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Music
Alexandra
Well, I took a happy hour
And I ran it through your heart
Don't you lose me to those blue skies
I still miss you when we swing apart
-- "Alexandra," by Hamilton Leithauser (94301 views; Mar '14 upload)
Will
the frontman from The Walkmen survive as a solo artist? He brings a
similar sound to San Francisco's The Chapel on Saturday night, including
collaborations with members from Vampire Weekend, The Shins, and Fleet Foxes.
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);
Sunday (Crocodiles); Pompeii (Bastille); Breezeblocks (Alt-J); Sweater
Weather (The Neighbourhood); Hurricane (MS MR); Trojans (Atlas Genius);
Animals (Martin Garrix); Promising Actress (John Vanderslice and
Magik*Magik Orchestra); Lightning Bolt (Jake Bugg); San Francisco (The
Mowgli's); The High Road (Broken Bells); Call Me in a Day (La Luz); I
Can't Go for That (Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers); Black Night (The
Dodos); I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings); The
Robots (Kraftwerk); We Can Make the World Stop (The Glitch Mob); The
Truth Don't Stop (Dr. Dog); & It Was U (How to Dress Well);
Heartbeats (The Knife); Alive (Empire of the Sun); Holding on to You
(twenty-one pilots); Tessellate (Tokyo Police Club); After Hours (We Are
Scientists); It's Not True (William Fitzsimmons); Dance with Me (Ra Ra
Riot); Inhaler (Foals); Will Do (TV on the Radio); A Few Honest Words
(Ben Sollee); Higher Than the Clouds (Anuhea); Taking Chances (Sharon
Van Etten); Sad Song (Au Revoir Simone); Keep Your Head Up (Andy
Grammer); Zapata Se Queda (Lila Downs); Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk (Rufus Wainwright).
Freebie of the Week
CREAM invasion finally hits San Francisco. Celebrate the opening of a shop at 16th and Valencia with a free ice cream sandwich on Saturday starting at noon. I'm guessing there will be a short line.
Food
The Sandwich Place
2029 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 431-3811
Yelp
Oddly
enough, in taqueria-centric Mission, right across from a BART station,
you can get a pretty darn good sandwich. Far and away better than nearby
Rhea's Deli, it's quick service with a smile and heartier portions for
the dollar. For those who are inclined, gluten free bread is baked fresh
each and every day. 4-1/2 stars - 169 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; Chomp N' Swig; Piccino; La Mediterranee; Ken Ken Ramen; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; 1760; The Richmond; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Cinderella Bakery; The Little Chihuahua; Zuni Cafe; Bistro Central Parc; Old Skool Cafe; Starbelly.
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/San Jose); 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); Romolo's Cannoli (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); First Street Ale House (Livermore);
Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (Oakland/Emeryville); Mua Lounge (Oakland); Grand Lake Kitchen (Oakland); Shan Dong Restaurant (Oakland); Taste of the Himalayas (Berkeley); Korea House (Concord); Miss Ollie's (Oakland); Gather (Berkeley); Phnom Penh House (Oakland); Sue's Kitchen (El Sobrante); John's Ice Cream (Brentwood); TrueBurger (Oakland).
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); Andie's Cafe (Napa).
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); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego); Quinn's (Seattle); George's Greek Cafe (Long Beach); Ike's Quarter Cafe (Nevada City); Root Down (Denver).
Nightlife
Shotwell's
3349 20th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 648-4104
Yelp
The
unassuming bar in the Mission is a dying breed. This one is a survivor.
Serving booze since 1891, the beer-and-cider locale offers a dollar off
drinks until 7pm weekdays and Sunday. TVs, pool table, and jukebox
round out the place. 4-1/2 stars - 190 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; The Bitter End; Dear Mom, Eureka Lounge; Elbo Room; Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe; Amelie; Buckshot; Greens Sports Bar; The Hearth; The Armory Club; Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar; The Willows; Barrel Head Brewhouse; Third Rail; 440 Castro.
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); Grape & Grain (San Mateo).
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); Bar Three Fifty-Five (Oakland); Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House (Berkeley); Fauna (Oakland); Ben & Nick's Bar & Grill (Oakland); District Oakland; Albany Taproom; Ale Industries (The Pig & the Pickle - Oakland/ Concord); The New Parkway (Oakland).
Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg); Tourist Club (Mill Valley); Mill Valley Beerworks; Billco's Billiards & Darts (Napa).
