Sure, our seasons buck convention. The past four months would have made for a spectacular summer, and if we had a dollar for every time a newly minted S.F. resident recited that “coldest winter” line, we could buy a fleet of Google buses and send them back home.
Still, there’s something special about spring. The weather might not noticeably improve (it might actually get appreciably worse), but there’s all that extra daylight — best used this weekend on bike shopping, kayak hopping and the grilling of steaks. Below, a weekend plan for some marrow-sucking in the opening days of this this very young season.
RIDE IT
The Faraday Porteur is the best-looking electric bike around — but we’ve always had to admire them from a distance, because the limited-edition, handmade bikes were only available via preorder. No longer: now you can walk into a store (or the online equivalent) and buy one without the wait. To celebrate, the brand is hosting a party on Saturday: pick up your new bike at 9:30 at New Wheel in Bernal Heights and then join like-minded souls for a ride through the Mission.
GRILL IT
You can’t beat Ben Robert’s level of attention to his products: He promises that he “visits each animal” before it shows up in his new Redwood City craft butchery, Gambrel & Co. Robert was the chef de cuisine at the Mission’s Bar Bambino (R.I.P.) before studying artisanal techniques in Italy and Spain. Education is part of his deal, so come with questions — like how to maximize grill space.
FLOAT IT
The Oru Bay+ was made for San Francisco: we have the waterways, but not the storage space — which is why a kayak that folds down to the size of a “large artist’s portfolio” is a worthy thing. At $1,500, the 12-foot boat folds down in five minutes to 28 pounds — meaning you can check it on an airplane without extra fees or keep it in the car for, say, a last-minute paddle into McCovey Cove for Monday night’s home opener against the Rockies. Just commit this map of launches to memory.
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