Music
I am good, I am grounded
Davy says that I look taller
I can't get my head around it
I keep feeling smaller and smaller
-- "I Need My Girl" by The National, feat. Justin Vernon (4.5 million views; Feb '14 upload)
The quintet, including two sets of brothers, built up momentum before hitting the national scene on their fourth studio album. They became featured on a whole host of TV shows, from House to One Tree Hill, and figured prominently into Barack Obama's presidential campaign. This year, their Bay Area stop is at the Berkeley Greek Theatre on July 29, with The Lone Bellow opening.
Previous songs: Against Me! - Thrash Unreal; Alabama Shakes - Hold On; Alison Krauss - Down to the River to Pray; Alt-J - Breezeblocks; AlunaGeorge - Your Drums, Your Love; Alzara & Brother Spellbinder - Speed of Sound; Amy Hānaiali`i Gilliom - Aloha `Oe; Andrew Bird - Dyin' Bedmaker; Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up; Anuhea - Higher Than the Clouds; Asleep at the Wheel - The Letter That Johnny Walker Read; Ataris - In This Diary; Atlas Genius - Trojans; Au Revoir Simone - Sad Song; Avicii - Levels; Balmorhea - Remembrance; Band of Horses - Knock Knock; Banks - Beggin' for Thread; Basia Bulat - Tall Tall Shadow; Bastille - Pompeii; Bebe Rexha - I'm Gonna Show You Crazy; Ben Sollee - A Few Honest Words; Beth Orton - Central Reservation; Black Keys - Lonely Boy; Blackbird, Blackbird - It's a War; Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better; Blind Pilot - Three Rounds and a Sound; Brandi Carlile - The Story; Broken Bells - The High Road; Broods - Bridges; Cam - Burning House; Capital Cities - Safe and Sound; Caribou - Odessa; Cathedrals - Unbound; Cave Singers - Dancing On Our Graves; Cayuca - High School Lover; Chet Faker - Talk Is Cheap; Chvrches - The Mother We Share; Crocodiles - Sunday; Crystal Castles - Celestica; Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love; Decemberists - O Valencia!; Dillon Francis, feat. DJ Snake - Get Low; Disclosure, feat. Sam Smith - Latch; Dodos - Black Night; Dr. Dog - The Truth Don't Stop; Echosmith - Bright; Ed Sheeran - The A Team; Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Man on Fire; Empire of the Sun - Alive; Family Crest - Love Don't Go; Father John Misty - Nancy From Now On; Field Report - Home (Leave the Lights On); First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining; Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League; 5 Seconds of Summer - She Looks So Perfect; Flying Lotus - Never Catch Me; Foals - Inhaler; Frail - Back to Me; Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger; Frazey Ford - September Fields; Fun. - Carry On; Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting on You); Geographer - Kites; George Ezra - Budapest; Glass Animals - Gooey; Glitch Mob - We Can Make the World Stop; Gotye - Easy Way Out; Haley Reinhart - Free; Hamilton Leithauser - Alexandra; Hawthorne Heights - Ohio is for Lovers; Holy Ghost - Dumb Disco Ideas; Houndsmouth - Sedona; How To Dress Well - & It Was U; Hozier - Take Me to Church; Hunter Hayes - Wanted; Imagine Dragons - It's Time; Jai Wolf - Indian Summer; Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt; Jake Shimabukuro - Bohemian Rhapsody; Jill Scott, feat. Anthony Hamilton - So in Love; Joe Pug - Hymn #101; Judah and the Lion - Rich Kids; Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone; Killers - Miss Atomic Bomb; Klingande - Jubel; Knife - Heartbeats; Kraftwerk - The Robots; La Luz - Call Me in a Day; Laidback Luke, feat. Project 46 and Collin McLoughlin - Collide; Leon Bridges - Coming Home; Lila Downs - Zapata Se Queda; Lorde - Royals; Lost in the Trees - Garden; Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears; Lumineers - Ho Hey; M83 - Midnight City; Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, feat. Mary Lambert - Same Love; Magik*Magik Orchestra and John Vanderslice - Promising Actress; Martha Wainwright - You Cheated Me; Martin Garrix - Animals; Mary Lambert - She Keeps Me Warm; Mastodon - High Road; Matt Nathanson - Higher; Mika - Big Girl; Mowgli's - San Francisco; MS MR - Hurricane; Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds; Muse - Uprising; Mynabirds - Wildfire; Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - S.O.B.; Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather; Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You; Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers - I Can't Go For That; Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight; Odesza - Say My Name; Of Monsters and Men - King and Lionheart; of Montreal - Wraith Pinned to the Mist; Orwells - Who Needs You; Panda Bear - Boys Latin; Parker Millsap - Truck Stop Gospel; Passion Pit - Take a Walk; Pete Yorn, feat. Scarlett Johannson - Relator; Phoenix - Entertainment; Portugal. The Man - So American; Presets - If I Know You; Pretty Lights - Around the Block; Pure Bathing Culture - Lucky One; Ra Ra Riot - Dance with Me; Rachael Yamagata - Even If I Could; Radiation City - Zombies; Rancid - Ruby Soho; Revivalists - Criminal; Rita Ora - I Will Never Let You Down; Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk; Sara Bareilles - Brave; Say Hi - Devils; Seven Lions, feat. Kerli - Worlds Apart; Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way; Sharon Van Etten - Taking Chances; Sky Ferreira - You're Not the One; Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals; Sophie B. Hawkins - As I Lay Me Down; St. Lucia - Elevate; Steve Grand - All-American Boy; Stone Foxes - Everybody Knows; STRFKR - Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second; Stromae - Papaoutai; Surfer Blood - Demon Dance; Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child; Tanlines - All of Me; Taylor Swift - Blank Space; Tegan and Sara - Closer; Thermals - Now We Can See; Tokio Hotel - Feel It All; Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate; Toro Y Moi - So Many Details; TV on the Radio - Will Do; twenty-one pilots - Holding on to You; Trophy Fire - Tired Eyes; Vampire Weekend - Step; Vance Joy - Riptide; Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles; Vetiver - Wonder Why; War on Drugs - Red Eyes; We Are Scientists - After Hours; WestJet - Christmas Miracle; Wild Nothing - Paradise; William Elliott Whitmore - Hell or High Water; William Fitzsimmons - It's Not True; X Ambassadors - Jungle; xx - Angels; Zac Brown Band - Chicken Fried; Zedd, feat. Foxes - Clarity; Zella Day - Hypnotic.
