Randy's Guide CCCXX (320)

You turn me over and over

'Til I can't control myself

Make me a liar

One big disaster

You make my heart beat faster.

 - Matt Nathanson

Bay Area Quote

"We used to joke that if you wanted to point to what was wrong with the country, you could point to San Francisco. And if God was going to send an earthquake, he'd probably send it there. Now maybe he has to send it to Seattle."

 - Pastor Joe Fuiten of Bothell, Wash.

Bay Area Food Pick

Zero Zero

826 Folsom St. (at 4th St.)

San Francisco, CA 94107

(415) 348-8800

Yelp

So good, it's my work team's selection for our holiday luncheon. The name derives from the powder-fine flour used for its Neapolitan-style pizzas, which leads to a delectable crisp. And don't forget to leave room for the tailored-to-your-taste ice cream sundaes! 4 stars - 1399 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.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo/Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo).

Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville); Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley/Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/Roseville); Bakesale Betty (Oakland); Zachary's Pizza (Oakland/Berkeley/San Ramon); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Val's Burgers (Hayward); Homeroom (Oakland); Jong Ga House (Oakland); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley); Vik's Chaat (Berkeley).

Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Super Duper (Mill Valley); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville).

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

Bay Area Nightlife Pick

Magnolia Pub & Brewery

1398 Haight St. (at Masonic Ave.)

San Francisco, CA 94117

(415) 864-7468

Yelp

It's handy I can walk here from home. I have yet to be wowed by the food, which has been dramatically upgraded over the past decade. Now it's a gastropub. Anyhow, the beer remains a top draw, especially on Tuesdays when the $7 Imperial pints (20 ounces) are a mere $4. You'll typically find ten in-house brews on tap, plus a guest, plus several more on cask (my preference). Arrive early, or be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder. 3-1/2 stars - 1194 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.

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

Previous East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland); Room 389 (Oakland); Beer Revolution (Oakland).

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

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland).

Bay Area History

William Davis Merry Howard

(1818-1856)

He sailed to San Francisco from Boston as a 20-year-old cabin boy. After gaining experience in the trade business, he would co-purchase a Hudson's Bay Co. property in San Francisco in 1846, and turn it into a profitable company. Mr. Howard also served on San Francisco's first city council and helped craft a code of laws and police force. His second wife, Agnes, survived Mr. Howard and proceeded to marry his brother. Howard Street, in the South of Market district, is named after him.

Previous San Francisco history: John Geary; Samuel Brannan; Michael O'Shaughnessy; Jasper O'Farrell; Frank McCoppin; Thomas Hayes; Francisco de Haro; Jose Bernal; David Broderick; Henry Haight; John Townsend; Cyril Magnin; Jose Arguello; Keiko Fukuda; John Le Conte; Eugene Schmitz; Theodore Judah; Herb Caen; James Phelan; Lawrence Ferlinghetti; Angelo Rossi; Charles Brenham; Warren Hellman; John McLaren; Dogpatch; Thomas Larkin; Nancy Pelosi; Levi Strauss; John Sloat; Jose Sarria.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden; Hiram Morgan Hill; Simon Mezes; James Forbes; Henry Coe, Jr.; John Gilroy.

Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot; Thomas Caldecott; Laurentine Hamilton; Joel Clayton; Edson Adams.

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

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

Bay Area Charity

The Coming Home Project

Based in San Francisco since 2006, this organization provides emotional and psychological support to Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, service members, and their families. Estimates are that one out of six troops returning from the wars will have psychological trauma.

Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Common Ground Relief, LYRIC, Aldea Inc., Glide Memorial, City CarShare, Maitri, Loaves and Fishes, Friends of the Urban Forest, Farm Sanctuary, Bay Area Community Services, Blue Energy, My New Red Shoes, College Track, Foundation for the People of Burma, Vital Life Services, Little Angel Fund, San Francisco Health Services Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable Conservation, Ashoka, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Urban Solutions, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Shanti, Curry Without Worry, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, La Cocina, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, The Bike Kitchen, First Graduate, Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Amy C), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center; and now Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief.

