Local Food Pick
Kokkari Estiatorio
200 Jackson St. (at Front St.)
San Francisco, CA 94111
After opening in 1998, Kokkari has stayed in the top 100 restaurants of the San Francisco Chronicle. Its sister restaurant, Palo Alto's Evvia, evokes much of the same charm and precision. You'll find a warm tavern atmosphere, excellent service, and the best avgolemono soup around. You'll feel like a Greek god (or goddess) after dining here. 4-1/2 stars - 1949 reviews
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; Sweet Maple; Shanghai Dumpling King; Super Duper.
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); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo).
Previous East Bay/Sacramento 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/
Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Super Duper (Mill Valley).
Local Bar Pick
The Hidden Vine
408 Merchant St. (at Battery St.)
San Francisco, CA 94111
After spending several good years in a hidden alley on the fringe of Union Square, this beloved wine bar has recaptured much of the same spirit in a more spacious and upper-crust atmosphere. There's a bocce court now, and you'll find several good wine flight or bottle options on the menu. Maybe stop into here prior to a supper at Kokkari Estiatorio? 4-1/2 stars - 478 reviews
Previous San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific Brewing.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay pick: Antonio's Nut House.
Previous East Bay pick: The Trappist; Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon.
Previous North Bay pick: Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Local History
Hiram Morgan Hill
(1848-1913)
The handsome gent from Missouri moved to San Francisco in 187- and worked as a bank clerk and fashion model. He married an heiress to a large rancho land grant in the South Bay, and built the Villa Mira Monte estate in 1884. The town of Morgan Hill incorporated in 1906 and would become a fertile area for agriculture and vineyards. Morgan Hill has a population today of approximately 38,000, and is home to the second-largest state park (Coe Park).
Previous San Francisco history: John Geary; Samuel Brannan; Michael O'Shaughnessy; Jasper O'Farrell; Frank McCoppin; Thomas Hayes; Francisco de Haro; Jose Bernal; David Broderick; Henry Haight; John Townsend; Cyril Magnin; Jose Arguello; Keiko Fukuda; John Le Conte; Eugene Schmitz; Theodore Judah; Herb Caen; James Phelan; Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden.
Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot.
Previous North Bay history: Cotati; Charles Fairfax; Luther Burbank; William Richardson.
Bay Area Charity
FabMo Creativity Center
2423 Old Middlefield Way
Mountain View, CA 94043
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.
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 bit breezy the next couple days, then a warm weekend is in store for us.
~ Thu-Sat ~
Coast: upper-50s
SF: mid-60s
Bay: low-70s
South Bay: mid-70s
North Bay: low-80s
Inland East Bay: low-80s
~ Sun ~
Coast: low-60s
SF: low-70s
Bay: low-80s
South Bay: upper-80s
North Bay: low-90s
Inland East Bay: low-90s
Bay Area Free Activities of the Week
1. Movies in the Park
Friday: "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," McCoppin Square (SF), 8pm; "Chicken Little," Redwood Heights Rec Center (Oakland), 8pm; "Rio," Fairfax Central Field, 8pm.
Saturday: "Superman" (1978), Presidio's Main Post Lawn (SF), 6pm; "Back to the Future," Old Hamilton Field Movie Theater (Novato), 8:30pm.
2. Haight Ashbury Fair
Sunday, 11am-5:30pm
Always a popular draw, the 35th annual Haight Ashbury Street Fair promises over 100 street vendors plus live music at Stanyan and Masonic. Bands include The Tubes, Chuck Prophet, Jenni Williams, and No Alternative. www.haightashburystreetfair.org
3. SF Civic Symphony
Sunday, 1pm
Check out the oldest community orchestra on the West Coast at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel's Empire Ballroom. Works will include Copland, Dvorak, and Tchaikovsky. Dress as nicely as you like, but arrive early to grab a seat. www.sfcivicsymphony.org
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