Pies, Competitive and Pythagorean

The Verdi Club. [Photo: Anomalous_A/Flickr]

THE MISSION—Got a killer pie recipe you're willing to put to the test? The San Francisco Community School, a progressive K-8 public school in the Excelsior, is hosting a San Francisco Pie Competition and Social on April 14 at the Verdi Club, with a serious panel of judges: Elizabeth Prueitt of Tartine Bakery, Jake Godby of Humphry Slocombe, Michelle Polzine of Range, Mutsuki Takahara of Sandbox Bakery, and Jessica Battilana of Tasting Table. The winner will take home a $1600 set of Shun Fuji knives from Williams-Sonoma, and other prizes will include a gift certificate to the SF Cooking School and dinner at Delfina. Entry is $25, and tickets to sample the pies are $15 for adults and $5 for kids. [EaterWire]

LOWER HAIGHT—Also on the pie beat, barbeque purveyor Memphis Minnie's will be baking up several pies and pot pies for tomorrow's National Pi Day (that's 3/14 for you non-math nerds out there). Chili-cheese hand pies, chicken and brisket pot pie, and four sweet pies (chocolate-peanut butter-candied bacon, smoked pecan, sweet potato, and peach hand pies) will all be on hand. [EaterWire]

THE MISSION/BERKELEY—Though the white smoke has barely cleared from the Vatican chimney, enterprising restaurants have already begun offering specials to salute the new Pope Francis I (yes, really). Venga Empanadas is saluting the Argentine pope with a special "papa-l empanada" with potatoes, while Paragon at the Claremont Hotel will be offering glasses of St. Francis Chardonnay for $8 through the end of March. Guess they haven't been up on how the city's feeling about our Catholic leaders these days. [EaterWire]

FINANCIAL DISTRICT—Downtown office workers already rejoicing over the recent arrivals of Foundation Cafe and Shorty Goldstein's now have another tasty lunch option: Hapa Ramen will be delivering 50 special bento boxes to the Zog's Dogs stand at Market and Montgomery each weekday, with the menu rotating daily. Get there early, as we imagine these will go fast. [Inside Scoop]