Local Food Pick
Sotto Mare
552 Green St. (at Columbus Ave.)
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-3181
While North Beach is normally a no-go area for me, this is one of the (few) shining stars. It's an old-school Italian seafood store and restaurant filled with memorabilia and tchotckes. You'll see multiple people come, shake hands with the owners, and buy their shellfish to go. The clam chowder and cioppino are spectacular. 4-1/2 stars - 927 reviews
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; Firefly; Red Door Cafe; L'Ardoise Bistro; Pluto's; My Tofu House; Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; Walzwerk; Good Luck Dim Sum; Amber India.
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); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo/Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto).
Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville); Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley/Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/Roseville); Bakesale Betty (Oakland); Zachary's Pizza (Oakland/Berkeley/San Ramon).
Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg).
Local Bar Pick
Blackbird
2124 Market St. (at Church St.)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 503-0630
By far, Blackbird is my favorite overall watering hole in the Bay Area. It's family friendly, as my parents enjoyed it on their last SF trip. It's filled with urban professionals in their 20s and 30s, who seek a clean, convenient spot (right outside Church station) to meet with friends, first dates, and lovers. Happy hour, which runs weekdays from 5-8pm, is one of the best in town. I'll happily order a $4 whiskey sour and $3 Black Butte Porter... and be done for the night. The seasonal cocktails, written on parchment scrolls, are rotated quarterly; currently, I'm a fan of the Blackbird Toddy and Hop Scotch. The mood lighting, locally themed artwork, and mid-20th century aesthetic are perfect complements to the top-notch beverages. 4-1/2 stars - 347 reviews
Local History
Josiah Belden (1815-1892)
He overcame his orphan status and joined the first organized group to use the California Trail in 1841. After General Vallejo detained him at Mission San Jose, he became an Mexican citizen and later opened a store in San Jose. After San Jose became the first incorporated California city, Belden was elected its first mayor in 1850. One year, later, he served as a member of San Jose's Common Council.
Local Charity
FabMo Creativity Center
Started in 1997, this Mountain View-based nonprofit is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization that diverts fabrics to Bay Area artisans and teachers. FabMo also hosts an annual art boutique and a variety of workshops. www.fabmo.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, The Bike Kitchen, First Graduate, Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Amy C), and KQED (88.5 FM).
Bay Area Weekend Highs
A tornado touched down in Stockton earlier today. Thunderstorms are forecast for this evening in the Bay Area. Skies should start to clear by Saturday afternoon.~ THU-FRI ~
low-60s
~ SAT-SUN ~
Coast: upper-50s
SF: low-60s
Bay: mid-60s
South Bay: upper-60s
Inland East Bay: low-70s
North Bay: low-70s
Free San Francisco Activities of the Week
1. Cherry Blossom Festival
* Saturday-Sunday 10am-5pm, near Post and Buchanan
It's always one of the best street festivals in San Francisco. Indoors, you can learn about ikebana (scrolls), tea ceremony, bonsai, washi ningyo (paper dolls), origami, shishu (embroidery), calligraphy, swords, and mataro dolls. Outside along the streets are numerous vendors, taiko demonstration, fashion show, karate groups, judo, and free sake tastings.
2. Sunday Streets
* Sunday 11am-4pm, in Golden Gate Park and along Ocean Beach
The most scenic route of the Sunday Streets calendar. Free bike rentals and maintenance, open-air yoga classes, local neighborhood groups, and kids' activities.3. DogFest 2012
* Saturday 11am-4pm, in Duboce Park
How can you turn down a fundraiser for a local elementary school? Celebrity judges for a dog show include writer Dave Eggers, singer Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's), and writer Daniel Handler (pseudonym Lemony Snicket). There will also be a carnival, dog parade, and comedy dog show.
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