Sprinkles describes its cupcakes as a "deliciously sophisticated update on an American classic," but that doesn't stop founder Candace Nelson from offering frosting shots at her mini-chain (mini 'cause there are just a handful so far in upscale enclaves like Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Scottsdale, and now Palo Alto - though cupcake boutiques are in the works in Tokyo, London, Vegas, NYC, etc.).

From where I was sitting, happily scarfing Ritual's and Kara's cakes in SF, there seemed to be little fanfare when the shop opened last fall at Stanford Shopping Center, but man, that hasn't stopped the hordes from lining up outside the pale frosted doors of the Palo Alto Sprinkles for a lil' cake on a recent hot summer day.

Nelson says her French culinary-trained great-grandmother who made deserts for her SF restaurant in the 1930s was her original inspiration for Sprinkles. If so, her great-grandmere must have been a whiz with pastry. A pal and I picked up the chocolate coconut and the seasonal lemon blueberry that steamy day and both were superb - light yet rich cake with sparkling flavors with a healthy topping of not-too-sweet yet satisfying frosting.

I particularly liked the array of flavor combos: chai latte, chocolate marshmallow, cinnamon sugar, ginger lemon, peanut butter chocolate, pumpkin, and, of course, red velvet, among them. Keep in mind that not all the flavors are available every day of the week - the Sprinkle site lays out the sked. Mixes for red velvet, chocolate peppermint, and the much-loved lemon cupcakes are on sale, as are yogurt-frosted doggie cakes (a poochy treat that looks more than a little tempting to this human). And don't be daunted by the line - it moves fast. All the better to get to the cake.

SPRINKLES CUPCAKES
Hours are Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
393 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto
(650) 323-9300

Today's Look: Flavia, Rambla del Raval, Barcelona

Ahem. So, we kind of just "came to" from Pride -- we seem to have lost our pink bunny slippers, and also pants and innocence, at Juanita More's Pride pool party -- and boy/girl was it all a blur. Fortunately, rad photog Neil Motteram was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed enough to snap some pics, which we're now posting days late. Because we're cool that way. -- Your editrix, Marke B.

PINK SATURDAY

DYKE MARCH

PRIDE SUNDAY

I'm addicted to Spain. I've been there three times and I still want to go back to explore every single corner of what I consider to be one of the most unique and exciting countries I've ever visited. Here are some reasons why Spain is so amazing and why we should all pack our bags to move to the land of sangria and tapas.

1. Pintxos The Northern Basque regions version of the tapa, these two bite snacks cover every surface of the bars at all hours of the day. For the true pintxo experience, you're supposed to have one or two (they cost about 1 Euro each) with a glass of vinegary sidra, then throw your napkin on the floor and head on to the next bar and repeat.

2. Bachelor Parties Instead of the usual bar hopping, men in Spain dress up in drag and then parade around town taking photos with people, while their friends blow away on whistles. Awesome!

3. The Markets The food markets, especially La Boqueria in Barcelona, are magnificent. Everything is fresh and delicious and reasonably priced.

4. Antonio Gaudi Probably the world's most quirky and imaginative architect, whose work like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, is worth going back to see time and time again.

5. Biking Naked While we have Critical Mass, the Spanish do a similar bike outing called "Desnudos frente el trafico" (naked in front of traffic) to promote bike safety and car speed limits in the city.

Today's Look: Montse, Riera Baixa, Barcelona

Modern graffiti practice -- born out of New York’s behemoth subway system nearly 40 years ago -- has diffused across the globe arguably faster and further than any other subculture of our time. Many thought the prohibitive end of New York subway graffiti in the mid-1980s might mark the death of the movement itself. But the phenomenon has instead grown vibrantly, evolving in imaginative and cunning ways while unexpectedly inspiring thousands of offspring movements worldwide. Regional mutations of graffiti now prosper in urban centers from São Paulo to Tokyo, as well as the sprawling suburbs spanning Paris and Phoenix, and even in small town America.

