Michael E.'s Profile

Whoa, Varnish is back and it's looking shiny as ever. This was one of my favorite galleries in the Financial District, and it closed down awhile ago. Yet one more place to clear my head as a gallery goer during lunch hour or after work disappeared. But the new Varnish has emerged in the small little alleyway by Yank Sing on Jessie St. They have an amazing, newly remodeled space with unique wooden doors and light pouring in their huge windows. They're only open by appointment right now, but they already have their typical set of funky, contemporary pieces on display. They no longer have a beer and wine bar, but the rumor is that their catered events  will help with some bites and libations. They'll also be available for private events.

I received a personal tour this afternoon and can't wait until they are up and running in full force again. So, to be fair, I'll hold onto one star until I get the 'open to the public' experience. I have a feeling they'll earn it pretty quick.

I really need to stop moving. Seriously, since going on hiatus and coming back to the city, my semi-permanence in any one apartment is starting to wear on me. That said, I found a great new pad and really didn't want to move myself this time. I made a last minute decision to hire movers and landed on these guys. They fit me into their schedule despite my lack of planning and gave me an up front estimate and let me know when the guys would be showing up.

The crew, Conrad and Arif, showed up exactly on time, swooped into my box-filled apartment and started packing my stuff in the truck like they had memorized the contents of my apartment. Most of my stuff was packed, but the loose ends that weren't they took care of with an efficiency and effectiveness I've never seen. They wrapped everything up carefully and didn't damage a thing. The whole process took pretty much the amount of time they told me with 10 or 15 minutes to spare.

I've recommended City Movers to a couple friends who were moving at the same time I was and they had the exact same experience. Nice, honest fellas, the whole lot of 'em. Makes moving not such a daunting task, but let's hope I don't have to do it again for awhile.

My face just exploded eating their Rueben's Cousin. I have not tasted better sauerkraut in my life. I guarantee you they have some old guy named Klaus in lederhosen chained out back stirring up his secret family recepe, knee-deep in cabbage. The sandwich was the size of my forearm and the corned beef was sliced and diced perfectly into little pieces. And despite the fact that it's pouring rain today, my sandwich was still hot and dry. Definitely worth the wait and the price.

Seriously, I'm sitting here picking every possible stray clump of sauerkraut out of the sammie wrapper and my keyboard to eat. What's wrong with me?

Reuben. Green Bay Packer football. In proximity to bar. Um, awesome.

Also, the woman behind the counter said, "I'm going to guess which bar you're at. Kilowatt? Nope. Delerium? Nope. Elixir?" Nice. Three guesses = $3 tip.

Oh, and free Boston Baked Beans. And the Packers won. Everyone won today.

Most passerby's will probably raise their nose at a corporation invading the wonderful boutique laden Valencia street. Well, for those people, I hope you have a booger in your nostril so other pedestrians can laugh at you. This is not just a Levi's store with the requisite clothing, although you can buy some of their latest fashion releases, which is convenient.

However, in line with their new marketing campaign, 'We Are All Workers,' Levi's has set up a full on print production house in this building. As a designer, it's like crack to me. They have an old school letterpress, silkscreen areas, computers to help design, movable type strewn everywhere and a cool little rubber stamp station for the artist looking for a bit more simplicity.

They hold workshops and talks and you can sign up and actually go create art in the store. Words cannot express what an amazing concept I find this to be. Levi's jeans were invented for the hard working people, here in San Francisco, in fact, in the 1870s. And this store is reliving that concept. Brilliant marketing, in my opinion.

This gritty little gem iis one of the coolest concept stores I've seen since 826 Valencia. I even got to meet Stefan Sagmeister (design geek alert) and talk with him briefly at a workshop earlier this month.

Seriously, just go peek in the window if anything to see all the people in aprons tediously printing away. Or go in and see all the posters on the wall, the glass box filled with hundreds of Levi's jean buttons, then take a clothespin on your way out as a keepsake.

Great brand of jeans, amazing marketing and concept and all around cool hangout for people who don't mind getting their hands a little dirty. Hey, you're in the Mission, your hands probably already are anyway.

Someone once told me, "Oh hey, I ran into Michael. He was at this sandwich shop. Oh hey, I ran into Michael he was at this other sandwich shop." It's funny that people run into me in sandwich shops more than bars, but I do love my sammie.