Food
Ole Ole Burrito Express
588 14th St
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 834-5700
Yelp - 4 stars (243 reviews)
I first laid eyes on this place while waiting for hours to get in to a political rally. When the chance later struck for a quick take-out option, I decided to try it out. Super glad! This has all the usual taqueria options, but at more reasonable prices and portions than many of its brethren in San Francisco. Stop by here if you happen to be in Uptown or Downtown Oakland!
Previous San Francisco picks: A La Turca; Alta CA; Amber India; Aperto; Arizmendi Cafe; Art's Cafe; Balompie Cafe; Big Mouth Burgers; Bistro Central Parc; Blue Plate; Bodega Bistro; Boulevard; Boxing Room; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Brenda's French Soul Food; Brenda's Meat and Three; Broken Record; Burmese Kitchen; Chairman Truck; Chez Maman; Chomp N' Swig; Cinderella Bakery; Citizen's Band; Codmother Fish & Chips; Curry Up Now; Dottie's True Blue Cafe; El Metate; Fat Angel; Firefly; Foreign Cinema; Frances; Frisco Fried; Front Porch; Goat Hill Pizza; Good Luck Dim Sum; Guddu de Karahi - CLOSED; Hard Knox Cafe; Hawaiian Drive Inn #28; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop; Humphry Slocombe; Ike's Place; Just For You Cafe; Katana-Ya; Ken Ken Ramen; Kitchen Story; Kokkari Estiatorio; L'Ardoise Bistro; La Mediterranee; La Taqueria; Lers Ros Thai; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen; Limon Rotisserie; Little Chihuahua; Little Nepal; Little Star Pizza; Marcella's Lasagneria; Marcello's Pizza; Mission Beach Cafe; Mission Pie; Mitchell's Ice Cream; Miyabi Sushi; Molinari Delicatessen; Morty's Delicatessen; Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; My Tofu House; New Eritrea Restaurant & Bar; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Old Skool Cafe; Olea; Olive Garden; Pakwan; Papalote Mexican Grill; Park Tavern; Pearl's Deluxe Burgers; Pete's Barbeque; Pho Huynh Hiep 2; Piccino; Pluto's; Primo Patio Cafe; Queen's Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe; Radio Habana Social Club; Radius; Ragazza; Range; Red Door Cafe; Richmond; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Roxie Food Center; Saigon Sandwich; San Tung; Sausage Factory; Señor Sisig; 1760; Shabusen; Shalimar; Shanghai Dumpling King; Shin Toe Bul Yi; SO; Sotto Mare; St. Francis Fountain; Starbelly; Super Duper Burgers; Suzu Noodle House; Swan Oyster Depot; Sweet Maple; Tadich Grill; Taqueria Cancun; Taqueria Guadalajara; Ted's Deli; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Tony's Pizza Napoletana; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; Tommy's Joynt; Truly Mediterranean; Tu Lan; Upcider; V-105 - CLOSED; Vega; Velvet Cantina; Volcano; Walzwerk; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's - CLOSED; Woodhouse Fish Co; Yamo; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Zanze's Cheesecake; Zazie; Zero Zero; Zuni Cafe.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park/San Jose); Barbara's Fishtrap (Half Moon Bay); Cowabunga Creamery (San Carlos); Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Gombei Japanese Restaurant (San Jose); Gorilla Barbeque (Pacifica); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Koi Palace (Daly City); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo); Old Port Lobster Shack (Redwood City); Phil's Kitchen (Menlo Park); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo (San Mateo); Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Romolo's Cannoli (San Mateo); Shanghai Dumpling Shop (Millbrae); Souvlaki's Greek Skewers (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo).
