In the mission, a staple of Saturday and Sunday late morning hangover cures is St. Francis Fountain. With breakfast served all day, cheap prices and some signature plates to bring you back to life, the ambiance of the Fountain provides a cleverly kitsch blend of 50s décor and Mission-area rock and roll. Pair bottomless coffee with the Fountain’s rejuvenating and artery-clogging treasure, the Chef’s Mess, and the lingering headache from a long night at Pop’s or Dirty Thieves will be gone with the wind. This decadent and sloppy pile of fried eggs, potato, mushroom, bacon, and green onion, garnished with a dollop of sour cream just barely beats out the dive’s bacon, cheddar, and chive pancakes that come in at a sweet and savory second. Get your homemade milkshake to go, undo the top button of your 501s and hit the hip-kid and family littered sidewalks for the second chapter of your sunny Mission stint.

Traveling further into the heart of the Mission, stop to admire some of the brand new and bustling boutiques of the 24th street area. New to the hood, and quickly gathering a cult following is the mid-priced, eco friendly, and locally owned (can’t get much better than that!) Arkay Workshop. In a city that covets the socially and ecologically conscious consumer as well as word of mouth marketing, the Workshop has quickly made a name for itself as the place to find men and women’s sustainable street wear that will demonstrate both your worldly priorities and impeccable taste.

Walk away from the overwhelming sounds of traffic and ambulances at the Potrero Avenue border, and head towards the hustle and grind of the Mission center. Don’t hesitate to stumble into the coveted artist collective and vintage nook, Virgina Howell’s on 24th between York and Bryant. With her impeccable taste for retro wear and classic records, store owner and costume designing extraordinaire, Jennifer Welch, will outfit you in one-of-a-kind, decadent duds from golden years gone by.

Somehow, the Mission has an enchanting quality of being comfortable and homey even for those just visiting the neighborhood for a “get out of dodge” kind of day. From international specialties to soul food establishments, fresh and familiar faces of foodies and friends alike crowd into the highly celebrated restaurants that feed into and line both Valencia and Mission streets. It would be blasphemous to choose favorites, so first things first: when you are within the Mission borders, eat Mexican. Taqueria Cancun has the traditional line-up of crowd pleasers with killer carnitas, boat-sized burritos and decadent nachos. But the real kicker is Cancun’s selection of fiery, flavorful and powerful salsas. Try going at an off-hour, because at meal time there are extreme lines of hungry guests from all walks of life streaming out of the door to get their taste of Cancun’s traditional eats.

Other Mission foodie hangouts:
Cha Cha Cha
Monk’s Kettle
Weird Fish

Places for lunch and lounge:
Dolores Park Café
Tartine
Atlas Café
Coffee Bar

Hot Weekend Dive Bars and Dance Spots
Casanova Lounge
The Elbo Room
Zeitgeist
The Attic

Run to the one of the city’s sunniest neighborhoods for shopping, coffee cravings, gallery openings, independent films, bike babe gazing, Dolores Park lounging, local music rocking, and lots of late night dive drinking. It’s one of the hippest corners of our beloved city and it deserves to be explored!