Randy's Guide CCCXVIII (318)

All you think of lately is getting underneath me

All I'm dreaming lately is how to get you underneath me

Here comes the heat before we meet

A little bit closer

- Tegan and Sara

Bay Area Food Pick

Vik's Chaat

2390 4th St. (at Channing Way)

Berkeley, CA 94710

(510) 644-4432

Yelp

For over 20 years, Indian street food - from dosa and samosa to puri and mango lassi - has been righteously served out of a warehouse. The operation moved to a larger space in 2009, but that hasn't diminished the Bay Area's love. Now it's open daily and accepts credit cards. 4 stars - 1244 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; Fat Angel; Aperto; Pho Huynh Hiep 2.

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); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley).

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 Nightlife Pick

Beer Revolution

464 3rd St. (at Broadway)

Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 452-2337

Yelp

Forty-seven non-corporate beers are on tap at a meticulous 36-degree Fahrenheit. Patrons often bring Souley Vegan barbeque from next door - reminds me a bit of Toronado's sausage policy. There's an element of punk rock and a patio in front - Zeitgeist, perhaps? It's nicely situated near Jack London Square and 12th Street - Oakland BART. 4-1/2 stars - 404 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; Lucky 13; Hotel Biron; Bottom of the Hill; Blackthorn.

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

Jose Sarria

(1923 - present)

Born in San Francisco, Mr. Sarria served in the US Army during WWII as a cook and was eventually discharged as a Staff Sergeant. He returned to serve as a cabaret performer at the Black Cat, which was popular with the Beat generation and gays during the 1950s. He was the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the U.S., narrowly losing a seat on the Board of Supervisors in 1961. Eventually, he helped form the Tavern Guild and Imperial Court System, and served as Grand Marshal in an SF Pride parade. A stretch of 16th Street in the Castro 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; Thomas Larkin; Nancy Pelosi; Levi Strauss; John Sloat.

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; Harrison Standley.

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 Quote

"When we start sanctioning these rights, I wonder what's next. Piercing or tattoos or yellow hair?"  -Christina Olague, District 5 Supervisor

"I don't agree that having yellow hair is the same as exposing your penis at a busy street corner for hours and hours."  -Scott Weiner, District 8 Supervisor

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Periods of rain should persist through Sunday afternoon. A slight break should occur on Saturday evening.

Low 60s everywhere

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. World AIDS Day

Saturday, 10am-11:30pm

The 19th annual observance at noon in Golden Gate Park's AIDS Memorial Grove includes a musical performance, presentation of awards, reading of names, and a light lunch. The Castro will commemorate the day with red lights and balloons, business donations of sales, a candlelight vigil at 8pm, and a film screening of How to Survive a Plague at Castro Theater. Proceeds will benefit area AIDS organizations.

2. Bazaar Bizarre

Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm

Over 200 indie artists will offer their wares or host workshops at the Concourse Exhibition Center. Free tote bag will be given to the first 200 entrants each day.

3. Jack London Square Holiday Event

Friday, 5-9pm

I really hope the skies clear enough for celebrants. Miss California 2012, the 2012 USA Olympic rowing team, Amber Lily, Emme, Jeremy Thurber, the Jamaica Youth Heights Marching Band, the Oakland Ballet, the tap dancing Christmas trees, and - of course - Santa will be on hand. Bring your canned food and unwrapped toys for the holiday drives too! The Holiday Pop Up event will donate proceeds to Wardrobe for Opportunity.

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); Carry On (Fun.); Remembrance (Balmorhea); Miss Atomic Bomb (The Killers); Take a Walk (Passion Pit).

Randy's Guide CCCXVII (317)

Got off the boat, they stayed a while

Then scattered across the coast

Once a year I'll see them for a week or so at most

I took a walk.

- Passion Pit

Bay Area Food Pick

Pho Huynh Hiep 2

1833 Irving St. (at 19th Ave.)

San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 664-0469

Yelp

With spartan decor, this Vietnamese dive has quietly amassed a following. I started coming here over a decade ago, curing the ills associated with living in the Sunset District. Top-notch BBQ pork rice places, various pho options, and the plump spring rolls - how can you go wrong?? 4 stars - 704 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; Fat Angel; Aperto.

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); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley).

