The Blog

I've known bacon to do a lot of things – mend friendships, cure hangovers, and even walk seven miles through San Francisco – but I've never known it to lead to the death of a restaurant. And before this weekend, I didn't think it possible for anyone to complain about the mouth-watering aromas that come from fresh fried bacon. 

But some Upper Haight residents obviously don't feel the same way. Bacon Bacon – the brick and mortar cafe located at 205A Frederick Street – was forced to shut down on Friday after neighborhood residents complained about the smell of bacon constantly being emitted from the space. 

Excuse me? Did you just complain about bacon? From a restaurant called BACON BACON? 

Locals also accused the eatery of disposing of grease in the gutter, and when the police responded they found that the restaurant lacked the proper health permits to continue operating. Bummer. 

Thankfully, someone else think it's ridiculous that pot heads in the Haight want their local cured pork supply to stop. Saturday Night Live ribbed San Francisco during Amy Poehler's surprise appearance in the "Weekend Update." She quipped, "It'll be really tricky to walk up to a cop and complain that something smells like bacon." 

Nor is everyone willing to idly sit by while Bacon Bacon is persecuted. Avid fans have already begun fighting back, launching a petition and voicing their grievances on the restaurant's Facebook page (In the meantime, you can still enjoy Bacon Bacon via its roving food truck).

After all, bacon might just be the beginning, what are they going to take from us next? Donuts? Pizza? 

The horror. 

Recently, a friend introduced me to the founders behind IPoopYou.com, an SF-based company that sends "high quality, farm raised, and eco-friendly, hand-picked animal poop" via snail mail. You can send the package to yourself or to anyone you choose, signed with your name or, even, anonymously. Apparently, business is booming for this dung delivery service. I asked Guillermo Sanchez, "Shit Executive" at IPoopYou, to explain more about what, exactly, the company is all about.

Abby Wilcox: So let’s start with this question since I Poop You is such a novel idea. What exactly is a professional poop delivery service?

GS: Although it is funny, it’s not a joke. For the first time ever, people can send and receive grade A organic animal poop in the most classy way possible – neatly gift wrapped in a pretty little box. With the click of a button people can select the finest poop from Northern California. 

AW: How did this whole idea start? Was it a joke among friends?

GS: The idea has been always there. There are hundreds of reasons to send and thousands of people who deserve poop mailed to their doors. We believe that through humor, efficient and professional business practices, and ethical treatment of everybody in the equation (animal or otherwise), we are breaking taboos, allowing friends to share a whole new expression of feelings, and filling a niche that nobody had really conceived of yet.

And come on, sending flowers is so last year.  

AW: How would you describe your clients? A scorned lover, a sworn enemy, an off-the-wall prankster or your average joe?

GS: Our clients are awesome! All of them. I would say it’s just people like me and you… Folks able think out of the box and with a strong sense of humor. They really understand our message and through that they give their recipients an unforgettable surprise.  

AW: What’s the funniest reason someone has used your service?

GS: I couldn’t pick just one of them, they all are very special to me. One that I particularly liked was from a girl who sent our stinkiest poop to her boyfriend in respond to all his farting. 

AW: Where does the poop come from?

GS: Each and every poop is hand picked from local farms from the Bay Area and greater peninsula of Northern California, the mecca of slow food and organic agriculture.  

AW: You have poop specialties like “Cow Chocolate Pudding” and “Horse Spring Rolls”… What’s in a name?

GS: Every poop is different and they all have their own personality. Like a fine dining locavore restaurant, we are making sure that the descriptions match the quality of our product and the care that goes into...well...the "making", and...uh..."handling"...of it. 

AW: What’s your top seller?

GS: Cow or Pig I guess. 

AW: How do you package the poop?

GS: A special gift deserves a special packaging. Every poop will arrive at its destination in a beautiful gift box including a leak-proof container that keeps the aroma always fresh and smelly. You can also add a personalized card. 

AW: Is it legal to send poop in the mail?

