Randy's Guide CCCXIV (314)

If you're lost and alone

Or you're sinking like a stone

Carry on.

May your past be the sound

Of your feet upon the ground

Carry on.

- Fun.

Reader Jordan's Pick

Codame Art & Tech Event
South of Market area
San Francisco, CA 94103

It's a four-story, free-for-all, technologically driven showcase of art, music, and live performance. RSVP to find out the location, and admission and drink costs are donation-based. Mr. Gray is one of the co-founders of Codame.

Bay Area Food Pick

Fat Angel

1740 O'Farrell St. (at Fillmore St.)

San Francisco, CA 94115

(415) 525-3013

Yelp

Amid the Fillmore revival sits this unassuming gastropub within eyeshot of Fillmore Karaoke and Popeye's. Great mac 'n' cheese, several slider options, and tasty flatbreads can be paired with multiple superior wine or beer options on tap. It's my pick before a show at the Fillmore or Yoshi's. 4-1/2 stars - 366 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; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop.

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); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo).

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); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Val's Burgers (Hayward); Homeroom (Oakland); Jong Ga House (Oakland).

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); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville).

Previous Other picks: Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Built to Grill (Portland).

Bay Area Bar Pick

Lucky 13

2140 Market St. (at Church St.)

San Francisco, CA 94114

(415) 487-1313

Yelp

Proximate to Blackbird is a dive bar with plenty of indoor seating and a decent-sized patio. Tap beer - which run the gamut from PBR to Pliny the Elder - range from $2 up to $5 for happy hour. Free popcorn is available anytime in the back area, as well as a pool table and photo booth. And, every Saturday from 4-7pm, there's free BBQ on the patio. 4 stars - 576 reviews

Previous San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific Brewing; The Hidden Vine; Vesuvio; The Pig & Whistle; Biergarten; Martuni's; Tosca Cafe; Toronado; The Alembic; Trad'r Sam; Sugar Lounge; Speakeasy Ales & Lagers.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); The Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park).

Previous East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland); Room 389 (Oakland).

Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg).

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland).

Bay Area History

Nancy Pelosi

(1940- )

Ms. Pelosi was born and raised in Baltimore by an Italian-American family, whose father served as a Congressman and Mayor. After marrying in 1963, the couple moved to San Francisco in 1969, where her brother-in-law served as a Board of Supervisor. She became San Francisco's primary representative in Congress starting with a special election in 1987, and has since ascended to the posts of Minority Whip, Minority Leader, Majority Leader, and - most recently - Speaker of the House. Each time, she broke the gender barrier for that position. When not in Washington D.C., she lives in San Francisco's Pacific Heights area. Nancy Pelosi Drive, a stretch of Golden Gate Park near the tennis courts and CAlifornia Academy of Sciences, is named after her.

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; Angelo Rossi; Charles Brenham; Warren Hellman; John McLaren; Dogpatch; Thomas Larkin.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden; Hiram Morgan Hill; Simon Mezes; James Forbes; Henry Coe, Jr.

Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot; Thomas Caldecott; Laurentine Hamilton; Joel Clayton; Edson Adams.

Previous North Bay history: Cotati; Charles Fairfax; Luther Burbank; William Richardson; Oscar and James Shafter; George Guerne; Frank Doyle; Samuel Taylor.

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

Bay Area Charity

The Coming Home Project

Based in San Francisco since 2006, this organization provides emotional and psychological support to Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, service members, and their families. Estimates are that one out of six troops returning from the wars will have psychological trauma.

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), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center; and now Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief.

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Last week's heat may be all for the rest of the year. About an inch of rain has fallen in the Bay Area over the past several days. Sun should shine for Halloween festivities this weekend.

~ Thursday-Friday ~

Coast: low-60s

SF: mid-60s

Bay: upper-60s

Inland East Bay: upper-60s

North Bay: low-70s

South Bay: low-70s

~ Saturday-Sunday ~

Coast: mid-60s

SF: low-70s

Bay: mid-70s

Inland East Bay: upper-70s

South Bay: upper-70s

North Bay: low-80s

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Go Giants! 