Photos by Michael Krimper

San Francisco was one of the earliest cities outside of the East Coast to contribute heavily to graffiti’s development. Young writers painted on freight trains in attempts to mimic their eastern counterparts’ love for subway cars, but they also brought the medium to life on the more stationary public spaces; walls, rooftops, billboards, and street furniture all gained color in rhythm. To this day the city is a hotbed for the creative evolution of style, approach, and placement. Graffiti tattoos the skin of our city, breathing vivaciously yet ephemerally in the rapid changing visual landscape.

During my morning routine in San Francisco’s SOMA district I come across hundreds of graffiti pieces. The moment I step outside my flat, vibrant names call forth on the neighboring walls, twisting and swinging frenetically in with an incandescence that is brighter than the fog-smothered sun rays. A school of simply stenciled koi fish meander curiously along the concrete sidewalk, snaking up the side of a storefront’s iron cage that is painted with a woman’s statuesque face locked in distant meditation. I jaunt over to the newspaper dispensers and reach for the daily only after appreciating any new stickers and wild, hand style lettering or drippy, dirty tags and rotating wheat paste prints, all competing equally for my attention. And I take a moment to imagine the people out there who took the time to get up, the thrills they must have felt, the inspiration that brought them out to the streets to write a shadowed name or post up a devilish cartoon character.

Is the newspaper vendor not the prime placement for graffiti -- both literally and metaphorically -- in this post-subway train era? Covering the pervasive street furniture are the etched names of hundreds of locals. Some invent complex calligraphy and craft intricate geometrical balance to stylize their nom de plumes. Some choose the course of improv for the signatures and let the muses of the moment guide their ink-saturated markers. And still others invest countless hours of preparation to the act of clandestinely posting up ready made stickers during the dead of the night or even the grind of the day.

Iranian-American actor Shohreh Aghdashloo first gained international success when she earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in The House of Sand and Fog (2003). Since then, she has continued to win critics over in a variety of eclectic roles. Now she stars as Zahra in The Stoning of Soraya M., based on the true story of an Iranian woman unjustly convicted of adultery and killed. Aghdashloo spoke with me about her background, the film's political implications, and its ultimate message.

San Francisco Bay Guardian: Were you familiar with the story of Soraya M. before you did the film?
Shohreh Aghdashloo: No, I’m afraid I wasn’t, although I had seen a real (stoning) on tape. But it was a different one. The one I saw on tape involved two young men who were being stoned for being homosexuals. I had no idea about this story until (the director and co-writer) Cyrus Nowrasteh approached me with the screenplay.

Today's Look: Pepi, Riera Baixa, Barcelona

By Kimberly Chun

How does a director like Kathryn Bigelow vault from 1991’s Point Break - still applauded for its camp values at Point Break Live!, SF’s theatrical tribute to bank-robbing surfers - to the closer-to-real-life heroics of the recently released The Hurt Locker? Highly entertaining and unafraid to reach for the throat-clenching terrors of a very specific war - and gaze empathetically on the very specific warriors who sign up to risk death and dismemberment as bomb squad technicians - The Hurt Locker is a departure of sorts for the director of Strange Days (1995), K-19: the Widowmaker (2002), and one of my favorite vampire flicks, Near Dark (1985). It’s a short leap from the imagined, long ago, and far away toward the knuckle-gnawing present day, though in the director’s effort to bring journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal’s story to life, she’s managed to keep the harrowing tension and gallows humor of her characters intact. I chatted with Bigelow briefly while she was in SF on press tour. (Spoiler alert: at least one plot twist dissected.)

SFBG: This is probably your most grittily realistic film, though it has ties to your other movies.

Kathryn Bigelow: For sure and perhaps the most topical. That’s really due to the fact that it’s based on the observations of a journalist who’s on an embed, named Mark Boal. When he came back he had these extraordinary stories and observations, and I wanted to protect the reportorial nature of his observations and basically transmit that to the viewer - so that we could have a boots-on-the-ground, you-are-there, day-in-the-life look at probably the world’s most dangerous job.

