Entertainment in California
-
A
Magicopolis
Not only aspiring Harry Potters will enjoy the comedy-laced sleight-of-hand, levitation and other illusions performed by Steve Spills and cohorts in this intimate space. Escapes from reality last about 90 minutes, and there's even a small shop for all your wizard supplies.
reviewed
-
B
Albatross
A block north of University Ave, Albatross is one of the most inviting and friendly pubs in the entire Bay Area. Some serious darts are played here, and poker games and Trivial Pursuit will be going on around many of the worn out tables.
reviewed
-
C
Noc Noc
Who’s there? Nearsighted graffiti artists, anarchist bike messengers moonlighting as electronica DJs, and other characters straight out of an R Crumb comic, that’s who. The sake cocktails will knock you off your stool.
reviewed
-
D
Hollywood Bowl
This historic natural amphitheater is the LA Phil's summer home and also a stellar place to catch big-name rock, jazz, blues and pop acts. Come early for a preshow picnic (alcohol is allowed).
reviewed
-
E
San Francisco Giants
April to October, you can catch one of the 81 home games of SF’s National League baseball team in this intimate ballpark, which changes its name with every telecom merger. The Giants pack in huge crowds and often make the playoffs, but haven’t won the baseball big tomato, the World Series, since 1954 (the team called New York home in those days). Games are frequently sold out, but season-ticket holders often sell unwanted tickets through the team’s Double Play Ticket Window on the website; it’s also worth checking internet auctions like eBay.com and craigslist.org. A behind-the-scenes tour (415-972-2400; tickets $12.50; nongame days at 10:30am & 2:30pm) includes v…
reviewed
-
F
Fox Oakland Theatre
Downtown Oakland has plenty of buildings adorned with art nouveau or art deco details; unfortunately, many now stand empty and are in need of care, particularly those further out from City Center. One success story is the 1928 Fox Oakland Theatre, once the largest cinema west of Chicago. A two-year renovation ended in 2009, and now the theater hosts the likes of Sonic Youth and Kylie Minogue; it also houses the Oakland School of the Arts.
reviewed
-
G
Zeitgeist Bar
When temperatures rise, bikers and hipsters converge on Zeitgeist's huge outdoor beer garden for 40 brews on tap and late-night tamales.
reviewed
-
H
Vesuvio
Guy walks into a bar, roars and leaves. Without missing a beat, the bartender says to the next customer, ‘Welcome to Vesuvio, honey – what can I get you?’ It takes a lot more than a barbaric yawp to get Vesuvio’s regulars to glance up from their microbrewed beers. Kerouac blew off Henry Miller to go on a bender here, and after knocking back a couple with neighborhood characters, you’ll get why.
reviewed
-
Buck Owens' Crystal Palace
This venue, off Hwy 99 at the Rosedale Hwy exit, is a must-stop for country music fans. Looking like it belongs in Branson, Missouri, the flashy, Disney-esque joint is fun nonetheless. It regularly hosts touring country acts and Buck himself plays here every Friday and Saturday at 19:30 (around US$6, reserve in advance to assure seating). Memorabilia lines the hallways too. The overpriced food is OK but nothing special.
reviewed
-
I
Ritual Coffee Roasters
Blue Bottle and Ritual Roasters are the two big names in SF’s ‘Third Wave’ coffee movement, which esteems coffee as highly – and artfully – as fine chocolate and grand cru wine. We love bringing our laptop to Ritual’s Mission location to get jacked and eavesdrop on tattooed bikers, internet pros and coffee aficionados, but lament the loss of electrical outlets at some tables.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
J
Specs’
Hidden on a tiny pedestrian alley, cavelike Specs’ draws barflies in the afternoon and hipsters, literary radicals and other colorful local characters in the evening. It’s also a sort of museum, packed with weird ephemera culled from ports around the globe – nobody’s sure which species’ desiccated penis hangs behind the bar, but everyone agrees it’s from a marine mammal.
reviewed
-
Oakland A’s
When the Giants are away, the A’s are usually home, which expands the possibilities for those desperate for a summer baseball fix. BART stops just outside the ballpark. The A’s most recent championship came at the Giants’ expense in the quake-addled 1989 series, and they remain fierce contenders. If you want to catch them in an interleague-play game, get your tickets early.