GS: Yes. Otherwise we would not be doing it. Even though there are certain restrictions, that’s why our clients must accept our terms of use and privacy policy. You can learn about that at our legal page.  

AW: Do you find that many of your clients want to remain anonymous?

GS: Very few of them. The majority like to have their orders signed.

The entire city of San Francisco is about to get wasted on Sunday. Here are some important items you should consider before that seven miles of drunken stumbling: 

If there's one thing SFers love, it's a scary interactive maps that reminds us about the potential dangers of living in (and affording) our beloved city. Based on theft data from the SF District Attorney's office, the IDG News Service put together this handy dandy interactive map of where all the cell phone and tablet thefts have taken place in the city over the past year. And just in case you are confronted with imminent theft, here are some tips on how not to fuck up your mugging. (InfoWorld)

But while you still have your phone, you may want to consider downloading this free app. Buycott –  the work of one Los Angeles-based 26-year-old freelance programmer, Ivan Pardo – allows you to scan the barcode on any product to trace its ownership all the way to its top corporate parent company, including conglomerates like Koch Industries. Even better, if you have certain causes near and dear to your heart you can program the app to tell you whether or not the parent company supports gay marriage or opposes GMO labeling. (Forbes) 

Photo by Gary Soup

The most bike friendly city in the nation ... is not San Francisco! Yes, the city that diligently celebrates Bike to Work Day, Bike-In Movies, and has thousands of commuters pedaling down Market St. everyday (thanks to our new bike barometer, we can actually quantify this) has been ousted from the top spot. So who's the new pedaling hot shot? Portland. (HuffPost SF) 

Photo by twelves

Now we all know that this Sunday is Bay to Breakers – the lovely exhibition of booze and costumes that is sure to have your mind in a daze. But in case you'd rather spend your Sunday waiting around for Game of Thrones, SFist presented 15 signs that you're too old (and/or jaded) for the city's biggest play day. But in case you're roaring to go, print out a game board of our Bay to Breakers Bingo for a fun new way to get blotto. (SFist)

Finally, in light of the amazing season finale of Kitchen Nightmare featuring those crazies in charge of Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro in Arizona, here's a nice infographic to decide whether or not you can trust those scheming Yelp Elite. Follow the paths of plausible scenarios to determine whether or not you should actually eat at a specific restaurant. (Wired) 

SWOON and The Bold Italic have found your SWOON local guys of the day. Meet our first guy, Dirk!

Name: Dirk Cason

Neighborhood: Richmond District

Gig: The Bold Italic Marketing/Sales Intern

What are you up to these days?

Outside of working at The Bold Italic, I spend my days cooking, working out, and searching for the best sandwich in the city. I love nothing more than to sit back on a nice Saturday afternoon and marinate/grill steak and veggies while drinking a beer and watching the Lakers play.

Where would you have your last meal on earth? 

I would love to have my last meal in Golden Gate Park. The natural beauty of the place has always astounded and amazed me. The meal itself would probably consist of a bevy of different dishes from restaurants including sandwiches from Parkside Market, crepes from Genki Crepes, and boba tea from Purple Cow. 

Who's your favorite quintessential local character?

Nate Thurmond. The guy was a hall of fame basketball player for the Warriors in the '60s and '70s and continues to be a big part of the front office. The fact that he still lives in San Francisco is also really cool, especially since he opened up Big Nate's BBQ after he retired in SOMA (now Cathead's BBQ). 

What's your favorite place to pick up women?

Usually I love to pick up women in liquor stores and mini marts at around midnight. But recently I've found that the Marina bars (Matrix, Eastside West, KT's) have a more diverse crowd. It's been a tad more expensive,  but totally worth it. 

Where's your go-to date place?

Hands down, Assab Eritrean on Geary. In a nutshell it's food you eat with your hands. The atmosphere is pretty low key and the food is incredible. The fact that it is finger food is a bit risky, but I've found that it lends itself to the date becoming more interesting and fun because women are caught a little off guard. 

What would you change about SF?

The traffic signs and lanes! Trying to explain driving in the city to someone who has never been here before can be a bit of a nightmare. 

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