- Giants-Tigers World Series: Thursday, Saturday-Monday, Wednesday @ 5:07pm

Watch at your home. Watch at a bar. Spend several hundred and see it at AT&T Park. Support your local Giants, who have made the final two out of 30 teams for the second time in three years. Some great places to catch the game include The Independent, The Mix, Civic Center Plaza, Kezar Pub, Greens, and Public House.

2. It's Halloween. And Dia de Los Muertos.

- Dia de Los Muertos (SJ): Saturday, 11am-5pm

- Dia de Los Muertos (Oakland): Sunday, 10am-5pm

- Randall Museum Halloween Fest: Saturday, 10am-2pm

- Rock 'n' Roll Costume Bash: Saturday, 8pm

- Halloween Hoopla: Sunday, noon-1:30pm

Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos at the San Jose Museum of Art on Saturday with storytelling and live mariachi music, or along E. 12th Street in Oakland's Fruitvale district with Aztec dancers and commemorative altars. The Randall Museum, always free, offers pumpkin carving and Halloween games. The Great American Music Hall hosts several bands for a Halloween bash - costumes mandatory - lasting until 1am. Then Yerba Buena Gardens hosts its annual Halloween parade and program on Sunday afternoon.

3. Science Week.

- Bay Area Science Festival: Saturday-Nov. 3

It's a week-long series of science-related activities, ranging in venue from the farmers' markets and art galleries to nightclubs and AT&T Park.

Previous songs: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss); Three Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot); Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band); The Story (Brandi Carlile); Lucky One (Pure Bathing Culture); Easy Way Out (Gotye); Hell or High Water (William Elliott Whitmore); Hymn #101 (Joe Pug); Midnight City (M83); So American (Portugal. The Man).

Randy's Guide CCCXIII (313)

He may not be born of this land

But he was born of this world

He was born of all the mothers

And the colors of our brothers

And the love that was started.

- Portugal. The Man

Bay Area Food Pick

Sushi Sam's Edomata

218 E. 3rd Ave. (at S. B St.)

San Mateo, CA 94401

(650) 344-0888

Yelp

Sure, it's somewhat Americanized. But in all the times I've visited here (less frequent now that I don't work in San Mateo), I have yet to be disappointed. The sashimi - from toro to unagi - is quite fresh, and entrees like tonkatsu are plentiful with their portions and taste. Lines are likely during weekend dinner time. 4 stars - 1079 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; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop.

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); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame).

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); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Val's Burgers (Hayward); Homeroom (Oakland); Jong Ga House (Oakland).

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); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville).

Previous Other picks: Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Built to Grill (Portland).

Bay Area Bar Pick

Room 389

389 Grand Ave. (at Staten Ave.)

Oakland, CA 94610

Yelp

Whenever a bar safeguards a lost backpack for you, that's a definite plus to me. The busy trivia night starts at this Adams Point bar at 7:30pm weekly, and the questions are more than reasonable. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams, and happy hour proceeds until 8pm nightly. Arrive early, feel free to bring in substantial take-out food (since the menu is very limited to pop-up sliders), and hunker down for a couple hours. 4 stars - 166 reviews

Previous San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific Brewing; The Hidden Vine; Vesuvio; The Pig & Whistle; Biergarten; Martuni's; Tosca Cafe; Toronado; The Alembic; Trad'r Sam; Sugar Lounge; Speakeasy Ales & Lagers.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); The Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park).

Previous East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland).

Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg).

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland).

Bay Area History

Edson F. Adams

(1824-1888)

Mr. Adams sailed to San Francisco during the Gold Rush, bought and sold a mining claim, then took a horse and cart around the Bay to settle near what is now Jack London Square. He would be one of the founders of the city of Oakland, and lived with his family while working in real estate and civic matters. His wife, in fact, served as Oakland's first teacher. Adams Street, as well as its north Lake Merritt neighborhood Adams Point, are named after him.

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; Angelo Rossi; Charles Brenham; Warren Hellman; John McLaren; Dogpatch; Thomas Larkin.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden; Hiram Morgan Hill; Simon Mezes; James Forbes; Henry Coe, Jr.

Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot; Thomas Caldecott; Laurentine Hamilton; Joel Clayton.

Previous North Bay history: Cotati; Charles Fairfax; Luther Burbank; William Richardson; Oscar and James Shafter; George Guerne; Frank Doyle; Samuel Taylor.

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

Bay Area Charity

The Coming Home Project

Based in San Francisco since 2006, this organization provides emotional and psychological support to Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, service members, and their families. Estimates are that one out of six troops returning from the wars will have psychological trauma.

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), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center; and now Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief.

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Enjoy the heat, because a cool weekend and Monday rain are in the forecast.

~ Thursday ~

Coast: mid-80s

SF: upper-80s

Bay: upper-80s

North Bay: low-90s

Inland East Bay: low-90s

South Bay: low-90s

~ Friday-Sunday ~

Coast: low-60s

SF: upper-60s

Bay: upper-60s

South Bay: low-70s

Inland East Bay: low-70s

North Bay: mid-70s

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Dew Tour

Thursday 2-7pm; Friday, 2-9pm; Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday, noon-5pm

Another high-profile televised event hits the City. Catch top BMX and skate athletes such as Ryan Sheckler, Ryan Nyquist, and Kyle Loza. Events include BMX Dirt and Skateboard Streetstyle. A free concert will be held on Friday evening with headliners Portugal. The Man. Most events, including the concert, will be held in Civic Center Plaza, but Sunday will also have action on Harrison Street, near Beale.

2. San Francisco Trolley Dances

Saturday, 11am-2:45pm

Epiphany Productions has made it an annual tradition to use MUNI lines as a way to bring modern dance to the masses. This year, the tour starts at the San Francisco Chronicle building (925 Mission St.) with three locations along 5th St., then proceeds to Bayview Plaza for three more performance sites. A bike map is provided online for those wishing to eschew MUNI.

3. Bike Adventures

- Big Year Bike Ride: Saturday, 9:30am-noon

- Midnight Mystery Ride: Saturday, 11:59pm

- Sunday Streets: Sunday, 11am-4pm

The Wild Equity Institute is conducting a bike ride through Golden Gate National Park to talk about endangered species. RSVP online, and meet at Bazaar Cafe (California St. at 21st Ave.). Later that night, the monthly Midnight Mystery Ride sets up an urban ride through San Francisco where the location is determined the day of the ride. And finally, on Sunday, San Francisco's Sunday Streets are coming to a close for the year in the Outer Mission/Excelsior area. Mission Street, between Silver and Seneca, will become a car-free space. The Excelsior Art & Music Festival coincides with this event, too.

Previous songs: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss); Three Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot); Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band); The Story (Brandi Carlile); Lucky One (Pure Bathing Culture); Easy Way Out (Gotye); Hell or High Water (William Elliott Whitmore); Hymn #101 (Joe Pug); Midnight City (M83).

Randy's Guide CCCXII (312)

Waiting for a roar

Looking at the mutating skyline

The city is my church

It wraps me in the sparkling twilight.

- M83

Bay Area Food Pick

HRD Coffee Shop

521 3rd St. (at South Park Ave.)

San Francisco, CA 94107

(415) 543-2355

Yelp

As featured on the Food Network, this cash-only coffee shop has been nurtured by the Yeung family for about five decades. The spicy pork kimchee burrito is a standout. Other popular items, such as the Mongolian beef cheesesteak and the loco moco, are listed on the chalkboard by the front door. Lines are particularly common on game days and sunny weekdays. I can't wait to return. 4-1/2 stars - 775 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; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai; Helmand Palace.

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); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame).

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); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Val's Burgers (Hayward); Homeroom (Oakland); Jong Ga House (Oakland).

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); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville).

Previous Other picks: Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Built to Grill (Portland).

