Dogpatch Days of Summer

There's so much exciting change afoot in Dogpatch lately, with even more to come. There's a fantastic new wine shop called Dig, which is just next to the new Piccino location [well, there's actually a new MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing) shop separating the two....details, details].


I do love our local wines, but sometimes I crave a French or Italian style with a lower alcohol content so I can sip the evening (or afternoon) away without getting blotto. Dig has a fantastic collection of exclusively French and Italian vino, and Wayne, the owner offers expert guidance to whatever suits your taste and pocketbook.


The Piccino move brought with it a bigger, brighter, more expansive coffee shop space where you can enjoy some superb Sight Glass java...


and one (or more...who's counting?!) delectable baked treats.


Just down the street and around the corner, you can find where San Francisco is now the proud recipient of it's new French butcher shop. So if you have a hankering for one of your favorite French cuts, go see Olivier.

The man is serious about his profession.


And the cuts are gorgeous.


There was a little micro-hood event put on recently by the Bold Italic and we got a little slider taste of Olivier goods off the BBQ. The housemade, baguette-nestled merguez sausage I devoured was spicy divine.


Carl Sutton of Sutton Cellars is dedicated to filling and corking all of his wines by hand and hosts the occasional barrel tapping where you can walk away with one of these fabulously stylish jugs -- filled, of course.


The night of the event, we got to sample just about everything in the current portfolio for a very modest tasting fee of five bucks. Nice.


I've already raved about Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous in a prior post, so I'll spare you the repeat. I stand by my claim that this is some of the best ice cream in the city and decidedly the best housemade cones. And it's definitely the sunniest spot you'll wait on line.


Now, the gals at Poco Dolce are among my chocolate heroines. Just when I've gotten addicted to their latest chocolate 'tile', they throw yet another flavor combo ditty into the mix. Sesame toffee you say? Uh, yeah!! I mean, 'yes please'.


It may not look like it with them working away, filling orders at their desks, but their store front on 3rd Street, really is a retail shop, too. Don't just peer in the windows, pop on in and start your own addiction.


Acupuncture Kitchen is not only a the most stylish environs to get your needles on, but the owner also makes some killer chocolates, specially formulated for her patients [it's pretty hard to argue with a LAc who prescribes chocolate]. And for the recent micro-hood event, the 'kitchen' mixed up some mighty tasty herbal elixers for folks to sip while enjoying a webisode on coffee, a cowgirl foot massage by the fabulous Nell Waters -- resident massage therapist-- and/or the newly offered, old-school barber shop services by master barber Ruben Padilla for the gents.

These are just some of the latest & greatest destinations in Dogpatch with more coming soon -- like a branch of Magnolia Brewery and the new savory cafe project [in the former Piccino space] by Jacky & Michael Recchiuti whose chocolate workshop was one of the original artisan production houses to move into the area nearly 15 years ago. So what I'm sayin' is, if you live in SF, I suggest you come enjoy it all while the crowds are small. Cuz soon, the 'hood is gonna be the dubbed the next 'gourmet ghetto' and you know what that means.