If you find yourself craving a meatball fix from the new Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack on Mission Street in the next few weeks, take a moment to notice the retro-cool artwork hanging on the wall in the rear dining room. The pieces are enlarged prints created from scans of vintage San Francisco restaurant matchbooks, and they are ridiculously charming.
They were made by Bernal neighbor Alex von Wolff of Baja Cortlandia, and he tells Bernalwood:
Over a drink one night, Heather from Emmy’s told my friend [Neighbor] Ben that they where looking for some artists to start staging shows at the new location. Ben thought of me, and pushed me to contact them, which I did. Emmy got back to me, and my pieces will be hanging there until the middle of May.
Public reaction has been superb. One excited patron bought the Jimmie’s piece right off the wall, explaining that she used to work at that location as a fry cook in the 80’s when it was called Bouncers.
Want one for your own spaghetti shack? Neighbor Alex can set you up.
PHOTO: Interior of Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack by Neighbor Ben Buja
Bernalwood 
When will the outside of Emmy’s look as nice as the inside? The exterior still looks like an urban uglification project.
The opposite wall has art by Jennie Lennick, another inspiring local talent. Her series of pencil drawings of Australian candy wrappers hits my nostalgia heartstrings like few other images do. You can find her at jennielennick.com.
For sale? I don’t see them on the etsy links. Love the Zimm’s
I saw these at Alex’s open gallery a number of months back. They’re pretty great.
My internet presence could be better but as luck would have it I am participating in the Mission Open Studios tour this weekend. Come over to the studio at 32 Shotwell Street on Saturday or Sunday from 11-6pm and see much more work. Everything, including Zim’s, is for sale.
If you live across town, you can also purchase Alex’s art at 3 Fish Studios in the Outer Sunset (4541 Irving.) One of his Zombie Village prints hangs in my tiki-themed living room. 🙂