Bay Area Bar Pick

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

1195 Evans Ave. (at Jennings St.)

San Francisco, CA 94124

(415) 642-3371

Yelp

Most likely, you've seen the Speakeasy logo on a liquor store or bar window. Big Daddy IPA and Prohibition Ale are its two most commonly found beers. On Friday and Saturdays from 4-9pm, the brewery in the Bayview throws open its doors for free tours, $3 beers, and live music. Street parking is relatively available nearby - pay attention to the signs though. 4-1/2 stars - 196 reviews

Previous San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific Brewing; The Hidden Vine; Vesuvio; The Pig & Whistle; Biergarten; Martuni's; Tosca Cafe; Toronado; The Alembic; Trad'r Sam; Sugar Lounge.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); The Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park).

Previous East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland).

Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg).

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland).

Bay Area History

Samuel P. Taylor

(1827-1886)

Mr. Taylor came out west, successfully prospected for gold, and used the proceeds to buy land in Marin County. He built the first paper mill in California - the Pioneer Paper Mill - and produced (in part) recycled paper products. He built the first fish ladder on the West Coast to help fish swim near his paper mill, and would later serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. After his death, the land fell out of the Taylor family for about 50 years. At that point, the state took over the land and named it the Samuel P. Taylor State 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; Angelo Rossi; Charles Brenham; Warren Hellman; John McLaren; Dogpatch; Thomas Larkin.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden; Hiram Morgan Hill; Simon Mezes; James Forbes; Henry Coe, Jr.

Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot; Thomas Caldecott; Laurentine Hamilton; Joel Clayton.

Previous North Bay history: Cotati; Charles Fairfax; Luther Burbank; William Richardson; Oscar and James Shafter; George Guerne; Frank Doyle.

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

Bay Area Charity

The Coming Home Project

Based in San Francisco since 2006, this organization provides emotional and psychological support to Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, service members, and their families. Estimates are that one out of six troops returning from the wars will have psychological trauma.

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), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center; and now Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief.

Bay Area Weekend Highs

A smattering of showers has passed through the Bay Area this week. Skies should clear somewhat over the next few days. Go Giants! Go Oakland!

~ Thursday-Friday ~

Coast: low-60s

SF: mid-60s

Bay: mid-60s

North Bay: upper-60s

South Bay: upper-60s

Inland East Bay: upper-60s

~ Saturday-Sunday ~

Coast: mid-60s

SF: low-70s

Bay: low-70s

South Bay: mid-70s

Inland East Bay: mid-70s

North Bay: upper-70s

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. 42nd annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival

Saturday-Sunday, 9am-5pm

Thousands will descend upon Half Moon Bay's downtown area to check out heavyweight champion pumpkins, three entertainment stages, a parade (featuring Grand Marshal Steve Young), pumpkin treats, and pie-eating contest. Arrive early, and expect traffic along Highways 92 and 1.

2. East Bay Open Streets

- Sunday Streets Berkeley: Sunday, 11am-4pm

- East Bay Bike Party: Friday, 7:30pm

Berkeley hosts its first Sunday Streets event, modeled after ones held in San Francisco, Portland, and elsewhere. Free yoga and zumba classes, live salsa music, dodgeball demo, free bike repair, and more. Earlier, on Friday evening, the East Bay hosts a Bike Party that starts at a BART stop with theme in mind.

3. SF Chamber Orchestra

Friday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 3pm

The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra hosts a two-hour program featuring Mozart, Ravel, Francaix, and Couperin. Shows are always free, but supporting members receive priority entrance and priority seating.

Previous songs: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss); Three Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot); Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band); The Story (Brandi Carlile); Lucky One (Pure Bathing Culture); Easy Way Out (Gotye); Hell or High Water (William Elliott Whitmore); Hymn #101 (Joe Pug).

Randy's Guide CCCXI (311)

And I've come to meet the sheriff and his posse

To offer him the broadside of my jaw

I've come here to get broke

Then maybe bum a smoke

We'll go drinking two towns over after all.

- Joe Pug

Bay Area Food Pick

Helmand Palace

2424 Van Ness Ave. (at Green St.)

San Francisco, CA 94109

(415) 345-0072

Yelp

Yelp lists more than three dozen Afghan options in the Bay Area. It's a great counter-option to the more commonly found Indian or Thai curries. Lamb remains a popular - and tasty - favorite here, as well as the baby pumpkin dish (kaddo). Dinner is available nightly, and prices range around $10-15 per entree. This restaurant was previously located in the North Beach area, and while this Russian Hill spot is just as awkwardly placed, I'm happy it's still around. 4 stars - 460 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; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai.

