Randy's Guide CCCXXXVI (336)

Music

Howling ghosts they reappear
In mountains that are stacked with fear
But you're a king and I'm a lionheart.

 -- "King and Lionheart," by Of Monsters and Men (2.8 million views, Jan '13 release)

- May 16, Fox Theater (sold out)

- May 19, Shoreline Amphitheater (BFD Festival)

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); Closer (Tegan and Sara); It's Time (Imagine Dragons); Higher (Matt Nathanson); Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second (STRFKR); So Many Details (Toro Y Moi); Ho Hey (Lumineers); Winter Winds (Mumford & Sons); Wanted (Hunter Hayes); Levels (Avicii); The A Team (Ed Sheeran); Hold On (Alabama Shakes); Don't You Worry Child (Swedish House Mafia); Lonely Boy (The Black Keys); It's a War (Blackbird, Blackbird); Man on Fire (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros); Big Girl (Mika); Step (Vampire Weekend); All of Me (Tanlines).

Current Event

Issue: Unionized San Francisco Symphony members, with a starting salary of $141,700 and ten weeks of paid vacation, authorized a strike to force one show already to be cancelled.

"At the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which is our closest sister orchestra, the wages are 5 percent higher. And virtually every other city that houses an orchestra has a lower cost of living than San Francisco."

 -- David Gaudry, violist and chairman of the players' negotiating committee

"We have incurred an operating deficit during each of the last four years. Under these circumstances, it is important for every orchestra to look carefully at its finances."

 -- Brent Assink, Symphony Executive Director

"I tried for seven months to work out a deal with the management.... But the more I went through the process, the clearer it became that I just would not have the same opportunities here - either artistically or financially - that I would in Chicago."

 -- David Herbert, principal timpanist

Food

Ragazza

311 Divisadero St. (at Page St.)
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 255-1133
Yelp

After four unsuccessful efforts to dine at this hotspot in my neighborhood, last night proved fruitful. The thin-crust pizzas are worth the acclaim. Chef/owner Sharon Ardiana opened this outpost in 2010, following three hit years with Glen Park's Gialina. Reservations for larger parties are now accepted on the heated patio. I highly recommend the amatriciana (pancetta, chilies, egg) and the pork belly with beet greens. 4 stars - 330 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; Ted's Deli; Zero Zero; Zazie; Shalimar; Swan Oyster Depot; Dottie's True Blue Cafe; La Taqueria; Chez Maman; Radio Habana Social Club; Tony's Pizza Napoletana; Hard Knox Cafe; Shabusen.

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); Vik's Chaat (Berkeley); Wat Mongkoratanaram (Berkeley); Phnom Penh House (Oakland); Luka's Taproom & Lounge (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); Buckeye Roadhouse (Mill Valley).

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

Nightlife

The Page

298 Divisadero St. (at Page St.)
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 255-6101
Yelp

Conveniently across from Ragazza in case of a table wait, this friendly neighborhood dive offers a surprisingly healthy selection of whiskey to go with 20+ craft beer options. Throw in a jukebox, two pool tables, and a foosball table with some faux hunter-lodge decor ... and you've got yourself a fine way to pass an hour. 3-1/2 stars - 388 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; Local Edition; Magnolia Pub & Brewery; Whiskey Thieves; Bourbon & Branch; The Monk's Kettle; Amsterdam Cafe; Aunt Charlie's Lounge; Latin American Club; Two Sisters Bar and Books; Doc's Clock; 15 Romolo; Thee Parkside; The Social Study.

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

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); Beer Revolution (Oakland); Make Westing (Oakland).

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

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland); Stateline Brewery (South Lake Tahoe).

History

Rosalie Meyer Stern(1869-1956)

Born in Los Angeles, she moved to the Bay Area and eventually married Sigmund Stern, the president of Levi Strauss & Co. She actively worked with the Red Cross during the 1906 earthquake/fire and WWI. Education also proved a high priority, including the construction of UC Berkeley's Stern Hall. The family name, though, lives on with Sigmund Stern Grove, which she donated to the City and helped set up the ongoing summer concert series that now draws 10,000+ patrons weekly.

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; Jose Sarria; William D.M. Howard; Edwin Bryant; George Davidson; William Alvord; George Moscone; Jack Early; Thomas Starr King; Minnie Ward.

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.; John Gilroy; Joseph Grant; Henry Naglee; Anson Burlingame; William Ralston.

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; Robert Crown; Samuel Merritt; Joaquin Miller.

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

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

New Charity

Congrats to Queer Lifespace, the latest recipient of a Randy's Guide donation. The group reached its fundraising goal for this drive!

New Charity: Re-volv. Quite simple, really. Individual donors contribute to a solar funding pool. The pool then helps build solar energy projects at community centers. The community centers lease the solar equipment, with the payments reinvested into the solar funding pool.

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; Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief; The Coming Home Project; Urban Tilth; Queer Lifespace.

Weekend Weather

Breezy conditions, with no rain in sight for the next week.

~ Thursday- Saturday ~

Coast: low-60s
SF: upper-60s

Bay: low-70s

South Bay: mid-70s

Inland East Bay: mid-70s

North Bay: upper-70s

~ Sunday ~
Coast: mid-50s
SF: low-60s

Bay: low-60s

South Bay: upper-60s

North Bay: upper-60s

Inland East Bay: low-70s

 

 

Free Activities

1. The Exploratorium lives.

Wednesday, 9am-11pm

At last, the day has arrived. The Exploratorium, in a bid to increase attendance, moves from the Palace of Fine Arts to Pier 15 along the Embarcadero. Free activities, ranging from a ribbon cutting with the Mayor to a live radio broadcast, will dot the periphery of the museum.

2. Rivals Unite.

- Berkeley Bay Festival: Saturday, 11am-4pm

- Stanford FanFest: Saturday, 2:30-6pm

Berkeley celebrates Earth Day with an outdoor festival along the Marina. Free sailboat and dragon-boat rides, an adventure playground, and assorted environmental educational groups are at your perusal. Stanford's annual Red-and-White scrimmage game moves back to Stanford Stadium, with Rose Bowl trophy photos, player autographs, and face painting as side activities.

3. Exit your car.- Walk to Work Day: Friday

- Sunday Streets: Sunday, 11am-4pm

San Francisco marks the first U.S. city to embrace Walk to Work Day. Meet your area supervisor and other commuters to score some free coffee, treats, and a return-ride Clipper card. The second of the monthly Sunday Streets event strikes the Mission District. Expect heavy crowds along both Valencia and 24th St. Outdoor yoga, pilates, roller disco, bluegrass, Crossfit, bike rentals. . .

Free Promotion

The Melt is offering 10,000 free grilled cheese sandwiches through tomorrow. You can use the QR code after 1pm any day through April 21. Go to www.eatcheese.com to sign up!