Music
It's a strange world
Yeah you wear it like a crown
It's beautiful and senseless
But it's tragedy found.
-- "Sunday," by Crocodiles (79K views, Apr '12 upload)
Four albums and counting for this San Diego quartet. They'll be stopping in to the Chapel on November 9.
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); King and Lionheart (Of Monsters and Men); Celestica (Crystal Castles); Angels (The xx); Out of My League (Fitz & the Tantrums); If I Know You (The Presets); Dumb Disco Ideas (Holy Ghost!); Even If I Could (Rachael Yamagata); Tired Eyes (The Trophy Fire); Knock Knock (Band of Horses); Around the Block (Pretty Lights); Brave (Sara Bareilles); Same Love (Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, feat. Mary Lambert); Safe and Sound (Capital Cities); All-American Boy (Steve Grand); Entertainment (Phoenix); Your Drums, Your Love (AlunaGeorge); Garden (Lost in the Trees); Royals (Lorde); The Mother We Share (Chvrches); High School Lover (Cayuca); She Keeps Me Warm (Mary Lambert); Dyin' Bedmaker (Andrew Bird); Zombies (Radiation City); Bitter Rivals (Sleigh Bells); Tall Tall Shadow (Basia Bulat).
It's a strange world
Yeah you wear it like a crown
It's beautiful and senseless
But it's tragedy found.
-- "Sunday," by Crocodiles (79K views, Apr '12 upload)
Four albums and counting for this San Diego quartet. They'll be stopping in to the Chapel on November 9.
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); King and Lionheart (Of Monsters and Men); Celestica (Crystal Castles); Angels (The xx); Out of My League (Fitz & the Tantrums); If I Know You (The Presets); Dumb Disco Ideas (Holy Ghost!); Even If I Could (Rachael Yamagata); Tired Eyes (The Trophy Fire); Knock Knock (Band of Horses); Around the Block (Pretty Lights); Brave (Sara Bareilles); Same Love (Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, feat. Mary Lambert); Safe and Sound (Capital Cities); All-American Boy (Steve Grand); Entertainment (Phoenix); Your Drums, Your Love (AlunaGeorge); Garden (Lost in the Trees); Royals (Lorde); The Mother We Share (Chvrches); High School Lover (Cayuca); She Keeps Me Warm (Mary Lambert); Dyin' Bedmaker (Andrew Bird); Zombies (Radiation City); Bitter Rivals (Sleigh Bells); Tall Tall Shadow (Basia Bulat).
Current Event: San Francisco Election Coverage
Besides races for incumbents Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Treasurer Jose Cisneros, and Supervisor Katy Tang, there are four initiatives for Tuesday's election.
Proposition A: Retiree Health Care Trust Fund
Shall the City change its charter to allow payments from the Retiree Health Care Trust Fund only when the Trust Fund is fully funded or only under specified circumstances?
YES: SF Chronicle, SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, Bay Area Reporter, SF Democratic Party, SF Republican Party, Mayor Ed Lee, All 11 SF Board of Supervisors, IBEW Local 1245
NO: SF Green Party, SF Libertarian Party
Proposition B: 8 Washington Street Initiative
Shall the City allow a development project at the 8 Washington Street Site that would include new housing, retail and recreational facilities, and open space, and would increase the legal building height limits on a portion of the Site?
YES: SF Chronicle, Bay Area Reporter, SF Young Republicans, SF Libertarian Party, Mayor Ed Lee, former Mayor Gavin Newsom, SF Chamber of Commerce, SPUR, Pacific Waterfront Partners (project developer), Cahill Construction (contractor), Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (architect)
NO: SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, SF Democratic Party, SF Green Party, State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Golden Gateway Tenants Association (neighbors), Boston Properties (Embarcadero Center owner)
Proposition C: 8 Washington Street Referendum
Shall the City ordinance increasing legal building height limits on an approximately half-acre portion of the 8 Washington Street Site along Drumm Street take effect?