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Slight chance of showers on Friday morning and Saturday afternoon. Inland East Bay wind chills are expected to dip into the low-20s tonight from 2-8 a.m. Heavier rain looks ready to strike Monday and Wednesday next week.

* low-to-mid-50s everywhere

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Volunteer

- Glide: Wednesday, 6am-1pm

- Salvation Army: through Dec. 20, 8:30am-4pm

As a former Gap Inc. employee, I can attest that this volunteer opportunity is a lot of manual labor, but the rewards are immense. Bags will be filled with groceries and given to 5,500 folks lined up around the block of the famed church. The Salvation Army also seeks volunteers to sort toys and fill food bags.

2. Christmas for Adults

- SantaCon: Saturday, noon start

- Boombox Christmas Parade: Saturday, 7pm

- Santa Skivvies Run: Sunday, 1pm

Don your Santa outfit, and get your drink on. The crawl starts at Union Square Park (for now), but follow the blog for updates. For a more modest celebratory atmosphere, bring your boombox or iPad to create a parade of sound. Lastly, ogle the red-underwear-clad runners making a loop through Castro, starting at Lookout Bar. If you choose to do the charity run, the registration fee is $35.

3. Christmas for Families

- Holiday Lights Parade: Friday, 6pm start

- Snow Park: Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm

More than 100 holiday boats will parade from Pier 39 to the St. Francis Yacht Club. Arrive early for best viewing spots along Jefferson St. For the third year, 75 tons of snow will be dumped onto Civic Center Plaza. City Hall will also have an open house from 11am-3pm on Sunday, where you can meet Mayor Ed Lee and other civic leaders.

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).

Randy's Guide CCCXIX (319)

It's time to begin

Isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger

But then I'll admit

I'm just the same as I was

Now, don't you understand?

That I'm never changing who I am.

  - Imagine Dragons

Bay Area Food Pick

Ted's Deli

1530 Howard St. (at 11th St.)

San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 552-0309

Yelp

Run by the Zouzounis family since its opening in 1967, Ted's Market and Delicatessen is well-known for its $5 sizable sandwiches... and the lunch lines to get them. In fact, the store recommends strongly that orders are faxed in advance. Much of their specialty meat, such as the tri-tip, pulled pork, and steamed pastrami, are gone before closing. And, if you watched Pursuit of Happyness, you'll recognize this deli! 4-1/2 stars - 285 reviews

Previous San Francisco picks: Radius; Limon Rotisserie; Art's Cafe; Little Star Pizza; Yamo; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Humphry Slocombe; Tu Lan; Foreign Cinema; Zanze's Cheesecake; San Tung; Katana-Ya; A La Turca; Boxing Room; Frances; Saigon Sandwich; Brenda's French Soul Food; Park Tavern; Broken Record; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Curry Up Now; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen; Firefly; Red Door Cafe; L'Ardoise Bistro; Pluto's; My Tofu House; Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; Walzwerk; Good Luck Dim Sum; Amber India; Sotto Mare; Sweet Maple; Shanghai Dumpling King; Super Duper; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop; Fat Angel; Aperto; Pho Huynh Hiep 2.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo/Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo).

Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville); Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley/Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/Roseville); Bakesale Betty (Oakland); Zachary's Pizza (Oakland/Berkeley/San Ramon); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Val's Burgers (Hayward); Homeroom (Oakland); Jong Ga House (Oakland); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley); Vik's Chaat (Berkeley).

Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Super Duper (Mill Valley); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville).

