The Cinch is one of my favorite bars in the city. Technically not in the Tenderloin but close enough that I decided to write about it anyway. It’s a gay bar, but not Castro gay (ie no go go boys in their underwear, or any pounding techno Rihanna dance remixes). Their pool tables are only 1 dollar, and free on Wednesdays after 8. If that weren’t enough they have a giant paper mâché tree (leftover from Halloween) AND a Johnny Mnemonic pinball machine complete with Keanu Reeves on it, and really, what more could you ask for?
They serve their drinks strong and cheap, and the bartenders are the nicest around.

This bar is the shit.
Polk between Sacramento & Washington.
Go.

I’ve been so busy trying to hunt a wild turkey (they think like I think) here in Spain that I completely forget to introduce the newest author to TenderBlog: Kevin. He also goes by the handle, hiimkevin. Sounds tough, like in some movie they’d ask the password to get in to a secret mobster hideout and it’d be, hiim-kevin and then they’d get in and be all crazy and stuff with booze and money and girls and Lenny Kravitz and… oh wait, it’s ‘Hi, I’m Kevin’. Okay. That’s cool too.

Through our email correspondence, Kevin let me in on the fact that he’s actually an Andorran Freedom Fighter hiding out in the Loin after being deemed ‘persona non grata’ in Gabon for his controversial work with the failed insurgency. He barely escaped the country with his life. Now he lives in the shadows, only coming out for the Farmer’s Market at Civic Center and periods of civil disobedience. I hope I have all this right. I email a lot of people and get bored really often. Anyways, welcome Kevin and tear this blog a new one!

Again, the invitation is there for those wishing to write. Also for those who wished to write, were invited, and have since left my cheese out in the wind… Send an email to thetenderblog@gmail.com if you want in on this badass road show.

It’s almost Thanksgiving! In preparation I went to the farmer’s market at Civic Center.

While the idea of a farmer’s market in the Tenderloin (or its surrounding areas) may seem odd/gross to some, I find it cheap/delicious. I left with about ten pounds of food and spent a little less than 10 bucks.

If that’s not convincing enough at least go for the free samples, persimmons are in season, and they’re delicious.

Is it getting colder and colder every day?

So long indian summer, it was fun while it lasted.

Saw this out the window of the AMC theater on Van Ness today.

Don’t worry, the Goodwill on Geary and Hyde has you covered. I’ve found some pretty amazing furniture/clothes/random stuff at this place.

As restaurant critics go, I don’t mind The Chron’s Michael Bauer. More often than not, while there is no way I can afford most of the places he rates, the ones that I can, I do agree with him on. I don’t know how anyone else feels, but his “turd index” is quite low in my book. Mick LaSalle is another case altogether though…

This article about where to eat by yourself got me thinking though in that the Loin is really quite good if you want to eat by yourself. I assume it has something to do with the fact that there have been a lot of diners in the Loin historically as well as the fact that a great many of us are loners (scurvy, you know I’m looking in your direction.)

So, when reading the article, I immediately thought of such places as Brenda’s and Canteen where there is a counter and you can eat at all by your lonesome with little fear of shame. Chutney & Naan n’Curry, while not having counters, are so fast in serving you that you needn’t worry about trying to look busy. Pearl’s is pretty good in this regard as well. For Mexican, I like Tesoro and have eaten there solo many a time while sitting there alone at one of those high tables in the front (I doubt I do much for their business when I do.). I have yet to check out Show Dogs, but I would hope it’s good for solo eating as well given that they’re hot dogs. As for a wine bar, back when Hidden Vine used to be good, I would sometimes hit up their small bar which was quite nice for having a glass after a long day of people hating you (worked in IT for two years.)

This list is puny, incomplete, and based in a large part on the year I spent single in the Loin, often eating alone no matter how many offers for “dates” I received. If anyone has more to add, I’d love to hear it as while I’m still out of the country, I am looking forward to hitting up as many of these places as I can, hopefully with tenderblogette, although things are getting busy where she is at the moment.

Greetings from an exceptionally dreary London where not even Guy Fawkes fireworks last night were able to pierce through the pizzle. I lost a bet and am here simply to remind myself of how awesome California is as well as to remember what it’s like when actors actually work (ie “act”) instead of just having a good rack that they flounce around on screen (I’m looking at you Diora Baird, seriously, I am.) Cheese is good though.

Anyways, in case you haven’t seen, Almighty Chron has an article about art installations around the hood. Naturally, you have to always toss in the “…and you might have to walk past panhandlers and drug deals to see it.” reference because it’s just not the Loin if you don’t. Otherwise worth a read and if I were there, worth a checking out.

Okay, off to find a nice curry to warm me up.