Previous East Bay picks: Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Bakesale Betty (Oakland); Battambang (Oakland); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley); Fentons Creamery (Oakland); First Street Ale House (Livermore); Gather (Berkeley); Grand Lake Kitchen (Oakland); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Homeroom (Oakland); John's Ice Cream (Brentwood/Berkeley); Johnathan's Sandwich House (Alameda); Jong Ga House (Oakland); Kabana Restaurant (Berkeley); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville) - CLOSED; Kensington Circus Pub; Korea House (Concord); Little Star Pizza (Albany); Luka's Taproom & Lounge (Oakland); Miss Ollie's (Oakland); Mua Lounge (Oakland); Ole Ole Burrito Express (Oakland); Phnom Penh House (Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/
Previous North Bay picks: Andie's Cafe (Napa); Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Bovine Bakery (Petaluma/Point Reyes Station); Buckeye Roadhouse (Mill Valley); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Fairfax Scoop; Garden Grill (Guerneville); Lighthouse Cafe (Sausalito); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Sol Food (San Rafael/Mill Valley); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Super Duper Burgers (Mill Valley); Tony Tutto Pizza (Mill Valley); West Brooklyn Pizza Co (San Rafael); Shuffle's Magical Ice Cream Shoppe (Santa Rosa).
Previous Other picks: CA - Ampersand Ice Cream (Fresno); Ballast Point Brewery (San Diego); Champa Garden (Redding); Crema Cafe (Seal Beach); Dan's BBQ (Modesto); Donuttery (Huntington Beach); Fox & Goose Public House (Sacramento); Freshies (South Lake Tahoe); George's Greek Cafe (Long Beach); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Hangout (Seal Beach); Heidi's Pancake House (South Lake Tahoe); Hey That's Amore (Pasadena); Ike's Quarter Cafe (Nevada City); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego); La Bonne Soupe Cafe (Sacramento); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Phil's BBQ (San Diego); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Red Scooter Deli (Paso Robles); Serrano's Cafe (Sacramento); Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Solano Baking Company (Dixon); Sprouts Cafe (South Lake Tahoe); Starling Diner (Long Beach); Yafa (Carmel) ... Pacific - Built to Grill (Portland) - CLOSED; Mon Ami Gabi (Las Vegas); Quinn's (Seattle); Snow City Cafe (Anchorage) ... Mountain - Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Frontier Restaurant (Albuquerque); Pantry Restaurant (Santa Fe); Rioja (Denver); Root Down (Denver); Yak and Yeti Restaurant + Brewpub (Arvada, CO) ... East - Ben's Chili Bowl (D.C.); Biscuit Head (Asheville, NC).
Nightlife
Radio
435 13th St
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 451-2889
Yelp - 4 stars (297 reviews)
On a recent night with friends, violence struck just outside where we all sat. The bartender - the lone worker in the establishment - sprang into action and kept us all safe. The bar itself is long, dark, and narrow, with cheap happy hour specials and very close proximity to 12th Street BART.
Previous San Francisco picks: Alembic; Amelie; Amsterdam Cafe; Armory Club; Aunt Charlie's Lounge; Ave; Azucar Lounge; Bar 821; Barrel Head Brewhouse; Biergarten; Bitter End; Blackbird; Blackthorn; Bloodhound; Bottom of the Hill; Bourbon & Branch; Buckshot - CLOSED; Cellarmaker Brewing Company; Dark Horse Inn; Dear Mom; Doc's Clock; Dogpatch Saloon; 83 Proof; El Rio; Elbo Room; Elixir; Edinburgh Castle Pub; Eureka Lounge; 500 Club; 15 Romolo; Fillmore Karaoke; 440 Castro; Gestalt Haus; Great American Music Hall; Greens Sports Bar; Hearth; Hi Tops; Hidden Vine; Homestead; Hopwater Distribution; Hot Spot; Hotel Biron; Jackalope; Kezar Pub; Kilowatt; Knockout; Latin American Club; Local Edition; Lucky 13; Magnolia Pub & Brewery; Make-Out Room; Martuni's; Mission Bar; Mix; Monk's Kettle; Musee Mechanique; NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences; Noc Noc; Novela; Page; Phoenix Bar & Irish Gathering House; Phone Booth; Pig & Whistle; Pilsner Inn; Plough and the Stars; Redwood Room; Residence; Revolution Cafe; Rickhouse; Riptide; Royal Cuckoo; Rye; Shotwell's; Showdown; Social Kitchen & Brewery; Social Study; Southern Pacific Brewing; Speakeasy Ales & Lagers; Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe; Spitfire Rose - CLOSED; Sugar Lounge; Tempest; Thee Parkside; Thieves Tavern; Third Rail; Tommy's Mexican; Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar; Topsy's Fun House; Toronado; Tosca Cafe; Trad'r Sam; Trick Dog; Triple Voodoo Brewery & Tap Room; 21st Amendment; Twin Peaks Tavern; Two Sisters Bar and Books; Urban Putt; Valley Tavern; Vesuvio; Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar; Whiskey Thieves; Wild Side West; Willows.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); Branham Lounge (San Jose); Cinebar (San Jose); Devil's Canyon Brewing Company (San Carlos); Devil's Slide Taproom (Pacifica); Dutch Goose (Menlo Park); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Freewheel Brewing Company (Redwood City); Grape & Grain (San Mateo); Hop Dogma Brewing Co (El Granada); Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park); Rose and Crown (Palo Alto); 7 Mile House (Brisbane).