Previous
Other picks: 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); El Prado (Los Angeles); Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Denver); Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles); The Hermosillo (Los Angeles); Polite Provisions (San Diego); Sun Liquor Distillery (Seattle); Alex's Bar (Long Beach); Avanguardia Wines (Grass Valley); The 1up (Denver).
Nooks & Crannies
Little Giant Gold Hydrant
San Francisco, CA 94114
On
the corner of Church and 20th St. sits a fire hydrant like many other
corners in San Francisco. However, this one in particular is credited
with saving much of the Mission and Castro from destruction from the
1906 fire. Each year, on April 18, it's repainted in gold to commemorate
its timely assistance. Thank you, Hydrant!
Previous Nooks: The Secret Garden (SF); Cal Park Hill Tunnel (San Rafael); Mount Olympus (SF); Watts Towers (Los Angeles); Seward Street Slides (SF); Bison Paddock (SF); St. Ignatius Church (SF); Albany Bulb (Albany); Feather Falls (Oroville); Wolfe Ranch (Brentwood); South Park (SF); Castle Rock State Park (Los Gatos); Sutro Baths (San Francisco); The Dish (Stanford); Bernal Hill (SF).
Charity
City Slicker Farms
It's a West Oakland-based urban farming organization that grows,
distributes, and sells produce in previously empty lots. The group also
assists area residents who want to transform their own backyards into
gardens.
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, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Prevent Blindness, Hamilton Family Center, Rocky Mountain Wild, Plant SF; and
Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH).
Free Activities
1. API Celebrations
- Aloha Festival: Saturday-Sunday, 10am-5pm
- Nihonmachi Street Fair: Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm
It
used to be held in the chilly, foggy Presidio. I think the move to the
San Mateo Events Center was wise. There will be workshops on making leis
and playing the ukelele, hula performances, and Polynesian cuisine. Not
to be outdone, SF Japantown hosts taiko, hula, ukelele, and other API
groups.
2. Andrew Bird: Sunday, 2pm
I
paid good money to see him last winter in a performance at a Jewish
synagogue. He brings his whistling and assorted musical instruments to
the wind-protected Stern Grove for a free show. I hope he plays Scythian
Empires!
3. Jerry Day: Sunday, 11am-6pm
The Excelsior welcomes several Grateful Dead tribute bands to McLaren Park.
Music
Cigarettes and chocolate milk
These are just a couple of my cravings
Everything it seems I like's a little stronger
A little bit thicker
A little bit harmful for me
-- "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," by Rufus Wainwright (2.1 million views; Sep '06 upload)
His
sister, Martha, is one heckuva singer-songwriter too. Rufus, who has
battled crystal meth addiction and a rape in the park as an out teenage
boy, comes to Stern Grove this Sunday as a married man with seven original albums in tow. His influences center on opera and cabaret, though most might best recognize his renditions of "Hallelujah" and "Across the Universe." I saw him over 10 years ago at the Warfield; I'll be back for more this weekend!
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);
Sunday (Crocodiles); Pompeii (Bastille); Breezeblocks (Alt-J); Sweater
Weather (The Neighbourhood); Hurricane (MS MR); Trojans (Atlas Genius);
Animals (Martin Garrix); Promising Actress (John Vanderslice and
Magik*Magik Orchestra); Lightning Bolt (Jake Bugg); San Francisco (The
Mowgli's); The High Road (Broken Bells); Call Me in a Day (La Luz); I
Can't Go for That (Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers); Black Night (The
Dodos); I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings); The
Robots (Kraftwerk); We Can Make the World Stop (The Glitch Mob); The
Truth Don't Stop (Dr. Dog); & It Was U (How to Dress Well);
Heartbeats (The Knife); Alive (Empire of the Sun); Holding on to You
(twenty-one pilots); Tessellate (Tokyo Police Club); After Hours (We Are
Scientists); It's Not True (William Fitzsimmons); Dance with Me (Ra Ra
Riot); Inhaler (Foals); Will Do (TV on the Radio); A Few Honest Words
(Ben Sollee); Higher Than the Clouds (Anuhea); Taking Chances (Sharon
Van Etten); Sad Song (Au Revoir Simone); Keep Your Head Up (Andy
Grammer); Zapata Se Queda (Lila Downs).