YES: SF Chronicle, Bay Area Reporter, SF Young Republicans, SF Libertarian Party, Mayor Ed Lee, former Mayor Gavin Newsom, SF Chamber of Commerce, SPUR, Pacific Waterfront Partners (project developer), Cahill Construction (contractor), Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (architect)
NO: SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, SF Democratic Party, SF Green Party, State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Golden Gateway Tenants Association (neighbors), Boston Properties (Embarcadero Center owner)
Proposition D: Prescription Drug Purchasing
Shall it be City policy to use all available opportunities to reduce the City's cost of prescription drugs and to ask state and federal representatives to sponsor legislation to reduce drug prices paid by the government?
YES: SF Chronicle, SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, SF Democratic Party, SF Green Party, State Senator Mark Leno, State Assemblyman Phil Ting, all 11 SF Board of Supervisors, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
NO: Bay Area Reporter, SF Young Republicans, SF Libertarian Party, SF Chamber of Commerce, SPUR
Food
Shan Dong Restaurant
328 10th St. (at Webster St.)
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 839-2299
Yelp
Dumplings galore. I couldn't get enough of them. If you want a counter-balance in your meal, try the handmade noodles. It's squarely in Chinatown, not far from the 12th Street BART station. 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; 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; Ragazza; Morty's Delicatessen; Hawaiian Drive Inn #28; Just For You Cafe; Woodhouse Fish Co; Mission Pie; El Metate; V-105; Kitchen Story; Frisco Fried; Range; Suzu Noodle House; The Codmother Fish & Chips; The Front Porch; Blue Plate.
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); Shanghai Dumpling Shop (Millbrae).
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/
Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael/Mill Valley); 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); Mon Ami Gabi (Las Vegas); Fox & Goose Public House (Sacramento); La Bonne Soup Cafe (Sacramento); Snow City Cafe (Anchorage); Starling Diner (Long Beach).
Nightlife
Bar Three Fifty-Five
355 19th St. (at Webster St.)
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 451-3355
Yelp
It's sleek, modern, and yet quite affordable and down-to-earth. I appreciated its proximity to places like the Fox Theater, Lake Merritt, and BART stops. Go the mixed cocktail route here, get a booth with some buddies, and enjoy your night in Uptown! 4 stars - 224 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; The Page; Rye; Bloodhound; Azucar Lounge; The Residence; Tommy's Mexican; The Revolution Cafe; Trick Dog; The Hot Spot; Hi Tops; The Homestead; The Phoenix Bar & Irish Gathering House; Fillmore Karaoke; Musee Mechanique; Royal Cuckoo; The Phone Booth.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); The Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park); Rose and Crown (Palo Alto); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae).
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); Altamont Beer Works (Livermore); Prizefighter (Emeryville); Heart and Dagger Saloon (Oakland); Dogwood (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); The Garage (Las Vegas); The Shady Lady Saloon (Sacramento); Mercantile Saloon (Sacramento); 49th State Brewing Co (Healy AK); Goat Hill Tavern (Costa Mesa).
History
Frank H. Ogawa
(1917-1994)
The Lodi native brought his wife to the Topaz Relocation Center in Utah during WWII. Afterward, he moved his family to Oakland, where he worked as a gardener then opened his own nursery. He served as the first Japanese-American on the Oakland City Council for 28 years, and also was a member on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Frank Ogawa Plaza, which borders Oakland City Hall and the 12th Street BART stop, 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; Jose Sarria; William D.M. Howard; Edwin Bryant; George Davidson; William Alvord; George Moscone; Jack Early; Thomas Starr King; Minnie Ward; Rosalie Stern; Carlton Goodlett; Phillip Burton; Jose de Jesus Noe; Frederick Funston; Shotwell's; Castro Theatre; Kezar Stadium; Nathaniel Lyon; Playland at the Beach; Edward D. Baker; Frank Turk.
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; Paul Trousdale; San Gregorio General Store; William Kimball; James Fair.
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; Robert Livermore; Gay Nineties Pizza Co; Joseph Emery; Oakland Athletics.
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); Betty Willis (Las Vegas); Esteban Munras (Monterey); John Sutter, Jr. (Sacramento); James Marshall (Placerville); William Seward (Alaska); Seal Beach Pier.
Charity
Charity: Prevent Blindness. The Northern California chapters in San Francisco and Redding have screened over one million individuals for vision since 1966. Recently, they partnered with fuseproject to launch See Well to Learn, which provides free eye exams and glasses to Bay Area students.