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); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame).

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); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Val's Burgers (Hayward); Homeroom (Oakland); Jong Ga House (Oakland).

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); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville).

Previous Other picks: Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Built to Grill (Portland).

Bay Area Bar Pick

Sugar Lounge

377 Hayes St. (at Gough St.)

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 255-7144

Yelp

The main draws at this clean Hayes Valley bar are its free nightly appetizers (which range from kimbap sushi to marinated chicken) and nightly $5 mixed drink specials. Several bar stools and couches are available, but by 6pm, the place is fairly packed. 3-1/2 stars - 440 reviews

Previous San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific Brewing; The Hidden Vine; Vesuvio; The Pig & Whistle; Biergarten; Martuni's; Tosca Cafe; Toronado; The Alembic; Trad'r Sam.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); The Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park).

Previous East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland).

Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg).

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland).

Bay Area History

Thomas O. Larkin

(1802-1858)

One of the original signatories of the first California Constitution, Mr. Larkin also served as the United States' first and only consul to the California Republic. Once the Bear Flag Revolt ended, he sold his share of the future town of Benicia to settle in San Francisco. He built the first brick building in San Francisco and eventually amassed several land grants in the area. The Larkin House is a National and California Historic Landmark. Larkin Street, which runs north-south from Civic Center to Fisherman's Wharf, is named after him.

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; Angelo Rossi; Charles Brenham; Warren Hellman; John McLaren; Dogpatch.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden; Hiram Morgan Hill; Simon Mezes; James Forbes; Henry Coe, Jr.

Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot; Thomas Caldecott; Laurentine Hamilton; Joel Clayton.

Previous North Bay history: Cotati; Charles Fairfax; Luther Burbank; William Richardson; Oscar and James Shafter; George Guerne; Frank Doyle.

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

Bay Area Charity

The Coming Home Project

Based in San Francisco since 2006, this organization provides emotional and psychological support to Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, service members, and their families. Estimates are that one out of six troops returning from the wars will have psychological trauma.

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), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center; and now Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief.

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Even San Francisco hit the 90s on Monday and Tuesday. No more though. Let's hope the coastal fog doesn't detract too much from all of the weekend activities.

~ Thursday-Saturday ~

Coast: upper-50s

SF: low-60s

Bay: upper-60s

South Bay: low-70s

North Bay: low-70s

Inland East Bay: mid-70s

~ Sunday ~

Coast: low-60s

SF: upper-60s

Bay: mid-70s

North Bay: upper-70s

South Bay: upper-70s

Inland East Bay: upper-70s

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Friday, noon-7pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-7pm

About 750,000 concertgoers are expected for this annual tradition, its first without sponsor Warren Hellman. Six stages in Golden Gate Park will showcase over 80 bands, which range from Joe Pug (above) and Jenny Lewis to The Head & the Heart and Emmylou Harris.

2. Fleet Week 2012

Friday, 8am-8pm; Saturday, 8am-10pm; Sunday, 8am-5pm; Monday, 9am-4pm

Approximately one million turn out to view at least a portion of Fleet Week. People love seeing (or hearing) the Blue Angels during afternoons from Friday through Sunday, and fireworks will be displayed off of Pier 3. The best viewing stations are near Fisherman's Wharf and Crissy Field.

3. America's Cup World Series

Thursday-Sunday, 10am-7pm

About 200,000 should turn out to watch the 45-foot catamarans race in the Bay. In the Marina Green village, you'll find stage presentations and race commentary.

Other great options: 

Oakland Art Murmur (Friday); San Francisco Bike Party (Friday); World Vegetarian Day Festival (Saturday-Sunday); Giants + A's playoff games (Saturday-Sunday); SF Italian Heritage Parade (Sunday); Castro Street Fair (Sunday).

Previous songs: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss); Three Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot); Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band); The Story (Brandi Carlile); Lucky One (Pure Bathing Culture); Easy Way Out (Gotye); Hell or High Water (William Elliott Whitmore).