Happy New Year

I've been a slacker. I've been out of town so there's not been too many posts. I put up a few this week - mainly about music.

However, to make up for the lack of posting, the first week in 2007 I'll review 3 Asian restaurants located in the Inner Richmond (Burma Superstar), the Tenderloin (Sai Jai Thai), and Japantown (Kiss Seafood).

My favorite albums of 2006

My favorite album of 2006 was Silversun Pickups - Carnavas which features post-grunge fuzzed out brilliance channeling Billy Corgan. Here's an acoustic version of Lazy Eye.

Other albums that I liked, in fairly random order:
Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
Raw, soul-flecked rock that reminds you that this rock-and-roll thing used to be FUN.

Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Jumping from hip-hop to pop to soul to rock, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse don't fit into any one genre and produce a dark album of introspective songs.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not
Punk rockers from Sheffield - drunken pub nights followed by coffee-and-cigarette-fueled mornings.

Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat and Cat Power - The Greatest
These two albums released within a week of each other are pure unabashed soul and Americana. Chan Marshall (a/k/a Cat Power) has probably the wider range, but who can resist Jenny Lewis (late of Rilo Kiley) and her backup bluegrass band The Watson Twins?

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Having sung about pirates, the Civil War and basing albums on Irish poems, why not come out with an album based on a Japanese story? Theatrical and lyrical, Colin Meloy puts out an amazing major-label debut.

The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
Slamming Dubya at every turn, this album is a reaction to the War in Iraq and Dubya's presidency. At times ethereal, catchy, and dreamlike, the Flaming Lips (more than 20 years on) are still as relevant today as they have ever been.

Mogwai - Mr. Beast
Scotland's Mogwai eschewed its usual electronics for a more stripped down sound. They still have extremely hard sounding rock songs on here but are able to feature their slower side too.

We are Scientists - With Love and Squalor
Looking like math geeks, sounding like rock gods, this post-punk trio puts out danceable tracks in the same sense of Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand.

Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
This year was all about bands with animals (think Wolf Parade, Wolfmother, Arctic Monkeys, to name a few). So, Band of Horses are an appropriate band to feature in a best-of-2006 overview. Melodies evoking Neil Young over raw rockness.

By the way, my favorite album for 2005 was Bloc Party – Silent Alarm.

Others included:
Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock and Roll
Beck – Guero
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Jose Gonzales – Veneer
Kaiser Chiefs – Employment
Kanye West – Late Registration
Of Montreal – The Sunlandic Twins
Ok Go – Oh No
Wolf Parade – Apologies to the Queen Mary

Shake your

bootie

http://www.bootieusa.com/bestofbootie2006/

If you like the mashups, this is a great compilation.

Merry Christmas!

Samberg & JT - Christmas wishes

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=51414

Samberg & Parnell - Lazy Sunday

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=2921

Samberg & Natalie Portman

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=2922

Extremely Loud Night

My ears are still ringing from Jack White's blistering guitar and vocals work in fronting The Raconteurs.

Last night, Live105 put on its annual holiday concert, appropriately titled Not-So-Silent Night. The usually eclectic lineup of indie bands and alternative bands was again in evidence last night. In reverse order of my favorite performances:

The Shins proved very underwhelming in concert. Perhaps this is not the right venue for them, as this soft, atmospheric indie pop band may be better suited for more intimate settings. And, if you have only a 30-minute set, how do you not play your biggest hit (New Slang off the Garden State soundtrack)? Disappointed.

Modest Mouse has been making indie rock since 1993. However, their sound was not fully embraced by people (when "alternative" led by grunge masters Nirvana took over the public conscience and "indie" stayed underground). In 2004, though, with their second major-label album, they broke through to the masses with songs like Float On and Ocean Breathes Salty (both played last night). Their modest sound and laid-back attitude on stage paled in comparison to the top 3 bands of the night.

The Killers put on a glitzy finale befitting their Las Vegas roots. They knew what people wanted, balanced it with new offerings from their latest album and benefitted from being able to play for a full hour. Post-punk with keyboards to recall the 80's, they blasted through the songs everyone wanted - everyone singing along to Hot Fuss favorites like Somebody Told Me, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, and Mr. Brightside. At one poin, in All These Things That I've Done, Brandon Flowers - in true showman form - got up on top of his piano turned the microphone around and allowed the audience to sing the chorus. Great show.

Silversun Pickups - a band I've written about previously - give you the fuzzed out bliss of songs that Billy Corgan could have written. Sounding like a mix of Pixies-meets-Smashing Pumpkins-by-way-of-My Bloody Valentine (or maybe I should just say post-grunge?), Brian Aubert puts his falsetto voice over pounding drums and distorted guitars. A tight, 30 minute performance that proclaimed they are every bit as good as their hype.