Food
Root Down
1600 W 33rd Ave
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 993-4200
Yelp
The Lower Highlands (or, colloquially, "LoHi")
has gentrified over the past several years, and with it comes a
spectacular farm-to-table restaurant overlooking the downtown. The
former garage space has been outfitted with decor from the 1950s,
including a steel phone booth, mid-century furnishings, and a reclaimed
bowling alley bar. Even the bathroom has been outfitted with an internal
gray-water system, whereby your sink water flows into the toilet basin.
Menu changes frequently based on the season. 4-1/2 stars - 1300 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; Chomp N' Swig; Piccino; La Mediterranee; Ken Ken Ramen; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; 1760; The Richmond; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Cinderella Bakery; The Little Chihuahua; Zuni Cafe; Bistro Central Parc; Old Skool Cafe; Starbelly.
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/San Jose); 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); Romolo's Cannoli (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); First Street Ale House (Livermore);
Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (Oakland/Emeryville); Mua Lounge (Oakland); Grand Lake Kitchen (Oakland); Shan Dong Restaurant (Oakland); Taste of the Himalayas (Berkeley); Korea House (Concord); Miss Ollie's (Oakland); Gather (Berkeley); Phnom Penh House (Oakland); Sue's Kitchen (El Sobrante); John's Ice Cream (Brentwood); TrueBurger (Oakland).
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); Andie's Cafe (Napa).
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); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego); Quinn's (Seattle); George's Greek Cafe (Long Beach); Ike's Quarter Cafe (Nevada City).
Nightlife
The 1up
717 E Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 779-6444
Yelp
or
1925 Blake St
Denver, CO 80202
Yelp
Brilliant
idea. I stumbled across a similar version in Portland, Ore. Here,
there's no cover charge, and being 21+, it has a dual function as a bar.
The large majority of the arcade games and pinball machines are from
the 1980s and 1990s, at the original prices of one or two bits. 4 stars -
50 reviews (Colfax); 4 stars - 285 reviews (Blake St)
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; The Bitter End; Dear Mom, Eureka Lounge; Elbo Room; Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe; Amelie; Buckshot; Greens Sports Bar; The Hearth; The Armory Club; Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar; The Willows; Barrel Head Brewhouse; Third Rail; 440 Castro.
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); Grape & Grain (San Mateo).
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); Bar Three Fifty-Five (Oakland); Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House (Berkeley); Fauna (Oakland); Ben & Nick's Bar & Grill (Oakland); District Oakland; Albany Taproom; Ale Industries (The Pig & the Pickle - Oakland/ Concord); The New Parkway (Oakland).
Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg); Tourist Club (Mill Valley); Mill Valley Beerworks; Billco's Billiards & Darts (Napa).
Previous
Other picks: 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); El Prado (Los Angeles); Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Denver); Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles); The Hermosillo (Los Angeles); Polite Provisions (San Diego); Sun Liquor Distillery (Seattle); Alex's Bar (Long Beach); Avanguardia Wines (Grass Valley).
Nooks & Crannies
Bernal Hill
San Francisco, CA
The
winding pedestrian-only road to the top of Bernal Hill is often
chock-a-block with dogs of all kinds. The park is managed by SF Rec
& Park, but the apex has a largely abandoned (and privately owned)
building and communications tower. At 475 feet elevation, you can get a
pretty good vista of the downtown buildings and the Mission district.
Previous Nooks: The Secret Garden (SF); Cal Park Hill Tunnel (San Rafael); Mount Olympus (SF); Watts Towers (Los Angeles); Seward Street Slides (SF); Bison Paddock (SF); St. Ignatius Church (SF); Albany Bulb (Albany); Feather Falls (Oroville); Wolfe Ranch (Brentwood); South Park (SF); Castle Rock State Park (Los Gatos); Sutro Baths (San Francisco); The Dish (Stanford).
Charity
City Slicker Farms
It's a West Oakland-based urban farming organization that grows,
distributes, and sells produce in previously empty lots. The group also
assists area residents who want to transform their own backyards into
gardens.
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, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Prevent Blindness, Hamilton Family Center, Rocky Mountain Wild, Plant SF; and
Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH).
Free Activities
1. PedalFest Oakland: Saturday, 11am-7pm
Jack London Square hosts a bicycle rodeo, speed cyclists in a Whiskeydrome, vintage bike show, and more for enthusiasts.
2. Blues Festival: Friday, 5-8:30pm; Saturday, 11am-8pm
Step
into Redwood City's Courthouse Square for live blues, tasty BBQ, and
local artists to support Redwood City Police Academy League.
