These coffee orders prove SF likes its drama and fun
From rose petals to cartoon characters drawn in foam, coffee in San Francisco is a creative free-for-all.
Nothing says “good morning” in San Francisco like sipping something that sounds suspiciously like a dessert experiment. If you’ve ever tried elderflower syrup in your espresso and thought, “Is this me now?” welcome to the club. Let’s take a sip through some of the most unexpected and weirdly wonderful coffee creations San Francisco has to offer.
These are our weird and wonderful coffee picks to wake you up on this Monday
Pizza with a view: Che Fico at Thrive City
Che Fico Pizzeria has arrived at Thrive City. While the pizzas—like the Pineapple and Chili with its sweet heat—are undoubtedly the draw, there’s something more here: a blending of Che Fico’s elevated ethos with the energy of Thrive City’s sports-and-entertainment culture. It’s pizza with a point of view, and also a great view to eat a pizza at.
Read the latest by Virginia Miller
Who shot these 1960s San Francisco photos? AI could provide clues
What do you do when the past decides to find you? That’s the question commercial photographer Bill Delzell posed to me when he called last week. He explained that a series of fortuitous events led him to a mysterious bag full of unprocessed film rolls taken in San Francisco during the 1960s, at some of the most culturally significant events that occurred during that time. Now he’s on a mission to find out the photographer and could use our help — this one’s a crowdfunding project that ends in two days.
Read the latest by Courtney Muro
What we’re doing this week
Pickwick Vintage Show
The Pickwick Vintage Show returns to San Francisco on Sunday, January 19, 2025, offering a curated selection of vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories from over 40 local vendors. This event is a notable destination for collectors and the design community, presenting items that span various eras. The show will be held on the mezzanine level of the historic Ferry Building, a landmark known for its culinary offerings and bay views. Admission is free, but attendees are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance due to limited space.
When: Sunday, January 19, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: San Francisco Ferry Building, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111
Richmond District’s 1st-ever Lunar New Year Good Luck Parade
The Richmond District will host its inaugural Lunar New Year Good Luck Parade on Saturday, January 18, 2025, from 3:30 PM to 8:00 PM along Balboa Street, between 35th and 39th Avenues. This event invites schools, businesses, community organizations, and local groups to participate in a celebration of creativity and community spirit, marking the Year of the Snake.
The parade will feature themed zones—Family Nest, Health Harbor, Love Square, and Wealth Gateway—each block adorned with special decorations. Prizes will be awarded based on audience applause in categories such as Best Thematic Float or Group, Most Entertaining Performance, and Best Community Spirit.
When: Saturday, January 18, 2025, 3:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Balboa Street (between 35th and 39th Avenues), San Francisco
Happy Endings Show 6th Anniversary
If you’ve never been to a Happy Endings show: it’s like therapy, but funnier and with cocktails. For six glorious years, this reading series has turned writers, poets, and comedians loose onstage to share tales that somehow manage to wring humor out of life’s messiest moments.
Held at the Make-Out Room, expect stories that make you laugh-snort one minute and choke up the next, all while you clutch your drink like a lifeline. And with a lineup of crowd favorites and newcomers ready to spill their guts (figuratively, we hope), you’ll leave wondering why all your personal disasters aren’t this entertaining.
WHEN: January 14th, 2025, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m
WHERE: Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., San Francisco
More details on their Instagram post
Drag-cula — Fangs, fabulousness, and living greyscale realness
Picture this: the performers are decked out in "living greyscale," covering themselves in gray makeup to look like they’ve stepped straight out of a 1930s horror film—if that horror film also had goth rock, bondage jokes, and an audience hollering for more.
Hosted at SF Oasis, the story follows a hapless British lawyer who accidentally releases Count Dracula, a polyamorous, pansexual vampire who leaves a trail of seduction and scandal across 1930s London. With a playlist of 1980s goth rock bangers, the plot spirals into delightful chaos as a shibari-loving Van Helsing tries to stop Dracula’s sexy reign of terror.
WHEN: January 16 – February 1, 2025; Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:00 PM
WHERE: OASIS, 298 11th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Also coming up: FOG Design+Art Fair
The FOG Design+Art Fair is scheduled to take place in San Francisco from January 23 to 26, 2025, at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. This event will feature nearly 60 prominent exhibitors, including 13 galleries participating in the second edition of FOG FOCUS, which highlights emerging artists. Additionally, the fair will introduce FOG MRKT, a curated installation showcasing artisanal products and crafts with an emphasis on the Bay Area. A Preview Gala benefiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is set for January 22, providing early access to the fair's offerings.
The gala is on the same night as the SF Ballet’s! But The Bold Italic will likely make it to both. Read our review from last year.
When: January 23–26, 2025
Where: Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco
The SF Ballet Gala — A wild evening of elegance
Fancy people, fancier outfits, and a performance so stunning you’ll swear off Netflix (for one night, at least). The San Francisco Ballet Gala kicks off the year with champagne, pirouettes, and a dinner at City Hall that makes you feel far classier than you are. Whether you’re there for the art or just to drink bubbly under the marble rotunda, this night is peak San Francisco sophistication — before it devolves into slightly tipsy networking at the afterparty. Read our 2024 review, and here’s our 2023 review, too.
When: January 22, 2025
Where: San Francisco City Hall and War Memorial Opera House
It’s $$, but the after party is mildly affordable at $175 — and that ticket can be bought as a standalone.
What’s on our mind
We keep content mostly fun and light at The Bold Italic, but the future of the Bay Area interests us, too. Here’s what we are thinking about in local news. Brought to you by GrowSF.
Walgreens announces closure of 12 San Francisco stores
Another blow to the city’s retail landscape: Walgreens has announced plans to shutter 12 San Francisco locations by February, citing regulatory pressures and rising operational costs. The closures follow the recent Safeway announcement and add to a bleak pattern of retail losses in the city.
Walgreens stores to close are the following:
Taraval & 22nd Ave
Noriega & 25th Ave
Geary & 17th Ave
Divisadero & Lombard
Divisadero & O’Farrell
825 Market (across from Powell BART plaza)
Powell & O’Farrell (The one on the cable car line)
Polk & California
Post & Franklin
24th & Potrero
1630 Ocean Ave (Near City College)
3rd St & Williams Ave
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