Jack White, the showman, the performer, was in full effect last night. While in The White Stripes, he shares the stage with only one other person, in the Raconteurs he is one of five (they have a touring keyboardist) and actually only one of two guitarists. He often doesn't sing lead and he only had one of the guitar solos. Yet, he was the star of the night. He commands such a presence on stage, and was able to guide the band from a near-country ballad to pop favorite Steady As She Goes to feedback-drenched rawk. They stole the show and were the best performance of the night.

Wonder who they'll line up next year...

Tagine!

When I traveled around Morocco, I would eat tagine whenever I got a chance. Tagine is both the type of pot it's cooked in and the meal itself. There's a picture here of what a tagine looks like. What is the food? It's usually a mixture of lamb, prunes or dates, almonds or some other nuts, chick peas, and couscous: a real spicy/sweet mix.

You don't have to travel all the way to Morocco to enjoy a good tagine, though. In fact, there's a great French-Moroccan restaurant called Baraka in Potrero Hill. Perched on the corner of 18th and Connecticut, it has a cozy, intimate feel to it.

Their menu is an interesting mix of typical French bistro offerings (foie gras, steamed mussels), Moroccan specialties (stuffed dates, tagine), and offerings from all over (prawns ceviche, dungeness crab cakes).

When we went, we had the prawns ceviche (presented on a plate - we were expecting to receive more than we got, but they were excellent) and the stuffed dates (stuffed with chorizo, cabrales, and jamon serrano). We had originally chosen a glass of wine each (she chose a rose, I chose a pinot noir), but the manager/sommelier came over and suggested that the rose we were going to get would not be as good as another rose. He preferred us to try the other rose and, if we did not like it, he would happily spend the rest of the night drinking the bottle himself.

He was right, the wine was excellent - from Provence, by a winemaker called Dott. Look for it when you are dining at Baraka. The great thing about rose is that it does not overpower the food you are eating and it accompanies things like Asian food and turkey exceptionally well. Pairing it up with a tagine works out well as well.

The tagine: the lamb was succulent, the prunes were bursting with sweet flavor, the almonds gave an interesting textural balance. Just an excellent all-around dish. With the ambience, nearly the whole bottle gone, and the wonderful food, this restaurant is an excellent date place. After, when you are walking back to your car, make sure that if it's a clear night like it was when we were there, to look back across to San Francisco's skyline with its lights twinkling.

Hill of Goat

I had dinner on Monday night in Potrero Hill. So, this week I thought I'd focus on this part of town. In particular, I like the corner of 18th and Connecticut with its assortment of restaurants, cafes and bars: Chez Papa, Chez Maman, Baraka, Aperto, Goat Hill Pizza, Lingba, Eliza's, Farley's to name a few.

The pizza at Goat Hill is some of the best in the city. It's a great place to go with a bunch of friends and have a lazy lunch of pizza and a pitcher.

Their crust is pretty unique - it's not the thick deep dish Chicago style, nor is it the thinner NYC style. It's a medium crust, and what makes it unique is that it is made from sourdough. They've been around since 1975, so they definitely know what they're doing and people still keep coming back.

The sauce is homemade as well and the toppings range from the traditional to the gourmet (think everything from pepperoni and sausage to sun-dried tomatoes and feta). Of course, you can come by here at night as well - it's usually pretty boisterous, fun atmosphere especially on the "all-you-can-eat" Mondays.

After Work Downtown

You are spoiled for choice when it comes to drinking options in the Financial District. I'll highlight four spots that might fit your mood.

Opened last year, Americano at the Hotel Vitale (one of the Joie de Vivre hotels) quickly became the trendy spot for financial types and the Gap-ettes who love them. It's a pretty strong singles scene and fits in a bit more in New York than laid-back San Francisco. Good mixed drinks, impossibly long lines, lots of wine choices, and surprisingly good food. During the nicer months the outside patio with its picnic tables is the place to hang out for a higher-priced afterwork drink.

Across the street in the Ferry Building, there are two great spots. First, MarketBar also features an outdoor patio (one side drinks only, the other side dinner only) and a great bar whose bartenders really know their stuff. They will sometimes whip up their own concoctions for you to try. They have an ever-changing wine-by-the-glass list. Food is excellent. Not as expensive as Americano, but still fairly hefty.