Previous East Bay picks: Albany Taproom; Ale Industries (Oakland); Altamont Beer Works (Livermore); Bar Three Fifty-Five (Oakland); Beer Revolution (Oakland); Ben & Nick's Bar & Grill (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland); District Oakland; Diving Dog Brewhouse (Oakland); Dogwood (Oakland); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); Drake's Dealership (Oakland); Faction Brewing (Alameda); Fauna (Oakland); Heart and Dagger Saloon (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); Jeff Cohn Cellars (Oakland); Jupiter (Berkeley); Make Westing (Oakland); Moxy Beer Garden (Berkeley); New Parkway (Oakland); Pig & the Pickle (Concord); Prizefighter (Emeryville); Room 389 (Oakland); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Torpedo Room (Berkeley); Trappist (Oakland); Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House (Berkeley); Turf Club (Hayward); Woods Bar & Brewery (Oakland).
Previous North Bay picks: Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg); Billco's Billiards & Darts (Napa); Cline Cellars (Sonoma); Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Mill Valley Beerworks; No Name Bar (Sausalito); Petaluma Hills Brewing Company (Petaluma); Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley); Tourist Club (Mill Valley); William Hill Estate Winery (Napa); Fogbelt Brewing Company (Santa Rosa).
Previous Other picks: CA - Abbey (Seal Beach); Alex's Bar (Long Beach); Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles); Avanguardia Wines (Grass Valley); Beachwood Brewery (Seal Beach); Berryessa Brewing Company (Winters); Bett's Gold Coin Sports Tavern (Mariposa); Brewski's Bar (San Diego); Downtown Rookies Sports Bar (Visalia); Eberle Winery (Paso Robles); El Prado (Los Angeles); Fall River Taphouse (Redding); Far Bar (Los Angeles); 49ers Tavern & Grill (Long Beach); Goat Hill Tavern (Costa Mesa); Hermosillo (Los Angeles); Mercantile Saloon (Sacramento); Polite Provisions (San Diego); San Diego Beerworks; Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery; Shady Lady Saloon (Sacramento); Stateline Brewery (South Lake Tahoe); Track Seven Brewing (Sacramento) ... Pacific - Firkin & Fox (Carson City, NV); 49th State Brewing (Healy, AK); Garage (Las Vegas); Alibi Ale Works (Incline Village, NV); New Deal Distillery (Portland); Sun Liquor Distillery (Seattle); ... Mountain - Epic Brewing (Denver); Marble Brewery (Albuquerque); 1up (Denver); Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Denver); Twisted Chile Brewing Company (Socorro, NM) ... East - Fullsteam Brewery (Durham, NC); Nellie's Sports Bar (D.C.).
Charity
Openhouse. Founded in San Francisco in 1998, this program provides Bay Area LGBT seniors with housing, direct services, and community programs. Happy Pride Month!
Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Aldea Inc., American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Ashoka, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Bay Area Community Services, Bay Leaf Kitchen, Bay Localize, Bike Kitchen, Blue Energy, City CarShare, City Slicker Farms, College Track, Coming Home Project, Common Ground Relief, Curry Without Worry, Darfur Sister Schools, Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH), Duboce/ Valencia Fire Relief, East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, FabMo Creativity Center, Farm Sanctuary, First Graduate, Foundation for the People of Burma, Friends of the Urban Forest, Glide Memorial, Good Karma Bikes, Hamilton Family Center, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, J-Sei, KQED (88.5 FM), La Cocina, Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Amy C), Little Angel Fund, Loaves and Fishes, LYRIC, Maitri, Milo Foundation, My New Red Shoes, Natural Resources Defense Council, Old Skool Cafe, Plant SF, Prevent Blindness, Queer Lifespace (Wes S), Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Re-volv, Rising Sun Energy Center, Rocky Mountain Wild, SCRAP, SF Health Services Coalition, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, SF Suicide Prevention, SF Women Against Rape, Shanti, Sustainable Conservation, Urban Solutions, Urban Tilth, Vida Verde Nature Education, Vital Life Services, Westside Community Services, Youth Tennis Advantage.
Free Activities
1. Opera at the Ballpark
Saturday, 7:30pm
Sit on the field or Club Level, munch on garlic fries, and bring in a picnic (no alcohol or glass/aluminum) for a simulcast of Bizet's Carmen from the Opera House. Register online to enter starting at 5pm. Typically about 20-30,000 spectators show up.
2. Fillmore Jazz Festival
Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm
Six stages span Fillmore Street between Jackson and Eddy, along with dozens of vendors and over 100,000 visitors.
3. Happy Fourth of July!
- Richmond: Sunday, 6:30-10pm
- Russian River: Sunday, 8-10pm
- Stockton: Sunday, 8pm-midnight
- Concord: Monday, 8am-9:30pm
- Sausalito: Monday, 10am-9:30pm
- Santa Clara: Monday, noon-10pm
- Berkeley: Monday, noon-10pm
- San Francisco: Monday, 3-10pm
- San Jose: Monday, 5:30-10pm
Join the Oakland Symphony at Craneway Pavilion, float down the Russian River, soak up some heat along the Delta, or just enjoy the festivities in Concord, Sausalito, Santa Clara, Berkeley, San Francisco, and San Jose.
I am good, I am grounded
Davy says that I look taller
I can't get my head around it
I keep feeling smaller and smaller
-- "I Need My Girl" by The National, feat. Justin Vernon (4.5 million views; Feb '14 upload)
The quintet, including two sets of brothers, built up momentum before hitting the national scene on their fourth studio album. They became featured on a whole host of TV shows, from House to One Tree Hill, and figured prominently into Barack Obama's presidential campaign. This year, their Bay Area stop is at the Berkeley Greek Theatre on July 29, with The Lone Bellow opening.