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

Bay Area Nightlife Pick

Local Edition

691 Market St. (at Geary St.)

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 795-1375

Yelp

From the empire-minded wizards of Bourbon and Branch comes this subterranean lounge that is fast becoming a magnet for the FiDi crowd. Reservations are strongly recommended, unless you enjoy being crushed near the u-shaped bar. I ordered the bar-named beverage and was thoroughly impressed. Drink prices range in the low-double-digits. 4 stars - 241 reviews

Previous San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific Brewing; The Hidden Vine; Vesuvio; The Pig & Whistle; Biergarten; Martuni's; Tosca Cafe; Toronado; The Alembic; Trad'r Sam; Sugar Lounge; Speakeasy Ales & Lagers; Lucky 13; Hotel Biron; Bottom of the Hill; Blackthorn.

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

Previous East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland); Room 389 (Oakland); Beer Revolution (Oakland).

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

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland).

Bay Area History

John Gilroy (Cameron)

(1794-1869)

A native of Scotland, he fled by boat to Monterey during the War of 1812. Eventually, he would become the first recognized non-Spanish settler in Alta California and marry into the family owning the San Ysidro Rancho in Santa Clara Valley. After inheriting the land, he would assume various managerial positions, such as alcalde and Justice of the Peace, before his fall into gambling and rheumatism. The city of Gilroy, population: 48,821 (2010), is named after him.

Previous San Francisco history: John Geary; Samuel Brannan; Michael O'Shaughnessy; Jasper O'Farrell; Frank McCoppin; Thomas Hayes; Francisco de Haro; Jose Bernal; David Broderick; Henry Haight; John Townsend; Cyril Magnin; Jose Arguello; Keiko Fukuda; John Le Conte; Eugene Schmitz; Theodore Judah; Herb Caen; James Phelan; Lawrence Ferlinghetti; Angelo Rossi; Charles Brenham; Warren Hellman; John McLaren; Dogpatch; Thomas Larkin; Nancy Pelosi; Levi Strauss; John Sloat; Jose Sarria.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden; Hiram Morgan Hill; Simon Mezes; James Forbes; Henry Coe, Jr.

Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot; Thomas Caldecott; Laurentine Hamilton; Joel Clayton; Edson Adams.

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

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

Bay Area Charity

The Coming Home Project

Based in San Francisco since 2006, this organization provides emotional and psychological support to Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, service members, and their families. Estimates are that one out of six troops returning from the wars will have psychological trauma.

Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Common Ground Relief, LYRIC, Aldea Inc., Glide Memorial, City CarShare, Maitri, Loaves and Fishes, Friends of the Urban Forest, Farm Sanctuary, Bay Area Community Services, Blue Energy, My New Red Shoes, College Track, Foundation for the People of Burma, Vital Life Services, Little Angel Fund, San Francisco Health Services Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable Conservation, Ashoka, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Urban Solutions, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Shanti, Curry Without Worry, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, La Cocina, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, The Bike Kitchen, First Graduate, Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Amy C), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center; and now Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief.

Bay Area Quote

"The Department is pleased to be moving forward with the neighborhood-driven project to create a community garden in Golden Gate Park."

  - Sarah Ballard, spokeswoman for the Recreation and Park Dept.

"I thought they would wait until January. Now we'll have a lot of people out of work for Christmas."

  - Ed Dunn, director of the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood Council Recycling Center

Bay Area Weekend Highs

Cool, clear nights. Possible record highs for Sunday. No rain in sight for the next week.

~ Thursday-Friday ~

Near 60

~ Saturday-Sunday ~

Near 65

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. Neighborhood Holiday Block Parties

- Mission District: Friday, 5-10pm

- Hayes Valley: Friday, 6-9pm

The Mission, specifically 16th St. or Valencia St., will be bribing holiday shoppers with free alcohol, food, and music for the fifth year. Its predecessor in Hayes Valley is hosting events at over 30 businesses as part of its 21st annual celebration.

2. Indie Holiday Fairs

- Vagabond Indie Bazaar: Saturday-Sunday, noon-6:30pm

- SF Made Holiday Fair: Sunday, 10am-6pm

Etsy co-sponsors the Vagabond Bazaar in SoMa's Urban Bazaar with over two dozen local artists. Fort Mason hosts over six dozen artists for the largest local holiday market.

