Experience PARISIENNE » the mission http://experienceparisienne.com Living and loving in the moment Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:43:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 From Curiosities to Wabi Sabi, The Mission Gives Our French Side a Little Extra Flavor http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/from-curiosities-to-wabi-sabi-the-mission-gives-our-french-side-a-little-extra-flavor/ http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/from-curiosities-to-wabi-sabi-the-mission-gives-our-french-side-a-little-extra-flavor/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:06:20 +0000 Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi http://experienceparisienne.com/?p=901 San Francisco’s Mission District is known for its deep Spanish-Mexican roots, and although our afternoon had to begin with an authentic, totally decadent veggie burrito at Cancun, it continued along Valencia Street with lots of quirky, eclectic outposts being manned by the neighborhood’s most innovative young shop-keepers.

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1. House of Hengst, 924 Valencia Street; www.houseofhengst.com

Susan Hengst has a real knack with the understated avant garde, and this minimal but elegantly personal space is the perfect place to try out her high-waisted silk pajama pants and long dramatic ruched dresses.

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2. Paxton Gate, 824 Valencia Street; www.paxtongate.com
There’s an exotic, almost spooky vibe at this shop specializing in uncommon Science oddities and strange but beautiful garden accessories. From little bowls of Raccoon claws to fossilized bugs, this is the place to go when you don’t want your wedding gift to fall through the cracks.

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3. 826 Valencia, 826 Valencia Street; www.826valencia.org
Part pirate shop, part intellectual outlaw, this kooky Mission shop not only specializes in pirate patches and messages in bottles but also in supporting young students in their creative writing pursuits. All we can say is we wish there was a shop like this around when we were taking 9th grade English.

[[Show as slideshow]]4. Self Edge, 714 Valencia Street; www.selfedge.com
A vintage motorbike sets the stage for this tough but pristine raw denim shop, but the handsome storefront also offers lots of Japanese-designed collectibles like handcrafted leather bracelets and cuffs accented with sculpted sterling clasps that we wanted to snap up immediately.

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5. The Curiosity Shop, 855 Valencia Street; www.curiosityshoppeonline.com
Porcelain peanuts, Decomposition books, laser-cut bamboo earrings, and a plethora of cool DIY books made this slip of a shop a great place to stock up on out-there birthday gifts.

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6. Little Otsu Publishing, 849 Valencia Street; www.littleotsu.com
Eye-catching graphic cards and magical little tomes like Nine Ways to Disappear and Everybody’s Book of Kittens made us want to spend the whole afternoon here stocking up on pretty little Otsu keepsakes.

]]> http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/from-curiosities-to-wabi-sabi-the-mission-gives-our-french-side-a-little-extra-flavor/feed/ 0 A Quaint New Shop In the Mission Turns Up 24-Karat Gold http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/a-quaint-new-shop-in-the-mission-turns-up-24-karat-gold/ http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/a-quaint-new-shop-in-the-mission-turns-up-24-karat-gold/#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:42:35 +0000 Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi http://experienceparisienne.com/?p=859 gravel-and-gold-sf-2

San Francisco’s Mission District seems to be a magnet for unique shops and the smart and lovely proprietors that go with them. But one new boutique in particular really charmed the pants off us and seemed to demand a post all its own. The product of a “trinity” of creative friends, Gravel and Gold has the uncommon spirit of a place that seems almost alive with personality. One of the owners, Lisa Foti-Straus was more than happy to guide us through the cheery space (just LOOK at the fitting room!), which housed not only the most perfect French-inspired bateau Ts we’ve ever encountered (we brought home four), but lots of little objets that begged to be admired. Just look at all the gold we turned up in just one sunny little corner of San Francisco. 3266 21st Street; www.gravelandgold.com


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]]> http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/a-quaint-new-shop-in-the-mission-turns-up-24-karat-gold/feed/ 0 Tartine Restores Our Faith in The Art Of Bread Pudding and Pain Au Chocolate http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/tartine-restores-our-faith-in-the-art-of-bread-pudding-and-pain-au-chocolate/ http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/tartine-restores-our-faith-in-the-art-of-bread-pudding-and-pain-au-chocolate/#comments Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:45:48 +0000 Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi http://experienceparisienne.com/?p=891 tartine-baker-sf-1

Beyond Paris, few bakeries have the unique ability to turn a simple pain au chocolate into a religious experience. But Tartine, a truly legendary bakery in San Francisco’s Mission District, not only delivers on such a promise, it makes a tiny corner patisserie a place of serious worship. A creamy fragrant bread pudding chockfull of fresh peaches, a dense chocolate walnut drop, and a transcendent croque monsieur with mushrooms and sundried tomatoes were all so incredibly good, we considered coming back again before we head home. And given we’re still talking about that ridiculously light quiche we couldn’t resist upon departure, we probably will. 600 Guerrero Street, www.tartinebakery.com


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