reviewed
-
K
Red's Espresso Bar and Gallery
With Ring of Fire on the stereo, a concrete floor underfoot and scruffy barflies at the counter, Red's is just your typical small-town bar. 'Cept this is Santa Barbara, so make that your typical small-town coffee bar with local art hanging on the very red walls. In the heart of the Funk Zone, east of the tracks, the vibe is cool and the java cheap. Live music on the weekends.
reviewed
-
L
Gold Dust Lounge
Precarious Victorian brass chandeliers hover over a bar full of visitors and a twangy rockabilly band at this Union Square anachronism, where the gold paint has lost its glitter and pints are no longer cheap. But there’s something of a time-machine effect in the swinging doors, coat stands and nude paintings – you almost expect someone to beckon you to a brothel upstairs.
reviewed
-
M
Muddy Waters
A yard sale's mix of cosy furniture? Check. Pool table? Check. Internet access? Check. Live music on the weekends and a kick-ass backyard patio? You got it. Seems Muddy Waters has everything required for the quintessential indie coffeehouse. And the coffee's darn good too. Great place to escape the State St hordes.
reviewed
-
N
Beretta
After a busy day shopping on Valencia St, nothing hits the spot like Beretta’s lip-smacking seasonal cocktails, made with fresh everything. But consider avoiding this place during peak dinner hours, when the small storefront restaurant-and-bar gets packed and deafeningly loud. Good cracker-crust pizzas.
reviewed
-
O
Buena Vista Café
Warm your cockles with a prim little goblet of bitter-creamy Irish coffee, introduced to the US at this destination bar that once served sailors and cannery workers. The creaky Victorian floor manages to hold up carousers and families alike, served community-style at round tables overlooking the wharf.
reviewed
-
P
Brewhouse
Perfect for a rowdy reunion or a night on the town, ever-popular Brew House crafts its own beer, serves wines by the glass and has cool art and awesome fries. It's raucous good fun, with live music Wednesday to Saturday from 21:00 to close. On Wednesday it serves all-you-can-eat ribs; arrive early.
reviewed
-
Q
EOS Lounge
Ladies love the lighting at this trendy nightclub currently hot with SB's martini-sipping scenesters. The sexy décor - rippling waterfall, glimmering fireplace, twinkling patio - is on par with the hippest of Hollywood lounges. Small dancefloor for those wanting to get their groove on.
reviewed
-
Liars' Bench
Placerville's bars are akin to the neighborhood watering holes in the Midwest: they open at 06:00, get an annual cleaning at Christmas and are great for people who want to soak up local color. The Liars' Bench has a classic old martini sign beckoning like a neon siren.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
R
Tiki Ti
This garage-sized tropical tavern packs in showbiz folks from neighboring KCET TV station, grizzled old-timers and local scenesters for sweet and wickedly strong drinks (try a Rae's Mistake, named for the bar's founder). The under-the-sea decor is surreal. Cash only.
reviewed
-
S
Medjool Sky Terrace
SF’s only open-air rooftop bar has knockout views, a party crowd, Mediterranean small plates and tasty (cash-only) cocktails, but as of this writing, noise-sensitive neighbors were pressing the city to pull its permit. Great on a warm evening, but call ahead.
reviewed
-
T
Badlands
The Castro’s primary dance bar gets packed with gay college boys, their screaming straight girlfriends and a few chicken hawks. If you’re over 30, you’ll feel old. Weekends, expect a line, which no self-respecting local would ever wait in.
reviewed
-
U
Li Po
A fave of the Beat poets, Li Po’s fake-grotto decor comes with lurid 1960s-era plush red booths, bartenders shouting in Cantonese and an unexpected Chinese-meets-hipster clientele. On slow nights, it may be just you and the barkeep watching TV.
reviewed
-
V
Doc’s Clock
Dig the dazzling neon sign at this happy-mellow, green-certified dive that’s always good for a few pints, shuffleboard and conversation. Every second and fourth Tuesday is local-filmmaker night, with screenings of indie shorts and $2 draft PBR.
reviewed