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; Re-volv, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Weekend Weather
No rain in sight. San Francisco is tilting towards the slightly warmer region (especially at night) due to the insulating ocean around it. Don't forget to vote by Tuesday!
~ Thursday-Friday ~
Coast: mid-60s
SF: low-70s
Bay: low-70s
South Bay: low-70s
North Bay: mid-70s
Inland East Bay: mid-70s
~ Saturday-Sunday ~
Coast: upper-50s
SF: upper-60s
Bay: upper-60s
North Bay: upper-60s
South Bay: upper-60s
Inland East Bay: upper-60s
Free Activities
1. San Jose Museum of Art: Dia de los Muertos
Saturday, 11am-5pm
Enjoy Mariachi San Jose, an altar-making demo, hands-on activities, and free admission to the San Jose Museum of Art.
2. Bay Area Science Fest
Saturday, 11am-4pm
Last year, more than 30,000 walked into AT&T Park and explored more than 150 science exhibits.
3. Sports Basement SnowFest
Friday, 4-8pm; Saturday, 11am-3pm; Sunday, 2-6pm
I'm a big Sports Basement fan. Score free lift tickets to Kirkwood, enter raffles for winter gear, and nosh and imbibe to your heart's desire. Friday is at its Sunnyvale location, Saturday is Walnut Creek, and Sunday, the Presidio.
Besides races for incumbents Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Treasurer Jose Cisneros, and Supervisor Katy Tang, there are four initiatives for Tuesday's election.
Proposition A: Retiree Health Care Trust Fund
Shall the City change its charter to allow payments from the Retiree Health Care Trust Fund only when the Trust Fund is fully funded or only under specified circumstances?
YES: SF Chronicle, SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, Bay Area Reporter, SF Democratic Party, SF Republican Party, Mayor Ed Lee, All 11 SF Board of Supervisors, IBEW Local 1245
NO: SF Green Party, SF Libertarian Party
Proposition B: 8 Washington Street Initiative
Shall the City allow a development project at the 8 Washington Street Site that would include new housing, retail and recreational facilities, and open space, and would increase the legal building height limits on a portion of the Site?
YES: SF Chronicle, Bay Area Reporter, SF Young Republicans, SF Libertarian Party, Mayor Ed Lee, former Mayor Gavin Newsom, SF Chamber of Commerce, SPUR, Pacific Waterfront Partners (project developer), Cahill Construction (contractor), Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (architect)
NO: SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, SF Democratic Party, SF Green Party, State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Golden Gateway Tenants Association (neighbors), Boston Properties (Embarcadero Center owner)
Proposition C: 8 Washington Street Referendum
Shall the City ordinance increasing legal building height limits on an approximately half-acre portion of the 8 Washington Street Site along Drumm Street take effect?
YES: SF Chronicle, Bay Area Reporter, SF Young Republicans, SF Libertarian Party, Mayor Ed Lee, former Mayor Gavin Newsom, SF Chamber of Commerce, SPUR, Pacific Waterfront Partners (project developer), Cahill Construction (contractor), Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (architect)
NO: SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, SF Democratic Party, SF Green Party, State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Golden Gateway Tenants Association (neighbors), Boston Properties (Embarcadero Center owner)
Proposition D: Prescription Drug Purchasing
Shall it be City policy to use all available opportunities to reduce the City's cost of prescription drugs and to ask state and federal representatives to sponsor legislation to reduce drug prices paid by the government?
YES: SF Chronicle, SF Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, SF Democratic Party, SF Green Party, State Senator Mark Leno, State Assemblyman Phil Ting, all 11 SF Board of Supervisors, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
NO: Bay Area Reporter, SF Young Republicans, SF Libertarian Party, SF Chamber of Commerce, SPUR
Food
Shan Dong Restaurant
328 10th St. (at Webster St.)
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 839-2299
Yelp
Dumplings galore. I couldn't get enough of them. If you want a counter-balance in your meal, try the handmade noodles. It's squarely in Chinatown, not far from the 12th Street BART station. 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; 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; Ragazza; Morty's Delicatessen; Hawaiian Drive Inn #28; Just For You Cafe; Woodhouse Fish Co; Mission Pie; El Metate; V-105; Kitchen Story; Frisco Fried; Range; Suzu Noodle House; The Codmother Fish & Chips; The Front Porch; Blue Plate.