3. NBA Nation: Friday-Saturday, noon-8pm
Meet
current NBA stars, watch amateurs participate in a trampoline slam-dunk
contest, and participate in various clinics in Union Square Plaza.
Music
Cuando sueño contigo
No hay ni miedo ni duda
Sobre mi destino
-- "Zapata Se Queda," by Lila Downs (2.5 million views; June '12 upload)
The 20-year career for this Oaxaca-born singer has included lyrics from different indigenous languages, including Mixtec (part of her background)
and Mayan. In support of her eighth album release, she has a stop at
the legendary Fillmore on August 16, with Luz Elena Mendoza and Edna
Vazquez opening.
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);
Sunday (Crocodiles); Pompeii (Bastille); Breezeblocks (Alt-J); Sweater
Weather (The Neighbourhood); Hurricane (MS MR); Trojans (Atlas Genius);
Animals (Martin Garrix); Promising Actress (John Vanderslice and
Magik*Magik Orchestra); Lightning Bolt (Jake Bugg); San Francisco (The
Mowgli's); The High Road (Broken Bells); Call Me in a Day (La Luz); I
Can't Go for That (Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers); Black Night (The
Dodos); I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings); The
Robots (Kraftwerk); We Can Make the World Stop (The Glitch Mob); The
Truth Don't Stop (Dr. Dog); & It Was U (How to Dress Well);
Heartbeats (The Knife); Alive (Empire of the Sun); Holding on to You
(twenty-one pilots); Tessellate (Tokyo Police Club); After Hours (We Are
Scientists); It's Not True (William Fitzsimmons); Dance with Me (Ra Ra
Riot); Inhaler (Foals); Will Do (TV on the Radio); A Few Honest Words
(Ben Sollee); Higher Than the Clouds (Anuhea); Taking Chances (Sharon
Van Etten); Sad Song (Au Revoir Simone); Keep Your Head Up (Andy
Grammer).
Freebie of the Week
Fentons Creamery
is celebrating 120 years of operation in Oakland with free ice cream
scoops on Sunday, noon-3pm. Both locations (Oakland and Vacaville) are
participating! Oakland also offers free BBQ too.
Food
Starbelly
3583 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 252-7500
Yelp
Once
you've had your fill at 440 Castro, stop by the Starbelly patio for
al-fresco dining. The housemade chicken liver pate is both delicious and
sizable - more than enough to share among you and your newly found
friends. Standout pizza likely is the chorizo pizza, which comes with a
sunny side up egg. 3-1/2 stars - 1107 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; Chomp N' Swig; Piccino; La Mediterranee; Ken Ken Ramen; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; 1760; The Richmond; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Cinderella Bakery; The Little Chihuahua; Zuni Cafe; Bistro Central Parc; Old Skool Cafe.
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/San Jose); 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); Romolo's Cannoli (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); First Street Ale House (Livermore);
Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (Oakland/Emeryville); Mua Lounge (Oakland); Grand Lake Kitchen (Oakland); Shan Dong Restaurant (Oakland); Taste of the Himalayas (Berkeley); Korea House (Concord); Miss Ollie's (Oakland); Gather (Berkeley); Phnom Penh House (Oakland); Sue's Kitchen (El Sobrante); John's Ice Cream (Brentwood); TrueBurger (Oakland).
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); Andie's Cafe (Napa).
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); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego); Quinn's (Seattle); George's Greek Cafe (Long Beach); Ike's Quarter Cafe (Nevada City).
Nightlife
440 Castro
440 Castro St
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 621-8732
Yelp
Like a sunflower in the wind, this place - which caters primarily to bears and daddies - refuses to budge.
Two dollar beer and cider night on Tuesdays is probably the best bet
for a visit. Men be forewarned: the bathroom consists of a long trough
with a mirror above it. 4 stars - 141 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; The Bitter End; Dear Mom, Eureka Lounge; Elbo Room; Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe; Amelie; Buckshot; Greens Sports Bar; The Hearth; The Armory Club; Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar; The Willows; Barrel Head Brewhouse; Third Rail.
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); Grape & Grain (San Mateo).
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); Bar Three Fifty-Five (Oakland); Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House (Berkeley); Fauna (Oakland); Ben & Nick's Bar & Grill (Oakland); District Oakland; Albany Taproom; Ale Industries (The Pig & the Pickle - Oakland/ Concord); The New Parkway (Oakland).
Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg); Tourist Club (Mill Valley); Mill Valley Beerworks; Billco's Billiards & Darts (Napa).
Previous
Other picks: 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); El Prado (Los Angeles); Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Denver); Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles); The Hermosillo (Los Angeles); Polite Provisions (San Diego); Sun Liquor Distillery (Seattle); Alex's Bar (Long Beach); Avanguardia Wines (Grass Valley).
Nooks & Crannies
The Dish
Stanford, CA
Built
in 1966 with funding from the US Air Force, the Dish originally
analyzed the composition of the atmosphere. It's still in use today,
both for research purposes as well as for recreational. The 3.5-mile
trail is popular with runners and walkers.
Previous Nooks: The Secret Garden (SF); Cal Park Hill Tunnel (San Rafael); Mount Olympus (SF); Watts Towers (Los Angeles); Seward Street Slides (SF); Bison Paddock (SF); St. Ignatius Church (SF); Albany Bulb (Albany); Feather Falls (Oroville); Wolfe Ranch (Brentwood); South Park (SF); Castle Rock State Park (Los Gatos); Sutro Baths (San Francisco).
Charity
City Slicker Farms
It's a West Oakland-based urban farming organization that grows,
distributes, and sells produce in previously empty lots. The group also
assists area residents who want to transform their own backyards into
gardens.
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, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Prevent Blindness, Hamilton Family Center, Rocky Mountain Wild, Plant SF; and
Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH).
Free Activities
1. Renegade Craft Fair: Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm
Over
250 artisans will present their wares in Fort Mason. Live DJs, food
trucks, and a photo booth provide a break from the action.
2. J-Pop Culture Festival
- Japantown Peace Plaza: Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm
- Union Square Plaza: Saturday-Sunday, Noon-8:30pm
J-Pop
Idol, national ramen vendors, a Pocky-eating contest, fashion show, and
plenty of J-Pop artists will take over both Japantown and Union Square.
3. Urban Youth Arts Graffiti Fest: Saturday, noon-6pm
Over 200 kids are expected to display their best graffiti skills on wall space brought in to Precita Park
Music
I've got my hands in my pockets
Kicking these rocks
It's kinda hard to watch this life go by
I'm buying into skeptics
Skeptics mess with the confidence in my eyes
-- "Keep Your Head Up," by Andy Grammer (8.4 million views, Nov '10 upload)
The
30-year-old returned home to LA to follow his music dreams, starting
small with street performances along Santa Monica's Third Street
Promenade. His debut album drew plenty of notice from the likes of MTV
and iTunes, and he would soon tour with Taylor Swift, Train, and Natasha
Bedingfield. Andy's second album is due out next month, with a local
performance at the Great American Music Hall on July 17.
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);
Sunday (Crocodiles); Pompeii (Bastille); Breezeblocks (Alt-J); Sweater
Weather (The Neighbourhood); Hurricane (MS MR); Trojans (Atlas Genius);
Animals (Martin Garrix); Promising Actress (John Vanderslice and
Magik*Magik Orchestra); Lightning Bolt (Jake Bugg); San Francisco (The
Mowgli's); The High Road (Broken Bells); Call Me in a Day (La Luz); I
Can't Go for That (Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers); Black Night (The
Dodos); I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings); The
Robots (Kraftwerk); We Can Make the World Stop (The Glitch Mob); The
Truth Don't Stop (Dr. Dog); & It Was U (How to Dress Well);
Heartbeats (The Knife); Alive (Empire of the Sun); Holding on to You
(twenty-one pilots); Tessellate (Tokyo Police Club); After Hours (We Are
Scientists); It's Not True (William Fitzsimmons); Dance with Me (Ra Ra
Riot); Inhaler (Foals); Will Do (TV on the Radio); A Few Honest Words
(Ben Sollee); Higher Than the Clouds (Anuhea); Taking Chances (Sharon Van Etten); Sad Song (Au Revoir Simone).
Local News
Good
luck to the six A's players (the team's most since 1975) and two Giants
players selected for the 2014 All-Star Game on Tuesday in Minneapolis!