3. Holiday Events in the Parks

- McLaren Lodge ceremony: Thursday, 5pm

- Drag Queens on Ice: Thursday, 8-9:30pm

- Rock the Square Bell Ringing: Friday, 10am-2pm

- Aloha on Ice: Friday, 4-7pm

- Chanukah Festival: Saturday, 6:30-8pm; Sunday 3-6pm; Monday-Thursday 5pm; Friday 3pm; Saturday 7pm

Golden Gate Park's McLaren Lodge will light its holiday tree and offer Santa photos, carnival rides, and live entertainment. Union Square Park will host six drag performers in an ice skating competition and celebrity bell ringers. Over at Justin Herman Plaza, you'll be able to make a fresh flower lei, sample luau cuisine, and take a photo in the booth. Lastly, eight days of festivities, starting with the Saturday unveiling and Sunday festival, will take over Union Square Park in honor of the Jewish tradition.

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).

Randy's Guide CCCXVIII (318)

All you think of lately is getting underneath me

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

Here comes the heat before we meet

A little bit closer

- Tegan and Sara

Bay Area Food Pick

Vik's Chaat

2390 4th St. (at Channing Way)

Berkeley, CA 94710

(510) 644-4432

Yelp

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

Previous San Francisco picks: Radius; Limon Rotisserie; Art's Cafe; Little Star Pizza; Yamo; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Humphry Slocombe; Tu Lan; Foreign Cinema; Zanze's Cheesecake; San Tung; Katana-Ya; A La Turca; Boxing Room; Frances; Saigon Sandwich; Brenda's French Soul Food; Park Tavern; Broken Record; Rosamunde Sausage Grill; Curry Up Now; Yasukochi's Sweet Stop; Lime Tree Southeast Asian Kitchen; Firefly; Red Door Cafe; L'Ardoise Bistro; Pluto's; My Tofu House; Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous; Walzwerk; Good Luck Dim Sum; Amber India; Sotto Mare; Sweet Maple; Shanghai Dumpling King; Super Duper; Kokkari Estiatorio; Olea; Bodega Bistro; The Chairman Truck; Molinari Delicatessen; Wayfare Tavern; Wexler's; Thorough Bread & Pastry; Lers Ros Thai; Helmand Palace; HRD Coffee Shop; Fat Angel; Aperto; Pho Huynh Hiep 2.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay picks: Curry Up Now (San Mateo); Little Lucca Sandwich Shop & Deli (Burlingame/South SF); Falafel's Drive In (San Jose); Sunny Bowl (Mountain View); Back A Yard Caribbean Grill (Menlo Park); Pluto's (Palo Alto/San Jose); Ramen Dojo/Ramen Parlor (San Mateo); Amber India (Mountain View/San Jose/Palo Alto); Nini's Coffee Shop (San Mateo); Kabab and Curry's (Santa Clara); Fiddler's Green (Millbrae); Alana's Cafe (Burlingame); Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo).

Previous East Bay picks: Little Star Pizza (Albany); Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (Berkeley); Asmara (Oakland); Keanu's Island Kine Food (Vacaville); Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley/Oakland); Pluto's (Chico/Davis/Sacramento/Roseville); Bakesale Betty (Oakland); Zachary's Pizza (Oakland/Berkeley/San Ramon); Gregoire (Berkeley/Oakland); Val's Burgers (Hayward); Homeroom (Oakland); Jong Ga House (Oakland); Cheese Board Pizza (Berkeley).

Previous North Bay picks: Bouchon Bakery (Yountville); Della Fattoria Bakery (Petaluma); Sol Food (San Rafael); Stumptown Brewery (Guerneville); Moustache Baked Goods (Healdsburg); Super Duper (Mill Valley); The Pelican Inn (Muir Beach); Garden Grill (Guerneville).

