Sure, your Mission and Castro brunch standards serve up heavy, greasy carbs prefaced by a long wait for a table. But Bar Bambino, that accessible Italian joint over on 16th Street, now hosts a weekly Saturday brunch.

The draw? Affordable wine cocktails, new and old Italian pop tunes, affordable yet gastronomically-sound booze soakers (e.g., such paninis as a BLT Italian-style paninis with pancetta, arugula, heirloom tomato, and lemon aioli; "Quattro formaggi with zucchini e basilico," a grilled cheese boasting four cheeses, grilled sweet summer zucchini, and basil; and Eggplant Parm that's more Hoboken than Palermo, boasting fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and fresh buffalo mozzarella), wine and cheeses from the Piemonte and Lombardia regions of Italy, attractive/young folks with a well-dressed queer here and there, and more. Much more.

We'll be there. So should you. Details are as follows:

What: Italian Pop Saturdays every Saturday at Bar Bambino from 11a.m. - 4p.m.
Where: Bar Bambino - 2931 16th Street (between Mission and South Van Ness), 415-701-8466
Date: every Saturday afternoon
Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.