FIRST THERE WAS Red Stripe. Then there were the White Stripes. Were Pink Stripes (1003 Guerrero, S.F. 415-642-4668) business partners Desirée Aquino and Santa Ines thinking about what happens when you mix Jamaican beer with ambiguously related blues rockers from Detroit? Probably not, but we'd like to point out that the answer is ... well, never mind. Located on the outskirts of either the Mission District or Noe Valley, depending on whom you talk to, Pink Stripes opened in mid October with the aim of catering to those in search of food and fashion under one roof. Aquino and Ines aren't taking their color theme to the same level of fevered obsession as Jack and Meg White are. Their goal seems to be more along the lines of general cuteness – from the store's logo of a girl holding a cupcake to the "fashion-forward" clothing aimed at teenagers and young adults to the mini-desserts, described by Ines as "very girlie." Faced with cookies designed to look like handbags, BizTips is inclined to agree.

Also in the business of multitasking, first-time store owner Karen Man recently opened the doors of Kookaburra (2182 Sutter, S.F. 415-749-1533), part gallery, part gift shop and boutique. Photographs and paintings by local artists are on display for show and sale, as is jewelry by the owner, and the store is filled with home-decor items (vases, lamps, pillows, etc.) Man swears you won't find at Crate and Barrel.

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Postmortem We would like to mention with a nostalgic tinge of regret that 3001 Mission St., once the site of great neighborhood bar the Tip Top Inn, has turned into a check-cashing establishment. Now, the community needs its checks cashed; we're not saying it doesn't. It's just that we have fond memories of the Tip Top and had been holding out hope for some sort of resurrection. You just can't stuff yourself into the tiny back room of your average check-cashing place to hear favorite local rockers perform about three inches from your face. (Hemlock Tavern, you think you're cozy? You're like the Concord Pavilion in comparison.) And even when the live music died (or the booker left town, or the neighbors complained, or whatever it was), the Tip Top was a great place for a cheap shot of whiskey and a quiet game of pool.