Previous songs: Against Me! - Thrash Unreal; Alabama Shakes - Hold On; Alison Krauss - Down to the River to Pray; Alt-J - Breezeblocks; AlunaGeorge - Your Drums, Your Love; Alzara & Brother Spellbinder - Speed of Sound; Amy Hānaiali`i Gilliom - Aloha `Oe; Andrew Bird - Dyin' Bedmaker; Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up; Anuhea - Higher Than the Clouds; Asleep at the Wheel - The Letter That Johnny Walker Read; Ataris - In This Diary; Atlas Genius - Trojans; Au Revoir Simone - Sad Song; Avicii - Levels; Balmorhea - Remembrance; Band of Horses - Knock Knock; Banks - Beggin' for Thread; Basia Bulat - Tall Tall Shadow; Bastille - Pompeii; Bebe Rexha - I'm Gonna Show You Crazy; Ben Sollee - A Few Honest Words; Beth Orton - Central Reservation; Black Keys - Lonely Boy; Blackbird, Blackbird - It's a War; Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better; Blind Pilot - Three Rounds and a Sound; Brandi Carlile - The Story; Broken Bells - The High Road; Broods - Bridges; Cam - Burning House; Capital Cities - Safe and Sound; Caribou - Odessa; Cathedrals - Unbound; Cave Singers - Dancing On Our Graves; Cayuca - High School Lover; Chet Faker - Talk Is Cheap; Chvrches - The Mother We Share; Crocodiles - Sunday; Crystal Castles - Celestica; Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love; Decemberists - O Valencia!; Dillon Francis, feat. DJ Snake - Get Low; Disclosure, feat. Sam Smith - Latch; Dodos - Black Night; Dr. Dog - The Truth Don't Stop; Echosmith - Bright; Ed Sheeran - The A Team; Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Man on Fire; Empire of the Sun - Alive; Family Crest - Love Don't Go; Father John Misty - Nancy From Now On; Field Report - Home (Leave the Lights On); First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining; Fitz and the Tantrums - Out of My League; 5 Seconds of Summer - She Looks So Perfect; Flying Lotus - Never Catch Me; Foals - Inhaler; Frail - Back to Me; Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger; Frazey Ford - September Fields; Fun. - Carry On; Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting on You); Geographer - Kites; George Ezra - Budapest; Glass Animals - Gooey; Glitch Mob - We Can Make the World Stop; Gotye - Easy Way Out; Haley Reinhart - Free; Hamilton Leithauser - Alexandra; Hawthorne Heights - Ohio is for Lovers; Holy Ghost - Dumb Disco Ideas; Houndsmouth - Sedona; How To Dress Well - & It Was U; Hozier - Take Me to Church; Hunter Hayes - Wanted; Imagine Dragons - It's Time; Jai Wolf - Indian Summer; Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt; Jake Shimabukuro - Bohemian Rhapsody; Jill Scott, feat. Anthony Hamilton - So in Love; Joe Pug - Hymn #101; Judah and the Lion - Rich Kids; Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone; Killers - Miss Atomic Bomb; Klingande - Jubel; Knife - Heartbeats; Kraftwerk - The Robots; La Luz - Call Me in a Day; Laidback Luke, feat. Project 46 and Collin McLoughlin - Collide; Leon Bridges - Coming Home; Lila Downs - Zapata Se Queda; Lorde - Royals; Lost in the Trees - Garden; Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears; Lumineers - Ho Hey; M83 - Midnight City; Macklemore + Ryan Lewis, feat. Mary Lambert - Same Love; Magik*Magik Orchestra and John Vanderslice - Promising Actress; Martha Wainwright - You Cheated Me; Martin Garrix - Animals; Mary Lambert - She Keeps Me Warm; Mastodon - High Road; Matt Nathanson - Higher; Mika - Big Girl; Mowgli's - San Francisco; MS MR - Hurricane; Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds; Muse - Uprising; Mynabirds - Wildfire; Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - S.O.B.; Neighbourhood - Sweater Weather; Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You; Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers - I Can't Go For That; Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight; Odesza - Say My Name; Of Monsters and Men - King and Lionheart; of Montreal - Wraith Pinned to the Mist; Orwells - Who Needs You; Panda Bear - Boys Latin; Parker Millsap - Truck Stop Gospel; Passion Pit - Take a Walk; Pete Yorn, feat. Scarlett Johannson - Relator; Phoenix - Entertainment; Portugal. The Man - So American; Presets - If I Know You; Pretty Lights - Around the Block; Pure Bathing Culture - Lucky One; Ra Ra Riot - Dance with Me; Rachael Yamagata - Even If I Could; Radiation City - Zombies; Rancid - Ruby Soho; Revivalists - Criminal; Rita Ora - I Will Never Let You Down; Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk; Sara Bareilles - Brave; Say Hi - Devils; Seven Lions, feat. Kerli - Worlds Apart; Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way; Sharon Van Etten - Taking Chances; Sky Ferreira - You're Not the One; Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals; Sophie B. Hawkins - As I Lay Me Down; St. Lucia - Elevate; Steve Grand - All-American Boy; Stone Foxes - Everybody Knows; STRFKR - Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second; Stromae - Papaoutai; Surfer Blood - Demon Dance; Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child; Tanlines - All of Me; Taylor Swift - Blank Space; Tegan and Sara - Closer; Thermals - Now We Can See; Tokio Hotel - Feel It All; Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate; Toro Y Moi - So Many Details; TV on the Radio - Will Do; twenty-one pilots - Holding on to You; Trophy Fire - Tired Eyes; Vampire Weekend - Step; Vance Joy - Riptide; Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles; Vetiver - Wonder Why; War on Drugs - Red Eyes; We Are Scientists - After Hours; WestJet - Christmas Miracle; Wild Nothing - Paradise; William Elliott Whitmore - Hell or High Water; William Fitzsimmons - It's Not True; X Ambassadors - Jungle; xx - Angels; Zac Brown Band - Chicken Fried; Zedd, feat. Foxes - Clarity; Zella Day - Hypnotic.