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 Nightlife Pick

Blackthorn

834 Irving St. (at 10th Ave.)

San Francisco, CA 94122

Yelp

A few steps from my favorite pho shop is an Irish pub. Gotta love San Francisco! A decent-sized back patio is sheltered from wind, and if you get hungry, you're encouraged to bring your own food. Trivia night is Mondays, and karaoke night is Tuesdays. If you're a sports fan, check out one of the 13 televisions. 4 stars - 89 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; Lucky 13; Hotel Biron; Bottom of the Hill.

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

Harrison Standley

(1814-1886)

Mr. Standley grew up in Tennessee and Missouri, but eventually moved to California in 1850. After brief stints in Sacramento and Petaluma, he moved his family to Ukiah in 1858. He built Ukiah's first hotel and served as its first postmaster. Standley Ave. is an east-west road that runs through Ukiah today.

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; Nancy Pelosi; Levi Strauss; John Sloat.

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 Quote

"Americans can vote with their feet.... If a person wants to live in a San Francisco lifestyle, they can go there. If they want to live a Kansas lifestyle, they can come here."

 - Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Rain should swoop in later today and persist through Saturday night. Conditions look relatively dry the next few days thereafter.

Coast: upper-50s

SF: low-60s

Bay: mid-60s

Inland East Bay: mid-60s

North Bay: mid-60s

South Bay: mid-60s

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Holidays unfold.

- Embarcadero Center: Friday, 4-7pm

- Macy's Union Square: Friday, 5-6pm

- Hyatt Regency: Friday, 7-8pm

- Pier 39: Sunday, noon-6:30pm

- Westin St. Francis: Wednesday, 9am

Ready or not, it's that time of year again. Things kick off Friday with three separate events: fireworks and Disney on Ice at the Embarcadero Center lighting; former Mayor Willie Brown and the Macy's holiday adoption windows; and indoor snowfall with the Gay Men's Chorus and Smuin Ballet at the Hyatt Regency event. On Sunday, youth choruses join Disneyland characters to celebrate the Pier 39 lighting ceremony. Then, Wednesday brings the unveiling of the 12-foot sugar castle in the lobby of the Westin St. Francis.

2. Castro remembers.

- Under One Roof: Thursday, 6-9pm

- Transgender Remembrance: Monday, 5:30-7pm; Tuesday, 5-8:30pm

Under One Roof celebrates its final community holiday party at 518A Castro St. tonight starting at 6pm. Alcohol, food from neighborhood eateries, and the requisite speeches will be complimentary. Proceeds, as usual, benefit local AIDS organizations. In memory of transgenders, a march will take place on Monday from City Hall to Castro Plaza starting at 5:30pm. A second rally and march will be on Tuesday from City Hall to City of Refuge in SoMa.

3. Music soothes.

- Toro Y Moi Art Show: Friday, 7-9pm; Saturday, 6-9pm

- Chamber Music: Sunday, noon-7pm

Toro Y Moi unveils his latest album unconventionally by offering two preview nights at Public Works that pair his original drawings with the 13 new tracks. If you want to see him live, pony up $5 on Sunday evening. Twenty-four ensembles will perform on two outdoor stages in Yerba Buena Gardens, nine filmmaker-composer collaborations will be shown in the screening room, and six youth groups will be presented in the artist lounge. 

Bay Area Freebie of the Week

Schemendrick's is giving away its award-winning Brooklyn-style bagels on Friday morning from 8-9:30am at the ING Direct Cafe in San Francisco's Financial District.

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); Carry On (Fun.); Remembrance (Balmorhea); Miss Atomic Bomb (The Killers).

Randy's Guide CCCXVI (316)

When I look back on those neon nights

The leather seats, the passage rite

I feel the heat, I see the light

Miss Atomic Bomb.

- The Killers

Bay Area Food Pick

Aperto

1434 18th St. (at Connecticut St.)

San Francisco, CA 94107

(415) 252-1625

Yelp

In the bustling downtown block of Potrero Hill sits this unassuming, straight-ahead, yet outstanding Italian restaurant. Highlight for me was the tagliolini pepati, a spicy pasta seasoned with jalapeno, garlic, and smoked bacon. I also recommend the crab cakes, fig bruschetta, and spaghetti with clams. Great bread to start, and you're just steps from Bottom of the Hill. 4 stars - 641 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; Fat Angel.

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); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley).

