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Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner.  The changing of the seasons is the perfect time to be thinking about a juice cleanse; it’s spring cleaning for your body!  Whether you want to shed a few of those extra winter pounds or detoxify from your overindulgent spring break, the city’s juice shops have you covered. There is no shortage of really great spots in San Francisco, and in some areas, like the Financial District there is literally one on every block. All of the following stores offer multiple options: cleanse packages of individual juices that can serve as a meal replacement or a healthy snack. The Juice Shop (Marina/Cow Hollow, Financial District) The Juice Shop offers cold-pressed raw juices extracted using a hydraulic press. This allows their juice to keep longer and maintain more natural vitamins and enzymes from the organic fruits and vegetables, which they use to make each bottle.  They make their juice daily with locally sourced produce bottled in glass containers.  There is a $2 deposit credit if you return the bottle. (Pictured above) Native Juice Company (Financial District) Native Juice Company is a juice and smoothie bar with product made to order and customizable.  They use locally sourced ingredients from California organic farms.  For their smoothies, they use coconut milk and coconut water as their base. They have a little sense of humor as well, with funny names like Rebecca Romaine and Popeye on Vacation.  Juices are served in biodegradable plastic cups. Pressed (Noe Valley, Embarcadero, Downtown) This L.A. based juice chain also uses a hydraulic cold press process to make their juices. They are not pressed to order but are bottled within the previous 24-hours to preserve the nutrients and enzymes at the cellular level. They have a very large selection of unpasteurized and raw juices. You can buy individual drinks or purchase a juice cleanse, all served in BPA free plastic bottles. Thrive  (Embarcadero) Thrive has bottled cold pressed organic juice with interesting combinations of fresh herbs, nuts, fruits and vegetables.  They also have coconut, nut and date drinks which are a bit different from the rest of the offerings in the city.  They focus on cleanses but do sell individual juices. More juice shops: ·      Greens & Company (Cow Hollow) ·      Happy Moose Juice (Mission) ·      Living Greens (Bernal Heights) ·      Project Juice (Financial District, Mission) ·      Sidewalk Juice (Mission) ·      The Plant (Embarcadero, Marina/Cow Hollow, Financial District) Cleanse, healthy snack or just curious there are plenty of juice options in San Francisco.  Swimsuit season is just around the corner, so get out there and juice! Also, to find additional spots to juice it up in San Francisco, check out this post from Gayot. Photos by Anne Sage and Sheree, respectively.

This week: giant fish fly over Berkeley, Rufus Wainwright plays at Stern Grove, Rob Delaney proves that he’s just as funny off the web, travel agents plan outer-space vacations, and Eat Drink SF showcases chef favorites. As always, check Groupon for even more things to do in San Francisco. Berkeley Kite Festival Berkeley | Saturday, July 26–Sunday, July 27 Every year, the Berkeley Kite Festival turns the world upside-down, transforming the sky into an ocean where gigantic sea creatures ride the air currents. The family-oriented fest also has free kite-making and kite-flying lessons, so anyone can add to the spectacle. (César Chávez Park at the Berkeley Marina, 11 Spinnaker Way; free) Rufus Wainwright at the Stern Grove Festival Merced Manor | Sunday, July 27 Rufus Wainwright only needs a piano to perform his trademark marriage of pop and classical music—and that’s all he’ll have at this intimate outdoor concert. Arrive at 2 p.m. to hear Quartet San Francisco open with their genre-jumping instrumental songs. (19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard; free) Rob Delaney Russian Hill | Wednesday, July 30 Rob Delaney wears many hats, all of them hilarious: he’s a legendary Twitter presence, a memoir author (Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.), and a standup comedian. Catch him in that third role at Cobb’s Comedy Club on Wednesday, as long as you’re OK with foul language and a two-drink minimum. (915 Columbus Ave.; $20–$25; buy tickets here) Intergalactic Travel Bureau SoMa | Wednesday, July 30–Friday, August 1 Even if you have the budget for space tourism, it can be tough to decide on a single destination. That’s where the Intergalactic Travel Bureau comes in. Its agents—a team of actors versed in astronomical research—will tell you where to go and what to do there, whether it’s skiing on Pluto or hiking the red canyons on Mars. Stop by [freespace] between noon and 8 p.m. for your consultation. (1011 Market St.; free) Eat Drink SF Marina | Friday, August 1–Sunday, August 3 One of many food festivals scheduled for this summer, Eat Drink SF certainly sets the bar high. The first day kicks off the celebration with My Big Obsession: Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop. Eatin’, a gathering of dishes beloved by the city’s best chefs. Expect bites from restaurants such as Casey Thompson’s Aveline, Flour + Water, Delfina, and Spruce. (Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd.; prices vary depending on the event; save on regular or VIP admission with a Groupon, or buy regular tickets here) Image credits: Berkeley Kite Festival photo by _e.t, Rufus Wainwright photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Intergalactic Travel Bureau photo by Olivia Koski, Eat Drink SF photo by Gamma Nine.