NEW OPENINGS

The Plant Cafe Organic's second location with Bay views
The Embarcadero goes organic with The Plant Café Organic's second (and much larger) locale on Pier 3. Stunning Bay views, Blue Bottle and smoothies in the morning (in the cafe side of the space), lunch and dinner (restaurant side) with Spicy Fava Bean & Cherry Tomato Bruschetta or Chicken (organic, of course), Caramelized Onion, Point Reyes Blue Cheese & Fennel Pizza. If breezes kick in, there's heat lamps outside, while inside the air is fresh with a wall plant installation. Watch the sky turn shades of pink and blue at sunset with a Honeycomb Colada (coconut milk, pineapple juice, rum, honeycomb and toasted coconut garnish) in hand.
Pier 3, The Embarcadero
(415) 984-1973
www.theplantcafe.com

Donato Enoteca debuts in Redwood City
Take a Michelin-starred chef from Italy, place him in the Peninsula and you have Donato Enoteca, Redwood City's newest destination restaurant. Chef Donato Scotti highlights his Northern Italian roots in a menu using farm-fresh produce and Italian ingredients, like imported burrata, prosciutto and olive oils (the latter available in sampler tastings). While choosing from more than 100 bottles of (mostly) Italian wines, dine on handmade pasta, hand-pulled braised wild boar, octopus carpaccio, or spicy sausage/broccoli rabe pizza from the wood-burning oven. The place soothes in white and brown tones, with wine cellar, and a wrap-around patio replete with couches and chairs - an ideal Summer evening setting from which to sip an apertif.
1041 Middlefield Road, Redwood City
(650) 701-1000
www.donatoenoteca.com

Bliss by way of chocolate walnut cookies.

Not many are aware of the existence of Blissful Bites, a quaint bakery café tucked away in the Inner Richmond. I have to admit, I’m almost reluctant to divulge its whereabouts – the last thing I want is competition for what I’ve come to regard as MY tasty treats.

But I know it’s wrong to keep such delightful confections to myself. Blissful Bites is located near Clement and Arguello, right next door to the corner minimarket. Owned by chef Seungho Yoo, the establishment is known for its wide array of freshly made pastries, ranging from succulent croissants to mouthwatering cheesecakes. Yoo himself can often be seen in the back of the shop, designing new recipes that he occasionally tests on his customers. I once had the privilege of trying a caramel cupcake, which nearly paralyzed me with its earth-shattering sweetness. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to Yoo’s standards, and I have yet to see it on the menu.

It couldn’t have been easy for artist and animator Michael Daley to choose a ring when he proposed to jewelry artist Meghan Patrice Riley. The woman is remarkably learned about the history of her craft. She talks vintage eras the way Guy Fieri talks grease.

Meghan Patrice Riley working under quite the curly inspiration board.

We chatted in her corner of a shared studio space on Wednesday morning. The visit flowed into over an hour and a half of conversation and dress-up, the space between us filled with household names like W and Women’s Wear Daily, industry leaders like Lynne Christiansen, and respected resources like Dianne’s Estate Jewelry.

Today's Look: Livia, c/ Ample, Barcelona

By Kimberly Chun

I got a new Good Shop on my mind - and fortunately it’s right around the corner from Chez Chun.

Ideal for those moments when a gal needs a little low-priced, high-thrift-style pick-me-up, the Good Shop got off the ground less than two months ago, with a bash showcasing Hawnay Troof, and I gotta say it’s a welcome addition to the hood. It’s a bit off the old beaten from the exploding 24th Street corridor (yes, all we need is that creme brulee-taco-latte-bacon dog stand to make the bonanza of trendy eats complete).

Today's Look: Juliette, Rambla del Raval, Barcelona