, and building a sonic bridge between today’s challenging time and a brighter future,” the event’s Facebook page says.

The event is free but donations are encouraged. Find more information here.