Food
Ole Ole Burrito Express
588 14th St
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 834-5700
Yelp - 4 stars (243 reviews)
I first laid eyes on this place while waiting for hours to get in to a political rally. When the chance later struck for a quick take-out option, I decided to try it out. Super glad! This has all the usual taqueria options, but at more reasonable prices and portions than many of its brethren in San Francisco. Stop by here if you happen to be in Uptown or Downtown Oakland!
Previous San Francisco picks: A La Turca; Alta CA; Amber India; Aperto; Arizmendi Cafe; Art's Cafe; Balompie Cafe; Big Mouth Burgers; Bistro Central Parc; Blue Plate; Bodega Bistro; Boulevard; Boxing Room; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Brenda's French Soul Food; Brenda's Meat and Three; Broken Record; Burmese Kitchen; Chairman Truck; Chez Maman; Chomp N' Swig; Cinderella Bakery; Citizen's Band; Codmother Fish & Chips; Curry Up Now; Dottie's True Blue Cafe; El Metate; Fat Angel; Firefly; Foreign Cinema; Frances; Frisco Fried; Front Porch; Goat Hill Pizza; Good Luck Dim Sum; Guddu de Karahi - CLOSED; Hard Knox Cafe; Hawaiian Drive Inn #28; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop; Humphry Slocombe; Ike's Place; Just For You Cafe; Katana-Ya; Ken Ken Ramen; Kitchen Story; Kokkari Estiatorio; L'Ardoise Bistro; La Mediterranee; La Taqueria; Lers Ros Thai; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen; Limon Rotisserie; Little Chihuahua; Little Nepal; Little Star Pizza; Marcella's Lasagneria; Marcello's Pizza; Mission Beach Cafe; Mission Pie; Mitchell's Ice Cream; Miyabi Sushi; Molinari Delicatessen; Morty's Delicatessen; Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; My Tofu House; New Eritrea Restaurant & Bar; Nick's Crispy Tacos; Old Skool Cafe; Olea; Olive Garden; Pakwan; Papalote Mexican Grill; Park Tavern; Pearl's Deluxe Burgers; Pete's Barbeque; Pho Huynh Hiep 2; Piccino; Pluto's; Primo Patio Cafe; Queen's Louisiana Po-Boy Cafe; Radio Habana Social Club; Radius; Ragazza; Range; Red Door Cafe; Richmond; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Roxie Food Center; Saigon Sandwich; San Tung; Sausage Factory; Señor Sisig; 1760; Shabusen; Shalimar; Shanghai Dumpling King; Shin Toe Bul Yi; SO; Sotto Mare; St. Francis Fountain; Starbelly; Super Duper Burgers; Suzu Noodle House; Swan Oyster Depot; Sweet Maple; Tadich Grill; Taqueria Cancun; Taqueria Guadalajara; Ted's Deli; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Tony's Pizza Napoletana; Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano; Tommy's Joynt; Truly Mediterranean; Tu Lan; Upcider; V-105 - CLOSED; Vega; Velvet Cantina; Volcano; Walzwerk; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's - CLOSED; Woodhouse Fish Co; Yamo; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Zanze's Cheesecake; Zazie; Zero Zero; Zuni Cafe.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park/San Jose); Barbara's Fishtrap (Half Moon Bay); Cowabunga Creamery (San Carlos); Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Gombei Japanese Restaurant (San Jose); Gorilla Barbeque (Pacifica); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Koi Palace (Daly City); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo); Old Port Lobster Shack (Redwood City); Phil's Kitchen (Menlo Park); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo (San Mateo); Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Romolo's Cannoli (San Mateo); Shanghai Dumpling Shop (Millbrae); Souvlaki's Greek Skewers (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo).
