Who doesn’t have Giants fever right now? Even the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, which is currently hosting Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, is getting in on the action.

On their homepage they have a “fear the beards” animation that gives Giants relief pitcher Brian Wilson an Impressionist treatment alongside another great bearded master – Vincent Van Gogh.

I actually think Wilson would be better paired with one of the other masters like Monet or Cezanne who both sported their own heavy, dark and unruly beards, ala Wilson. After all, it was the style of the day for artists.

As long as Wilson keeps pitching masterpieces, I don’t think anyone cares what his beard looks like. GO GIANTS!

Sarah B.

Love the light in these pictures of Ocean Beach taken by Jenny Reiswig.

Today’s Chronicle has a writeup in their “Bargain Bite” column about China First at 336 Clement.

Affordable seafood can be hard to find in San Francisco, so when I read that “fresh seafood is the go-to and most entrees top out at $7″ at China First, my stomach began growling.

I love love love dungeness crab which the reviewer saw plucked from a tank, and then returned “steaming and in pieces, showered with garlic, ginger, scallions and loads of salt.”

A whole crab with ginger and green onion goes for $20, which is the most expensive entree on the menu (and could easily feed two according to the article).

China First boasts a large menu whose first page is filled with everyday, all-day specials for $3.85, including black bean sauce spareribs, salted pepper squid and garlic with bok choy.

Read the full review at sfgate.com

China First is located at 336 Clement and is open daily from 11am until 11pm. Reservations are accepted (387-8370).

Have you eaten at China First? Leave your review in the comments.

Sarah B.

The Lands End Lookout will be located on this patch of land adjacent to the parking lot and Point Lobos Avenue.

As you may have read previously on the blog, a new visitor center is in the works for Lands End. It will be located next to the Merrie Way parking lot above Sutro Baths.

Next Saturday, November 6, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy will host a site tour of the project beginning at 10am. Project Manager Anne Baskerville will share the current site plan, renderings, and construction schedule for the project.

The new 2,500 square foot center will be called the Lands End Lookout, and will include 500 square feet of food service. A separate, 1,000 square foot building will house restrooms. The center and restrooms will be built on a triangular patch of land on the south end of the Lands End parking lot along Point Lobos Avenue.

To join the tour, meet in the Merrie Way parking lot at 10am, just up the hill from Louis’ restaurant. Write trailsforever@parksconservancy.org or call 561-3054 to RSVP.

This tour will kick-off a monthly series of walks and talks focused on Lands End. On Saturday, December 4, Alex Hooker, San Francisco Stewardship Program manager, will describe restoration techniques with native plants. And in January 2011, Peter Winch from the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will talk about the marine mammals off the coast of Lands End. To be added to the mailing list, email trailsforever@parksconservancy.org.

Sarah B.

Photo by bentappe.

Thanks to SFCitizen for the video heads up; there’s more video and pics on his site.

GO GIANTS!

Photos by mikeynoogiee.

I would be remiss as a neighborhood blogger, before our beloved Giants take the field today, to not interview our own “Baseball Mary” who is by far the biggest Giants fan in our neighborhood, and possibly the city.

Mary came to San Francisco back in 1979 from Portland, Maine as a Red Sox fan (she still is). She saw her first very first MLB game at Candlestick Park in 1980, and she was hooked. She’s been a season ticket holder for years and is on a first name basis with most of the Giants roster. She even has her own baseball cards.

While Mary is a Giants fan, she’s really a super baseball fan, rooting for both the Red Sox and the orange and black; suffice to say this decade has been good to her. She just turned 50 (and has a snazzy #50 Giants jersey to commemorate it) and she’s visited every ballpark in the country.

When Mary’s not cheering on the Giants, you’ll find her waiting tables at the Clement St. Bar & Grill where she’s worked for 15 years.

In the video, Mary tells us why she loves AT&T Park but misses Candlestick, what she does before games, how she’s handling ticket seekers, and she’s got some advice for fans on how to survive the series. Let’s hope Mary and all of us go ALL – THE – WAY this season.

Go Giants!!

Sarah B.

If you’ve been to Golden Gate Park’s music concourse in the last 24 hours, you probably wondered why there are barricades all around it. One friend said she got barricaded in Monday night while working out in the Concourse and had to climb back out!

So what IS going on? An anonymous tipster just informed me that there’s a massive World Series party going on at the California Academy of Sciences tonight.

Before you get excited, it’s not for the every-fan. It’s for VIPs, politicians etc. We’re told that even Academy employees can’t get into the shindig. Ooh la la. The Academy is also bathed in orange lights.

The party runs from 6pm until 11pm tonight and the Music Concourse will also be hosting some entertainment. No word on whether or not any Giants players will make an appearance.

According to the SFMTA website, even the 44 O-Shaughnessy will have to go around the party.

UPDATE (3:47pm): The Richmond District Police Station just sent out an advisory about fireworks at the event:

Major League Baseball and the San Francisco Giants will be hosting a brief fireworks display in Golden Gate Park tonight. The fireworks presentation will take place sometime between 10:15 pm and 10:25 pm. The display is in connection with a private welcome event hosted by the San Francisco Giants and Major League Baseball for out of town visitors and other guests. Access to the music concourse and other areas of Golden Gate Park will be limited for the evening for safety reasons.

Party hardy Boys of Summer but be sure to get good sleep tonight. We want a “W” in Game 1!!

Sarah B.