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 Nightlife Pick

Bottom of the Hill

1233 17th St. (at Missouri St.)

San Francisco, CA 94107

(415) 626-4455

Yelp

I've now watched three shows here. It's an intimate setting with a max capacity of 350. The sound is strong but clear, and the drinks selection is fairly priced and very broad. Monday 11/12 gives a great lineup of cover artists; Friday 11/23 features headliners New Found Glory; and Friday 12/21 has Scissors for Lefty. 4-1/2 stars - 492 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; Lucky 13; Hotel Biron.

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

John D. Sloat

(1781-1867)

Raised by his Dutch grandparents, Mr. Sloat soon ascended the Naval ranks and commanded the Pacific Squadron during the 1840s. He proclaimed California part of the U.S. at Monterey's Customs House and served as California's Military Governor for seven days. San Francisco's Sloat Blvd. and Commodore Sloat Elementary, Monterey's Sloat Ave., and Sacramento's Sloat Way and Sloat Elementary 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; Nancy Pelosi; Levi Strauss.

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 Holiday Weekend Highs

A cooler storm passes through today, then conditions dry through Veterans' Day. Frost warnings may be in effect for inland areas on Saturday night.

~ Thursday-Sunday ~

Coast: mid-50s

Inland East Bay: upper-50s

SF: low-60s

Bay: low-60s

North Bay: low-60s

South Bay: low-60s

~ Monday ~

Coast: upper-50s

Bay: mid-60s

North Bay: mid-60s

South Bay: mid-60s

Inland East Bay: mid-60s

SF: upper-60s

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Green Festival

Saturday, 10am-7pm; Sunday, 11am-6pm

Dozens of cool speakers, exhibitors, workshops, fitness classes, samples, and cooking demos are spread throughout the SF Concourse in SoMa. Presenters include Dolores Huerta, Winona LaDuke, and Amy Goodman.

2. Red Bull Flugtag

Saturday, 11am-4pm

Thirty-two teams of up to five people will test their homemade, human-powered flying machines over McCovey Cove. Six judges, which range from a track-and-field Olympian to musician Sheila E, will rank the contestants based on flight distance, creativity, and showmanship.

3. SF Opera Open House

Saturday, 10:30am-2:30pm

Can you believe San Francisco Opera is celebrating its 90th season? Among the highlights for this event at the War Memorial Opera House are musical demonstrations for two winter-season operas, technical demos for set building and lighting, and an opera-themed photo booth. 

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); Carry On (Fun.); Remembrance (Balmorhea).

Randy's Guide CCCXV (315)

( ... )

- Balmorhea

Reminder: Election Day!

Cast your ballot or submit your absentee to an elections official by Tuesday, November 6. Everyone will be voting on races for President + Vice President, the House of Representatives, and state/local initiatives. Read your ballot information guides, and research a bit online.

Proposition 30: Temporary Budget Remedy

FOR: Green Party; Democratic Party; SF Chronicle; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times

AGAINST: Republican Party; Libertarian Party; OC Register

Proposition 31: Two-Year State Budgets

FOR: Republican Party; SF Chronicle

AGAINST: Green Party; Democratic Party; Libertarian Party; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times; OC Register

Proposition 32: Political Fundraising Limits

FOR: Republican Party; Libertarian Party; OC Register

AGAINST: Green Party; Democratic Party; SF Chronicle; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times

Proposition 33: Car Insurance Policy

FOR: Republican Party; Libertarian Party; OC Register

AGAINST: Democratic Party; SF Chronicle; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times

Proposition 34: Death Penalty Repeal

FOR: Democratic Party; Libertarian Party; SF Chronicle; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times

AGAINST: Republican Party; OC Register

Proposition 35: Human Trafficking Penalties

FOR: Republican Party; Democratic Party; SF Chronicle; OC Register

AGAINST: Libertarian Party; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times

Proposition 36: Three Strikes Law Revision

FOR: Green Party; Democratic Party; Libertarian Party; SF Chronicle; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times; OC Register

AGAINST: Republican Party

Proposition 37: GMO Food Labeling

FOR: Green Party; Democratic Party; SF Bay Guardian

AGAINST: Republican Party; Libertarian Party; SF Chronicle; LA Times; OC Register

