For much of the 1990s, San Francisco's Mission District maintained a precarious balance between its colorful Latino roots and a gritty bohemian subculture. Then came the overfed dot-com years. Rising real estate prices not only threatened the Mission's working-class enclave, but also its status as the city's center of all things edgy and artsy. Sleek bars moved next door to divey taquerias. Boutiquey knick-knack shops came in alongside fusty dollar stores. But prosperity did not sap the district of its cultural eclecticism. With a population that is about half Latino, a third white and an estimated 11 percent Asian, the Mission still remains a wonderful mishmash. Where else can you find epicurean vegan cafes, feisty nonprofits and a Central American butcher shop that, for a memorable time, anyway, had women's undergarments in the window?
Friday
4 p.m. 1) ILLICIT TEA
It's one thing to operate a pirate radio station, with foul-mouthed D.J.'s hopping from rooftop to rooftop to hide the transmitter. But the ever-defiant Pirate Cat Radio went and opened a café (2781 21st Street; 415-341-1199; www.piratecatradio.com). Now you can stick it to the man over a spot of tea or vegan donuts. The grungy décor and sparse offerings are true to pirate form — the fun lies in watching the illicit broadcasts through the smudged window.
6:30 p.m. 2) EAT WITH THE FISHES
Don't let the trendiness fool you: the food at Weird Fish (2193 Mission Street; 415-863-4744; www.weirdfishsf.com) is actually terrific. Situated on chaotic Mission Street, this guppy-sized spot serves inspired dishes like sweet-and-spicy rainbow trout ($8), sautéed tilapia ($8) and something called the Suspicious Fish Dish (varies). Even the blackened catfish ($8), novel enough on its own in these parts, gets a bright makeover with fruit salsa. There are excellent vegan options, too, from yam, avocado and spinach tacos ($5) to pea shoots with ginger and soy sauce ($4). There's often a line, but you can wait outside on the street, enjoying that singular pleasure of sipping wine beside a bus stop, which serves as Weird Fish's de facto lounge.
8 p.m. 3) ACTING OUT
On a good Friday night, the neighborhood is theatrical in its own right. For more distilled drama, catch a performance at the Marsh (1062 Valencia Street; 415-826-5750; www.themarsh.org), a small theater devoted to small stagings. Award-winning productions have included “Squeezebox” and “Tings Dey Happen,” a one-man show about Nigerian oil politics. Seating is first come, first served, so buy tickets in advance ($8 to $50) and arrive early.
10 p.m. 4) HOT DIGGITY
It can seem that one hears indie rock or Mexican polka in the Mission, and little else. But the Savanna Jazz Club (2937 Mission Street; 415-285-3369; www.savannajazz.com) has live sets every night but Monday in its cozy, New Orleans-style room. Cover, $5 to $10. When the last chord is struck and you're still longing for something late-night and local, discover the bacon dog craze on your walk home. Vendors sell them — a food best consumed in the dark — on the sidewalk along Mission.
Saturday
10 a.m. 5) ART AND NOBLE PIE
Listing all the creative galleries, shops and restaurants in the Mission may be impossible. The best thing to do is carve out a few hours for strolling, knowing that the majority cluster along Valencia, Mission, 16th and 24th Streets. A few standouts: Aquarius Records (1055 Valencia Street; 415-647-2272; www.aquariusrecords.org) is the city's oldest independent record store and a sanctuary for music lovers. For guilt-free gluttony, follow your nose to Mission Pie (2901 Mission Street; 415-282-1500; www.missionpie.com), a bright corner café run partly by Mission High School students that sells scrumptious treats in collaboration with Pie Ranch, a nonprofit farm where teenagers learn about sustainable agriculture. Galería de la Raza (2857 24th Street; 415-826-8009; www.galeriadelaraza.org) showcases projects by Chicano and Latino artists and activists. And check out Creativity Explored (3245 16th Street; 415-863-2108; www.creativityexplored.org), a nonprofit studio where developmentally disabled men and women make and sell beautiful art.
2 p.m. 6) GORGING IN THE GRASS
What you've heard about Mission burritos is true: they're big and everyone eats them. Arguing over the best is a popular sport, but you won't go wrong with Taquería Cancún (2288 Mission Street; 415-252-9560), a no-frills joint that packs a crowd. Take a Super Veggie ($6.50) up 19th Street to Dolores Park, and enjoy the downtown views among the Frisbeeing, smuggled-beer-drinking multitudes. If it's the last Saturday of the month, scout out the Really Really Free Market (www.reallyreallyfree.org), a haphazard and funky exchange that's worth a perusal. The prices are really really unbeatable.
By Chris Colin