Previous East Bay picks: Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Bakesale Betty (Oakland); Battambang (Oakland); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley); Fentons Creamery (Oakland); First Street Ale House (Livermore); Gather (Berkeley); Grand Lake Kitchen (Oakland); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Homeroom (Oakland); John's Ice Cream (Brentwood/Berkeley); Johnathan's Sandwich House (Alameda); Jong Ga House (Oakland); Kabana Restaurant (Berkeley); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville) - CLOSED; Kensington Circus Pub; Korea House (Concord); Little Star Pizza (Albany); Luka's Taproom & Lounge (Oakland); Miss Ollie's (Oakland); Mua Lounge (Oakland); Ole Ole Burrito Express (Oakland); Phnom Penh House (Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/
Previous North Bay picks: Andie's Cafe (Napa); Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Bovine Bakery (Petaluma/Point Reyes Station); Buckeye Roadhouse (Mill Valley); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Fairfax Scoop; Garden Grill (Guerneville); Lighthouse Cafe (Sausalito); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Sol Food (San Rafael/Mill Valley); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Super Duper Burgers (Mill Valley); Tony Tutto Pizza (Mill Valley); West Brooklyn Pizza Co (San Rafael); Shuffle's Magical Ice Cream Shoppe (Santa Rosa).
Previous Other picks: CA - Ampersand Ice Cream (Fresno); Ballast Point Brewery (San Diego); Champa Garden (Redding); Crema Cafe (Seal Beach); Dan's BBQ (Modesto); Donuttery (Huntington Beach); Fox & Goose Public House (Sacramento); Freshies (South Lake Tahoe); George's Greek Cafe (Long Beach); Han Bat Sul Lung Tang (Los Angeles); Hangout (Seal Beach); Heidi's Pancake House (South Lake Tahoe); Hey That's Amore (Pasadena); Ike's Quarter Cafe (Nevada City); Jayne's Gastropub (San Diego); La Bonne Soupe Cafe (Sacramento); Masa of Echo Park (Los Angeles); Phil's BBQ (San Diego); Philippe the Original (Los Angeles); Red Scooter Deli (Paso Robles); Serrano's Cafe (Sacramento); Shoki Ramen House (Sacramento); Solano Baking Company (Dixon); Sprouts Cafe (South Lake Tahoe); Starling Diner (Long Beach); Yafa (Carmel) ... Pacific - Built to Grill (Portland) - CLOSED; Mon Ami Gabi (Las Vegas); Quinn's (Seattle); Snow City Cafe (Anchorage) ... Mountain - Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs (Denver); Frontier Restaurant (Albuquerque); Pantry Restaurant (Santa Fe); Rioja (Denver); Root Down (Denver); Yak and Yeti Restaurant + Brewpub (Arvada, CO) ... East - Ben's Chili Bowl (D.C.); Biscuit Head (Asheville, NC).
Nightlife
Radio
435 13th St
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 451-2889
Yelp - 4 stars (297 reviews)
On a recent night with friends, violence struck just outside where we all sat. The bartender - the lone worker in the establishment - sprang into action and kept us all safe. The bar itself is long, dark, and narrow, with cheap happy hour specials and very close proximity to 12th Street BART.
Previous San Francisco picks: Alembic; Amelie; Amsterdam Cafe; Armory Club; Aunt Charlie's Lounge; Ave; Azucar Lounge; Bar 821; Barrel Head Brewhouse; Biergarten; Bitter End; Blackbird; Blackthorn; Bloodhound; Bottom of the Hill; Bourbon & Branch; Buckshot - CLOSED; Cellarmaker Brewing Company; Dark Horse Inn; Dear Mom; Doc's Clock; Dogpatch Saloon; 83 Proof; El Rio; Elbo Room; Elixir; Edinburgh Castle Pub; Eureka Lounge; 500 Club; 15 Romolo; Fillmore Karaoke; 440 Castro; Gestalt Haus; Great American Music Hall; Greens Sports Bar; Hearth; Hi Tops; Hidden Vine; Homestead; Hopwater Distribution; Hot Spot; Hotel Biron; Jackalope; Kezar Pub; Kilowatt; Knockout; Latin American Club; Local Edition; Lucky 13; Magnolia Pub & Brewery; Make-Out Room; Martuni's; Mission Bar; Mix; Monk's Kettle; Musee Mechanique; NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences; Noc Noc; Novela; Page; Phoenix Bar & Irish Gathering House; Phone Booth; Pig & Whistle; Pilsner Inn; Plough and the Stars; Redwood Room; Residence; Revolution Cafe; Rickhouse; Riptide; Royal Cuckoo; Rye; Shotwell's; Showdown; Social Kitchen & Brewery; Social Study; Southern Pacific Brewing; Speakeasy Ales & Lagers; Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe; Spitfire Rose - CLOSED; Sugar Lounge; Tempest; Thee Parkside; Thieves Tavern; Third Rail; Tommy's Mexican; Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar; Topsy's Fun House; Toronado; Tosca Cafe; Trad'r Sam; Trick Dog; Triple Voodoo Brewery & Tap Room; 21st Amendment; Twin Peaks Tavern; Two Sisters Bar and Books; Urban Putt; Valley Tavern; Vesuvio; Vinyl Coffee & Wine Bar; Whiskey Thieves; Wild Side West; Willows.
Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Antonio's Nut House (Palo Alto); Branham Lounge (San Jose); Cinebar (San Jose); Devil's Canyon Brewing Company (San Carlos); Devil's Slide Taproom (Pacifica); Dutch Goose (Menlo Park); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Freewheel Brewing Company (Redwood City); Grape & Grain (San Mateo); Hop Dogma Brewing Co (El Granada); Oasis Beer Garden (Menlo Park); Rose and Crown (Palo Alto); 7 Mile House (Brisbane).