Food
Romolo's Cannoli
81 37th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 574-0625
Yelp
For
over 45 years, this family-owned business has churned out top-notch ice
cream, cakes, and cannoli. The operation will pass down to the grandson
much to the delight of the customers. For the cannoli, you choose
chocolate or plain shell, ricotta cream or ice cream fill, and a chocolate chip or pistachio topping. 4-1/2 stars - 448 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; Chomp N' Swig; Piccino; La Mediterranee; Ken Ken Ramen; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; 1760; The Richmond; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Cinderella Bakery; The Little Chihuahua; Zuni Cafe; Bistro Central Parc; Old Skool Cafe.
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/San Jose); 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/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); First Street Ale House (Livermore);
Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (Oakland/Emeryville); Mua Lounge (Oakland); Grand Lake Kitchen (Oakland); Shan Dong Restaurant (Oakland); Taste of the Himalayas (Berkeley); Korea House (Concord); Miss Ollie's (Oakland); Gather (Berkeley); Phnom Penh House (Oakland); Sue's Kitchen (El Sobrante); John's Ice Cream (Brentwood); TrueBurger (Oakland).
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); Andie's Cafe (Napa).
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); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego); Quinn's (Seattle); George's Greek Cafe (Long Beach); Ike's Quarter Cafe (Nevada City).
Nightlife
Grape & Grain
227 S. San Mateo Dr
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 342-9463
Yelp
A
diverse, though small, selection of beer on tap and in bottle, along
with wine by the glass and bottle, liven up another small section of
downtown San Mateo. Board games and a TV provide entertainment. It's all part of the revitalization that's happened here over the past decade. 4-1/2 stars - 222 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; The Bitter End; Dear Mom, Eureka Lounge; Elbo Room; Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe; Amelie; Buckshot; Greens Sports Bar; The Hearth; The Armory Club; Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar; The Willows; Barrel Head Brewhouse; Third Rail.
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); Bar Three Fifty-Five (Oakland); Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House (Berkeley); Fauna (Oakland); Ben & Nick's Bar & Grill (Oakland); District Oakland; Albany Taproom; Ale Industries (The Pig & the Pickle - Oakland/ Concord); The New Parkway (Oakland).
Previous North Bay picks: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg); Tourist Club (Mill Valley); Mill Valley Beerworks; Billco's Billiards & Darts (Napa).
Previous
Other picks: 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); El Prado (Los Angeles); Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Denver); Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles); The Hermosillo (Los Angeles); Polite Provisions (San Diego); Sun Liquor Distillery (Seattle); Alex's Bar (Long Beach); Avanguardia Wines (Grass Valley).
Nooks & Crannies
Sutro Baths
San Francisco, CA
Built
in 1894 by Adolph Sutro, the tony public bathhouse commanded stunning
views of the Pacific Ocean. The property converted into an ice rink in
an attempt to maintain solvency, but this effort failed too. Developers
bought the property in 1964, but a fire two years later halted plans to
build a high-rise condo project. The ruins remain part of the National
Park Service.
Previous Nooks: The Secret Garden (SF); Cal Park Hill Tunnel (San Rafael); Mount Olympus (SF); Watts Towers (Los Angeles); Seward Street Slides (SF); Bison Paddock (SF); St. Ignatius Church (SF); Albany Bulb (Albany); Feather Falls (Oroville); Wolfe Ranch (Brentwood); South Park (SF); Castle Rock State Park (Los Gatos).
Charity
City Slicker Farms
It's a West Oakland-based urban farming organization that grows,
distributes, and sells produce in previously empty lots. The group also
assists area residents who want to transform their own backyards into
gardens.
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, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Prevent Blindness, Hamilton Family Center, Rocky Mountain Wild, Plant SF; and
Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH).
Free Activities
1. World Cup Final: Sunday, noon
It's
Germany vs. Argentina in Brazil's famed Maracana Stadium. Civic Center
Plaza, SoMa Streatfood Park, and San Jose's St. James Park are awesome
free outdoor venues to watch who will take home the World Cup.
2. Japanese Culture
- Obon Festival: Saturday-Sunday, 11:30am-8pm
- Japan Day Festival: Sunday, 1-5pm
Join
others honoring Japanese ancestry as taiko, bonsai, calligraphy, and
chidora dance are presented in San Jose and San Francisco Japantowns.
3. Bastille Day
- Taverna Aventine Block Party: Friday, 4-11:30pm
- Embarcadero Center: Monday, 4-9pm
- Belden Place: Monday, 5-10pm
- Claude Lane: Monday, 11am-11pm
Another excuse to get plastered, it seems. Celebrate the French National Day!
