Randy's Guide CCLXIX (269)

Local History

Jose Cornelio Bernal (1796-1842): He served as a town councilman for San Jose during the 1820s, and was rewarded with a land parcel at Mission Dolores shortly thereafter. Eventually, family holdings would increase to 4,400 acres, including the present-day neighborhoods of Bernal Heights, Visitacion Valley, Excelsior, and Hunters Point. Bernal is buried in Mission Dolores cemetery; his holdings would be fully eliminated by descendants during the early 20th century. Bernal Heights Boulevard, which cuts around Bernal Hill, and the Bernal Heights neighborhood are named after him in San Francisco.

Local Food Pick

Firefly

4288 24th St. (at Douglass St.)

San Francisco, CA 94114

(415) 821-7652

For 18 years, this Noe Valley restaurant has served up eclectic cuisine in a quirky atmosphere perfectly reflecting its sleepy-street residence. Prices remain very reasonable, with a three-course prix fixe with no restrictions (aside from Sunday-Thursday only) for $36. Try to get the corner table with seat cushions; you'll feel like you're back home! 920 reviews - 4 stars

Previous SF picks: Radius; Limon Rotisserie; Art's Cafe; Little Star Pizza; Yamo; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Humphry Slocombe; Tu Lan; Foreign Cinema; Zanze's Cheesecake; San Tung; Katana-Ya; A La Turca; Boxing Room; Frances; Saigon Sandwich; Brenda's French Soul Food; Park Tavern; Broken Record; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Curry Up Now; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park).

Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville).

Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma)

Local Charity

Charity: First Graduate. This case-management-based educational program annually brings in 25-30 seventh graders from public middle schools for a 10-year program focused on mentorship, counseling, year-round instruction through 12th grade, and career exploration. To date, 100% of participants have graduated from high school, and the oldest students have this year become the first college graduates in their families. Recently, I donated leftover office supplies, and the two employees couldn't be happier. www.firstgraduate.org

Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Common Ground Relief, LYRIC, Aldea Inc., Glide Memorial, City CarShare, Maitri, Loaves and Fishes, Friends of the Urban Forest, Farm Sanctuary, Bay Area Community Services, Blue Energy, My New Red Shoes, College Track, Foundation for the People of Burma, Vital Life Services, Little Angel Fund, San Francisco Health Services Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable Conservation, Ashoka, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Urban Solutions, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Shanti, Curry Without Worry, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, La Cocina, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, and The Bike Kitchen.

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Cool nights, no rain in sight. Poor Tahoe.

Coast: mid-50s

SF: upper-50s

Peninsula: low-60s

Inland East Bay: low-60s

North Bay: low-60s

South Bay: low-60s

Free Bay Area Activities

SF Rec & Park Holiday Tree Lighting [Thu 5-7:30pm]: 82nd annual. Lighting at Golden Gate Park's McLaren Lodge, complete with Santa photos, train rides, and a cookie factory. www.sfrecpark.org

Fool's Gold concert [Thu 6-9pm]: Catch Fool's Good, with Dirty Ghosts and DJ Mike Shoun (Thee Oh Sees) opening. At Brick and Mortar Music Hall (SF). http://drambuie.eventbrite.com

SF Macy's Holiday Cooking Class w/ Cat Cora [Thu 6pm]: Slow roasted pork with sweet-hot mustard, sauteed greens with Meyer lemon and garlic, and garlic mashed potatoes. At Macy's Union Square Cellar. RSVP at 800-786-2665. www.macys.com

La Cocina's Gift Bazaar [Fri 5-9pm]: 3rd annual. 30+ local food vendors. At Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (SF). www.lacocinasf.org

Mexican Christmas Musical [Fri 7pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 2pm]: "La Posarela" performance, with a cast of 80 and a bilingual script with caroling. At Community Music Center (Fri - SF), Veterans Memorial Theater (Sat - Redwood City), and Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (Sun - SF). www.sfcmc.org

SantaCon 2011 [Sat noon-9pm]: Hundreds of Santas will be pub crawling around SF. In an attempt to break a Guinness World Record, a naked gathering is in the works for Washington Square Park at 4pm. http://santacon.info/San_Francisco-CA

SFMade Holiday Gift Fair [Sun 10am-5pm]: Locally made gift items from 50 vendors. At Fort Mason's Fleet Room. www.sfmade.org

Berkeley Almost Chanukah Fair [Sun 11a-2p]: Classic Jewish rock, folk dancing, storytelling, and more. At Congregation Netivot Shalom. www.netivotshalom.org

Bay Area Deal of the Week

Swensen's Ice Cream, open since 1948, is offering a free single cup or regular cone of any ice cream. Scoutmob them at 1999 Hyde St. (at Union St.) by Sunday 12/11. www.scoutmob.com/san-francisco/deal/1760