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

Bay Area Nightlife Pick

Beer Revolution

464 3rd St. (at Broadway)

Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 452-2337

Yelp

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

Previous San Francisco picks: Blackbird; El Rio; Rickhouse; Southern Pacific Brewing; The Hidden Vine; Vesuvio; The Pig & Whistle; Biergarten; Martuni's; Tosca Cafe; Toronado; The Alembic; Trad'r Sam; Sugar Lounge; Speakeasy Ales & Lagers; Lucky 13; Hotel Biron; Bottom of the Hill; Blackthorn.

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

Previous East Bay picks: The Trappist (Oakland); Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (Oakland); The Turf Club (Hayward); Jupiter (Berkeley); St. George Spirits (Alameda); Drake's Barrel House (San Leandro); JC Cellars (Oakland); Dashe Cellars (Oakland); Room 389 (Oakland).

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

Previous Other pick: New Deal Distillery (Portland).

Bay Area History

Jose Sarria

(1923 - present)

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

Previous San Francisco history: John Geary; Samuel Brannan; Michael O'Shaughnessy; Jasper O'Farrell; Frank McCoppin; Thomas Hayes; Francisco de Haro; Jose Bernal; David Broderick; Henry Haight; John Townsend; Cyril Magnin; Jose Arguello; Keiko Fukuda; John Le Conte; Eugene Schmitz; Theodore Judah; Herb Caen; James Phelan; Lawrence Ferlinghetti; Angelo Rossi; Charles Brenham; Warren Hellman; John McLaren; Dogpatch; Thomas Larkin; Nancy Pelosi; Levi Strauss; John Sloat.

Previous Peninsula/South Bay history: Millbrae; Tanforan Racetrack; T. Jack Foster; Leland Stanford; Milpitas; Donald Tresidder; Josiah Belden; Hiram Morgan Hill; Simon Mezes; James Forbes; Henry Coe, Jr.

Previous East Bay history: Charles Tilden; William Hayward; John Fremont; Mariano Vallejo; Ygnacio Martinez; Henry Kaiser; Anthony Chabot; Thomas Caldecott; Laurentine Hamilton; Joel Clayton; Edson Adams.

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

Previous Other history: Francis Pettygrove (Portland).

Bay Area Charity

The Coming Home Project

Based in San Francisco since 2006, this organization provides emotional and psychological support to Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, service members, and their families. Estimates are that one out of six troops returning from the wars will have psychological trauma.

Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Common Ground Relief, LYRIC, Aldea Inc., Glide Memorial, City CarShare, Maitri, Loaves and Fishes, Friends of the Urban Forest, Farm Sanctuary, Bay Area Community Services, Blue Energy, My New Red Shoes, College Track, Foundation for the People of Burma, Vital Life Services, Little Angel Fund, San Francisco Health Services Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable Conservation, Ashoka, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Urban Solutions, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Shanti, Curry Without Worry, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, La Cocina, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, The Bike Kitchen, First Graduate, Lazarex Cancer Foundation (Amy C), KQED (88.5 FM), FabMo Creativity Center; and now Duboce/Valencia Fire Relief.

Bay Area Quote

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

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

Bay Area Weekend Highs

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

Low 60s everywhere

Bay Area Free Activities of the Week

1. World AIDS Day

Saturday, 10am-11:30pm

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

2. Bazaar Bizarre

Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm

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

3. Jack London Square Holiday Event

Friday, 5-9pm

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

Previous songs: Down to the River to Pray (Alison Krauss); Three Rounds and a Sound (Blind Pilot); Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band); The Story (Brandi Carlile); Lucky One (Pure Bathing Culture); Easy Way Out (Gotye); Hell or High Water (William Elliott Whitmore); Hymn #101 (Joe Pug); Midnight City (M83); So American (Portugal. The Man); Carry On (Fun.); Remembrance (Balmorhea); Miss Atomic Bomb (The Killers); Take a Walk (Passion Pit).