Previous East Bay picks: Albany Taproom; Ale Industries (Oakland); Altamont Beer Works (Livermore); Bar Three Fifty-Five (Oakland); Beer Revolution (Oakland); Ben & Nick's Bar & Grill (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland); District Oakland; Diving Dog Brewhouse (Oakland); Dogwood (Oakland); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); Drake's Dealership (Oakland); Faction Brewing (Alameda); Fauna (Oakland); Heart and Dagger Saloon (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); Jeff Cohn Cellars (Oakland); Jupiter (Berkeley); Make Westing (Oakland); Moxy Beer Garden (Berkeley); New Parkway (Oakland); Pig & the Pickle (Concord); Prizefighter (Emeryville); Room 389 (Oakland); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Torpedo Room (Berkeley); Trappist (Oakland); Triple Rock Brewery and Ale House (Berkeley); Turf Club (Hayward); Woods Bar & Brewery (Oakland).
Previous North Bay picks: Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Healdsburg); Billco's Billiards & Darts (Napa); Cline Cellars (Sonoma); Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma); Mill Valley Beerworks; No Name Bar (Sausalito); Petaluma Hills Brewing Company (Petaluma); Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley); Tourist Club (Mill Valley); William Hill Estate Winery (Napa); Fogbelt Brewing Company (Santa Rosa).
Previous Other picks: CA - Abbey (Seal Beach); Alex's Bar (Long Beach); Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles); Avanguardia Wines (Grass Valley); Beachwood Brewery (Seal Beach); Berryessa Brewing Company (Winters); Bett's Gold Coin Sports Tavern (Mariposa); Brewski's Bar (San Diego); Downtown Rookies Sports Bar (Visalia); Eberle Winery (Paso Robles); El Prado (Los Angeles); Fall River Taphouse (Redding); Far Bar (Los Angeles); 49ers Tavern & Grill (Long Beach); Goat Hill Tavern (Costa Mesa); Hermosillo (Los Angeles); Mercantile Saloon (Sacramento); Polite Provisions (San Diego); San Diego Beerworks; Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery; Shady Lady Saloon (Sacramento); Stateline Brewery (South Lake Tahoe); Track Seven Brewing (Sacramento) ... Pacific - Firkin & Fox (Carson City, NV); 49th State Brewing (Healy, AK); Garage (Las Vegas); Alibi Ale Works (Incline Village, NV); New Deal Distillery (Portland); Sun Liquor Distillery (Seattle); ... Mountain - Epic Brewing (Denver); Marble Brewery (Albuquerque); 1up (Denver); Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey (Denver); Twisted Chile Brewing Company (Socorro, NM) ... East - Fullsteam Brewery (Durham, NC); Nellie's Sports Bar (D.C.).
Charity
Openhouse. Founded in San Francisco in 1998, this program provides Bay Area LGBT seniors with housing, direct services, and community programs. Happy Pride Month!
Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Aldea Inc., American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Ashoka, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Bay Area Community Services, Bay Leaf Kitchen, Bay Localize, Bike Kitchen, Blue Energy, City CarShare, City Slicker Farms, College Track, Coming Home Project, Common Ground Relief, Curry Without Worry, Darfur Sister Schools, Delivering Innovation in Supportive Housing (DISH), Duboce/ Valencia Fire Relief, East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, FabMo Creativity Center, Farm Sanctuary, First Graduate, Foundation for the People of Burma, Friends of the Urban Forest, Glide Memorial, Good Karma Bikes, Hamilton Family Center, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, J-Sei, KQED (88.5 FM), La Cocina, Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Amy C), Little Angel Fund, Loaves and Fishes, LYRIC, Maitri, Milo Foundation, My New Red Shoes, Natural Resources Defense Council, Old Skool Cafe, Plant SF, Prevent Blindness, Queer Lifespace (Wes S), Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Re-volv, Rising Sun Energy Center, Rocky Mountain Wild, SCRAP, SF Health Services Coalition, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, SF Suicide Prevention, SF Women Against Rape, Shanti, Sustainable Conservation, Urban Solutions, Urban Tilth, Vida Verde Nature Education, Vital Life Services, Westside Community Services, Youth Tennis Advantage.
Free Activities
1. Opera at the Ballpark
Saturday, 7:30pm
Sit on the field or Club Level, munch on garlic fries, and bring in a picnic (no alcohol or glass/aluminum) for a simulcast of Bizet's Carmen from the Opera House. Register online to enter starting at 5pm. Typically about 20-30,000 spectators show up.
2. Fillmore Jazz Festival
Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm
Six stages span Fillmore Street between Jackson and Eddy, along with dozens of vendors and over 100,000 visitors.
3. Happy Fourth of July!
- Richmond: Sunday, 6:30-10pm
- Russian River: Sunday, 8-10pm
- Stockton: Sunday, 8pm-midnight
- Concord: Monday, 8am-9:30pm
- Sausalito: Monday, 10am-9:30pm
- Santa Clara: Monday, noon-10pm
- Berkeley: Monday, noon-10pm
- San Francisco: Monday, 3-10pm
- San Jose: Monday, 5:30-10pm
Join the Oakland Symphony at Craneway Pavilion, float down the Russian River, soak up some heat along the Delta, or just enjoy the festivities in Concord, Sausalito, Santa Clara, Berkeley, San Francisco, and San Jose.