Proposition 38: State Income Tax Increase

FOR: SF Bay Guardian

AGAINST: Green Party, Republican Party; Democratic Party; Libertarian Party; SF Chronicle; LA Times; OC Register

Proposition 39: State Income Tax Increase

FOR: Green Party; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times

AGAINST: Republican Party; Libertarian Party; SF Chronicle; OC Register

Proposition 40: State Senate Redistricting

FOR: Green Party, Republican Party; Democratic Party; SF Chronicle; SF Bay Guardian; LA Times; OC Register

AGAINST: -none-

Bay Area Food Pick

Cheese Board Pizza

1512 Shattuck Ave. (at Vine St.)

Berkeley, CA 94709

(510) 549-3183

Yelp

To help make the minutes spent waiting in line, the Collective offers music during lunch and dinner hours. It's been in existence as a cheese store since 1971, and added thin-crust pizza in 1985. Each day, a single vegetarian option is offered using specialty cheeses from its shop and seasonal vegetables from nearby farmers' markets. Just plain good. 4-1/2 stars - 2511 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; Fat Angel.

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

Hotel Biron

45 Rose St. (at Market St.)

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 703-0403

Yelp

Tucked into a quiet alley near City Hall and bustling Hayes Valley sits an intimate wine bar. You can pair a flight of wines or a bottle with a plate of cheese, Fatted Calf charcuterie, olives, or nuts. Local artwork dots the brick walls, but I'd suggest arriving on the earlier side if you want to snag one of the prized seats. 4 stars - 520 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; Lucky 13.

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

Levi Strauss

(1829-1902)

At some point of our lives, we've adorned one of his namesake jeans. The Bavarian moved to New York City at the age of 18 to join his family's dry goods business, then arrived in San Francisco in 1853 to open a West Coast branch. It wasn't until 1873, though, that Mr. Strauss and his business partner Jacob Davis patented copper rivets and copyrighted the arcuate design on denim work pant pockets. His estate, upon his burial in Colma, was estimated to be around $158 million in 2012 dollars. At the world headquarters in San Francisco, you can check out historical artifacts in the visitors center in honor of Mr. Strauss.

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; Nancy Pelosi.

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

Slight warming trend should peak on Monday. Don't forget to set your clocks back Sunday morning!

~ Thursday-Saturday ~

Coast: low-60s

SF: mid-60s

Bay: upper-60s

Inland East Bay: upper-60s

North Bay: low-70s

South Bay: low-70s

~ Sunday ~

Coast: mid-60s

SF: low-70s

Bay: low-70s

Inland East Bay: mid-70s

South Bay: upper-70s

North Bay: low-80s

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Rock the vote!

- Pierre Lacombe: Saturday, 6pm

- El Rio: Tuesday, 5pm-2am

- The Independent: Tuesday, 6pm-2am

- La Pena Cultural Center (Berkeley): Tuesday, 5pm

On Saturday, Frenchman Pierre Lacombe (a voice actor in the Harry Potter series) jokes about all things politics at Redwood City's Hotel Sofitel. You must RSVP online. Then, on election night, after you HAVE cast your ballot, watch the results en masse. El Rio offers a free drink with proof of voting, while The Independent brings in Brad Wolfe and the Moon for an acoustic concert.

2. Another AT&T Park adventure...

Saturday, 11am-4pm

As part of the Bay Area Science Festival, AT&T Park will host over 20,000 individuals for 150+ exhibits, experiments, and games. Run the basepaths too!

3. Unleash the artist.

- Friday Nights at the De Young: Friday

- Oakland Art Murmur: Friday, 6pm-10pm

- Open Studios: Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm

- Asian Art Museum: Sunday, 10am-5pm

- Oakland Museum of CA: Sunday, 11am-5pm

- Legion of Honor: Tuesday, 9:30am-5pm

- Contemporary Jewish Museum: Tuesday: 11am-5pm

- Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito): Wednesday, 9am-4pm

It's time to see what's going on in the art world, especially with the specter of holiday gifts approaching. The de Young's theme for the weekly Friday evening event is swing music and ballet fashion. Across the Bay, over two dozen galleries will be open late in the Uptown area. The oldest running open studios program in the county swings into the Hunters Point area for two different hosted warehouses. I went to one in SoMa in October and even bought some artwork! Free admission days are starting Sunday through Wednesday. Many more are available.

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); Carry On (Fun.).