Well, my new favorite is King Foot, which I'm guessing is a name blending of Bigfoot and King Kong. I mean, they'll make you a big sub, and that's a clever name. I'm very critical of sandwiches, and while Ike's is unstoppable and Mr. Pickle's is hands down my favorite (pesto!) this is a good go-to for something delicious. Their bread is always fresh and they have shaved lettuce, which, in my opinion, is a must have for a perfect deli style sub. The mustard they use is delicious and the veggies are always fresh and never disappoint.

The best part, however, is looking at the weird ephemera on the walls while you wait. They have screen shots from 'Dances With Wolves', San Francisco photos, Elivis and not one, but two photos of gumball machines with hard boiled eggs in them. I'm sorry, what now? That, and their t-shirt logo is rad. And the t-shirts are orange. Oh, and the ram horns above the counter with sunglasses. And speakers that rival half the bars in this city. What is with this place, I have no clue. But it's a good sandwich and popping in here always makes me smile.

I have just two words for you. Peppers. And pesto. I am a wuss when it comes to all things hot, but the peppers make the sammie. I live a mere five blocks from here and have not frequented it nearly enough. So, I'm working on this extended weekend and had a hankerin' for a sandwich while I toiled away at my computer. So, I looked up Mr. Pickle's to see if they were open, and sure enough, they're on in full force on Sunday. I walked down there and they were packed with people, which is a good sign. I believe a street fair is on Mission today, but still. I got the house combo with ham, salami and turkey with everything, including peppers and pesto. When I got back home with my prize, I inhaled that sucker. That is one of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time. I had forgotten about this amazing shop, but no more. I have a sense it will be my staple go-to soon. Fresh bread, shredded lettuce and good meat. I highly recommend it.

Oh, and if you know the whereabouts of Mr. Pickle, please alert the authorities....

http://missionmission....

I wrote my last review of this 'place' just about one year and a month ago. The Sandwich Place gets a couple extra stars from me now. It is one of the best pastrami sandwiches I've had in this city. I think what did it for me today was the soft  bread it was on, it completely made the sammie. Well, the pastrami was pretty freaking good, too.  And I ordered everything on it, which I don't normally do with the mustard and pepper contingent, but hot damn, what a great sandwich. This is definitely The Place to be. So good.

Tommy's Joynt is an enigma of San Francisco. I think it's for the tourists. But if you have denied yourself a visit here for the past five years simply for that fact, you will regret it. I have. You walk in and this crazy comfort food slaps you in the face with its mashed potato and gravy goodness. It's dark with checkered tables and all kinds of ephemera on the walls and ceiling. You order and receive your food cafeteria style and then plop down wherever you want. We got two and half dishes (I got a bowl of clam chowder, too) for under 20 bucks. Not bad for a quick meal after getting our appetite revved up by a NCAA basketball game and beer. The clam chowder was a tad fishy but the bbq turkey sandwich I snagged was pretty tasty. The food definitely isn't fine dining, it's the atmosphere that won the four star rating. This is some place that you'd find on a road trip in southern California somewhere, not smack dab in SF on Van Ness. I know, I know, it reeks of tourism, even from the outside. But you must venture in, I guarantee it reminds you of something from your childhood.

Alright, I wanted to visit this place SIMPLY due to the fact that my name is Michael Ernst, the names of the owners. Vain? Probably. Funny coincidence? Of course. Well, it just so happened that my friend actually was in need of some new frames so she and I dropped on by to E IWear to check it out and satisfy my narcissism. So, Michael greeted us at the door wearing funky, modified Ray Bans and took us over to the vintage shelves in the front of the store. He then proceeded to explain how he searched high and low for these rare sunglasses organized by celebrity stylings. There were shelves for Elvis, John Lennon & Yoko Ono and Jackie O. If I would have had $375 burning in my pocket, I would've bought the Porsche vintage frames, but I'm not quite that kind of high roller yet. Then, followed by a Yorkie and his little, white furball girlfriend, we went into the other room to look at my friend's real frames. Cool glasses brands like Tom Ford sat atop old National Geographics in cool antique cabinets. Michael helped my friend try on an assortment that he felt fit her face shape and explained the background of each pair to her. All in all a very cool experience. I know when my eyesight begins to fail me from staring at design work on my computer after all these years, this will be the first place I venture into. And we got a chocolate covered fortune cookie, what a cool place.