Local Food Pick
Shoki Ramen House
1201 R St. (at 12th St.)
Sacramento, CA
(916) 441-0011
or
2675 24th St. (at Sloat Way)
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 454-2411
On the return trip from Tahoe, I sought some comfort food. Found it! The second ramen house is open on Sundays near the edge of Sacramento's historic district. I ordered a regular size of medium-spicy tan tan men (excellent taste and a great value at $7.95). The soy milk ramen intrigued, and upon sipping the broth, you can clearly taste the homemade tofu from a nearby shop. We stopped in around 4:30pm and nabbed the final larger table. Be prepared for a wait (it seems)! 4 stars - 272 reviews (Shoki II); 4 stars - 540 reviews (Shoki)
Previous San Francisco 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; Sotto Mare.
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
The Trappist
460 8th St. (at Broadway)
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 238-8900
I've stopped into here a couple of times now, as it's a great option near the 12th Street BART station. You'll find two separate bars with different menus (one holding 10 rotating taps, the other 15). Beer is expertly poured by Cicerone-certified servers into the proper glass. There's over 100 specialty bottles and a limited food menu too. 4-1/2 stars - 724 reviews
Previous San Francisco pick: Blackbird
Local History
Theodore Judah (1826-1863)
Born in Connecticut and a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mr. Judah was hired as the chief engineer for the Sacramento Valley Railroad, which became the first railroad built west of the Mississippi River. His nickname became "Crazy Judah" for his desire to build a railroad through the Sierra Nevada. He signed up investors and successfully lobbied Congress for financing the transcontinental railroad. The "Big Four" investors marginalized him at this point, and he died of yellow fever while traveling through the Panama Canal to seek financing in New York to buy out the Big Four. Judah Street, which runs through the Sunset District between UCSF and the Pacific Ocean, and the N-Judah light rail line are named after him.
Bay Area 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
Last Thursday's thunderstorm was remarkable. Lightning strikes on the Bay Bridge, Transamerica Building, and Golden Gate Bridge are captured in photographic detail. Spring appears to be here, at last!~ THURSDAY ~
Coast: mid-60s
SF: upper-60s
Bay: low-70s
South Bay: mid-70s
Inland East Bay: upper-70s
North Bay: low-80s
~ FRIDAY-SUNDAY ~
Coast: mid-60s
SF: low-70s
Bay: low-80s
South Bay: mid-80s
North Bay: upper-80s
Inland East Bay: upper-80s
Free Bay Area Activities of the Week
1. Earth Day - Thursday-Sunday
The official day is Sunday, but Bay Area communities will be offering events, park and beach clean-ups, and discussions throughout the weekend. San Jose holds an event on Thursday, Oakland and Berkeley host community activities on Saturday, while San Francisco's main gathering is on Sunday. Check out www.earthday.org for more details.
2. Cal Day - Saturday
A lecture by Robert Reich (former Secretary of Labor under President Clinton), an open practice of the Cal Football team, and a concert by Dr. Dog at 4pm are the highlights. Over 300 activities are listed. http://calday.berkeley.edu
3. Bay Area Dance Week - April 20-29
Take free ballet or clogging classes at ODC Dance Commons, check out performances of fire dance or Scottish country, or consider pole-dance lessons. Over 600 options. www.bayareandw.org
Bay Area Freebie of the Week
As part of Earth Day festivities on Sunday, Origins is once again offering free full-size moisturizer when you trade in an existing skin-care product of any brand (full or empty). Bay Area stores include San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Concord, Fairfield, Pleasanton, and Corte Madera. Simply print out the form at www.origins.com/cms/special_offers/in_store_trade_in_20120422.tmpl.
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