San Francisco’s lively culinary scene includes a delectable sweet side as well. The city is enjoying a wave of exciting and original pastry shops opened by inventive, talented bakers and pastry chefs. There’s no need to settle for a regular old cookie or a second-rate muffin when you have your choice of bakeries offering cakes, tarts, and other pastries you haven’t even imagined, perfectly turned out and dangerously delicious. Below, some of the best and most creative bakeries in the city. b. patisserie Belinda Leong, veteran pastry chef, left the fine dining scene to open her own bakery, to the great fortune of San Franciscans and pastry lovers everywhere. The star of her patisserie is the kouign amann, an amped up buttery-sugary relative of croissant that Leong has helped rescue from obscurity. Other favorite specialties include her passionfruit bostock, and her macarons. The curving marble counter in the very French, light-filled shop lets you view all the temptations on display before you make your selections. Don’t miss the macaron tree wall art near the back of the shop. 2821 California St San Francisco, CA 94115 Tartine The grand doyenne of bakeries in San Francisco, Tartine is the name that springs to most natives’ lips when asked, “Where’s a good place to get something sweet?” Tartine is as easily distinguished by the dreamy scent of warm pastries wafting out the door as by the long line of customers snaking out the same door. Their indecently flaky croissants and morning buns (like a croissant crossed with a cinnamon roll) make for a blissful breakfast, while their banana cream tart and bread pudding make spectacular endings to any meal. The few tables in the tiny bakery get filled quickly, but it’s a quick one block to Dolores Park where one can enjoy fresh air and some of the city’s most luscious pastries. 600 Guerrero St San Francisco, CA 94110 Knead Patisserie Shauna des Voignes is another pastry chef who made the leap from the restaurant world to opening her own bakery. Knead Patisserie is a tucked-away counter in the back of Local: Mission Eatery, a casual restaurant run by her chef husband Jake (yes, Shauna does desserts for the restaurant as well). Although Knead Patisserie’s counter may be tricky to spot, its offerings more than make up for it. The butter pecan croissants and malted chocolate éclairs are, but the cult favorite is the pomme d’amore, which is essentially crème brulee in a puff pastry cup. The combination of rich, eggy custard and crisp sugary pastry is divinely addictive. 3111 24th Street San Francisco, CA 94110 Arizmendi Bakery It doesn’t matter what the pizza of the day is at Arizmendi: it’s always delicious and it always draws a line of hungry customers. With fresh, seasonal toppings, thin crust made of crisp sourdough drizzled with garlic oil and mozzarella, Arizmendi’s pizza is ideal for a picnic in nearby Golden Gate Park. Besides the pizza, Arizmendi is also known for its great selection of breads, from simple baguettes to foccacia to scones. Arizmendi is a worker-owned cooperative bakery and they also have branches in the Mission District and across the bay in Oakland. 1268 Valencia St San Francisco, CA 94110 Honorable Mention: Neighbor Bakehouse Some of San Francisco’s best croissants don’t have their own home, but they’re absolutely worth seeking out. Greg Mindel, founder of Neighbor Bakehouse, crafts amazing croissants that are a marvel of lightness and flakiness(the pistachio-blackberry is a must). Besides the croissants, he offers savory tarts, filled brioches, and a rotating roster of other delectable goodies. His creations are carried at many of the city’s coffeehouses, including Sightglass, Four Barrel, Elite Audio, and Café Sophie, for convenient fulfillment of coffee and pastry cravings at the same time. Check the neighbor bakehouse website for the most current listing of where Greg’s pastries are to be found and for his occasional pop-ups.