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); Shanghai Dumpling Shop (Millbrae).
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/
Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael/Mill Valley); 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); Mon Ami Gabi (Las Vegas); Fox & Goose Public House (Sacramento); La Bonne Soup Cafe (Sacramento); Snow City Cafe (Anchorage); Starling Diner (Long Beach).
Nightlife
Bar Three Fifty-Five
355 19th St. (at Webster St.)
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 451-3355
Yelp
It's sleek, modern, and yet quite affordable and down-to-earth. I appreciated its proximity to places like the Fox Theater, Lake Merritt, and BART stops. Go the mixed cocktail route here, get a booth with some buddies, and enjoy your night in Uptown! 4 stars - 224 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; The Page; Rye; Bloodhound; Azucar Lounge; The Residence; Tommy's Mexican; The Revolution Cafe; Trick Dog; The Hot Spot; Hi Tops; The Homestead; The Phoenix Bar & Irish Gathering House; Fillmore Karaoke; Musee Mechanique; Royal Cuckoo; The Phone Booth.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); The Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park); Rose and Crown (Palo Alto); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae).
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); Altamont Beer Works (Livermore); Prizefighter (Emeryville); Heart and Dagger Saloon (Oakland); Dogwood (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); The Garage (Las Vegas); The Shady Lady Saloon (Sacramento); Mercantile Saloon (Sacramento); 49th State Brewing Co (Healy AK); Goat Hill Tavern (Costa Mesa).
History
Frank H. Ogawa
(1917-1994)
The Lodi native brought his wife to the Topaz Relocation Center in Utah during WWII. Afterward, he moved his family to Oakland, where he worked as a gardener then opened his own nursery. He served as the first Japanese-American on the Oakland City Council for 28 years, and also was a member on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Frank Ogawa Plaza, which borders Oakland City Hall and the 12th Street BART stop, 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; Jose Sarria; William D.M. Howard; Edwin Bryant; George Davidson; William Alvord; George Moscone; Jack Early; Thomas Starr King; Minnie Ward; Rosalie Stern; Carlton Goodlett; Phillip Burton; Jose de Jesus Noe; Frederick Funston; Shotwell's; Castro Theatre; Kezar Stadium; Nathaniel Lyon; Playland at the Beach; Edward D. Baker; Frank Turk.
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; Paul Trousdale; San Gregorio General Store; William Kimball; James Fair.
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; Robert Livermore; Gay Nineties Pizza Co; Joseph Emery; Oakland Athletics.
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); Betty Willis (Las Vegas); Esteban Munras (Monterey); John Sutter, Jr. (Sacramento); James Marshall (Placerville); William Seward (Alaska); Seal Beach Pier.
Charity
Charity: Prevent Blindness. The Northern California chapters in San Francisco and Redding have screened over one million individuals for vision since 1966. Recently, they partnered with fuseproject to launch See Well to Learn, which provides free eye exams and glasses to Bay Area students.
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; Re-volv, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Weekend Weather
No rain in sight. San Francisco is tilting towards the slightly warmer region (especially at night) due to the insulating ocean around it. Don't forget to vote by Tuesday!
~ Thursday-Friday ~
Coast: mid-60s
SF: low-70s
Bay: low-70s
South Bay: low-70s
North Bay: mid-70s
Inland East Bay: mid-70s
~ Saturday-Sunday ~
Coast: upper-50s
SF: upper-60s
Bay: upper-60s
North Bay: upper-60s
South Bay: upper-60s
Inland East Bay: upper-60s
Free Activities
1. San Jose Museum of Art: Dia de los Muertos
Saturday, 11am-5pm
Enjoy Mariachi San Jose, an altar-making demo, hands-on activities, and free admission to the San Jose Museum of Art.
2. Bay Area Science Fest
Saturday, 11am-4pm
Last year, more than 30,000 walked into AT&T Park and explored more than 150 science exhibits.
3. Sports Basement SnowFest
Friday, 4-8pm; Saturday, 11am-3pm; Sunday, 2-6pm
I'm a big Sports Basement fan. Score free lift tickets to Kirkwood, enter raffles for winter gear, and nosh and imbibe to your heart's desire. Friday is at its Sunnyvale location, Saturday is Walnut Creek, and Sunday, the Presidio.