The other place I recommend in the Ferry Building is inside - it's the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. It's a wine shop with very knowledgeable people who work there, so you can simply buy some wine and leave. They allow you to bring in any food you wish, although they also have some basic snacks on offer. What I like doing is going to Cowgirl Creamery in the Ferry Building, purchasing some cheese, and then heading over to see what wines-by-the-glass are on offer that night. Every couple weeks or so, they feature a wine flight by a particular vineyard with the winemaker there to talk about their particular offerings. This place is reasonably priced.

Finally, if you're simply looking to grab a pitcher, catch the game, and snack on some mini tacos or hot dogs, then Beale Street Bar & Grill (no website - 133 Beale Street) is your spot. They have great deals during happy hour. They always have the games on (this was definitely World Cup HQ this past summer). And the people who work there are very friendly. So are the prices.

Aqua

One restaurant in the Financial District that stands out and has stood the test of time is Aqua (252 California Street). I first ate here 6 years ago during the first dot-com boom, and even then it had already been around 9 years. At 15 years, Aqua is still going strong - even through changes of chefs and changing trends amongst other restaurants.

If you put stock into what various guides say, Aqua is ranked very high. Zagat's has Aqua in its top 10 San Francisco fine dining experiences and the Michelin Guide has Aqua in the top 5 restaurants in the entire Bay Area.

All of those high rankings do mean that it's expensive. Therefore, if you are someone who does not necessarily care for impeccable service and stunning decor (and paying up for that), this is not the place for you. If, however, you are someone who does care for that and tremendous seafood, then this is definitely a place you would want to go: special date, celebrating a business deal, or when the 'rents are in town.

So, what is the food? It's seafood, prepared in a California way with French overtones. Expect appetizers like hamachi with kaffir lime, albacore carpaccio, and even foie gras. Entrees run the gamet from ahi tuna to lobster (with ginger and bok choy) to more exotic offerings. An amazing wine list hitting all corners of the globe pairs up with all the seafood. They also have multi-course tasting menus in which the sommelier will help you pair each course with a different wine.

I wear my stunna glasses at nite

Fuck, boca's closing.

Last time I was there it all started at Harry's Bar (2020 Fillmore, no website) where I had some sliders and a few beers. Met up with some buddies of mine. The night continued on to R Bar (1176 Sutter - no website). Now, R Bar is known for a few things and it just meant more drinks for all of us. This place is a classic - make sure you check it out.

While there, we ran into some friends-of-friends who told us about the two year anniversary of Element Lounge. We hung out, met some young ladies from Reno, and eventually moved on to Lush Lounge - I'm not a big fan of this place. Whatever, one of my buddies was drunk and it was on the way BACK to R Bar. So, back in R Bar. Good god. It was a rough night, but it did not end there.

I continued on to boca. They had a friggin' bouncy castle inside the bar. boca WAS one of my favorite places in the city - a very mixed crowd of hipsters and hip-hoppers and and art fans and booze fans and post-Warfield-concert-goers and lesbians making out on the dance floor and pre-Club-goers and post-bar-goers. The place itself is run by these guys and has rotating artwork on the walls. Plus, they manage to attract DJ's from all over. I don't know where in 2007 it will resurface.

Name of this post? One of the DJ's at boca played the song.

Cafe Algiers

So, after a huge Thanksgiving dinner & lots of drinking this past weekend, I'm back.

I thought that this week I'd focus on downtown, the Financial District - the FiDi if you will. My favorite place, if not one of my favorite places in the city, is Cafe Algiers (50 Beale Street - no website). It's small, even cramped and family-owned.

It's a real mish-mash of people, actually from the Algerian owner to the various people who have strayed from all over the world arrayed behind the lunch counter. Their coffee is excellent (don't just take my word for it - go to http://coffeeratings.com/ and you'll likely see them in 3rd place).

I often come in for a single shot of espresso as I wait for my bagel to be toasted. They put on some shmear, a healthy serving of lox, some tomato, a bit of pepper, and of course a heaping spoonful of capers. Other people I see going for the croissants or other pastries. For lunch, you can't go wrong any of their sandwiches, but especially their spicey turkey.

You can read it here first, or you can wait...

...for magazines like 7x7 to catch on to what's going in the lounge scene or SF Chronicle to find out what's going on in wine bars.

Probably better to read it here first...

Epic Sundays

Last year, May had five Sundays in it. San Francisco and the Bay Area have so much to offer. These Sundays were spent with one other person, a few friends, or a large group of friends.

First Sunday, May 1. Drive up the 1 through the Marin Headlands and beyond to finally stop at Tomales Bay. This picturesque bay is known for its oysters. A beach spreads out where you find picnic tables and small barbecues. Fresh oysters directly from the bay are dropped on each barbecue until the shells pop open. It's all very simple and anything beyond oysters (drinks, salads, etc.) is brought from home. Drive back down the 1 to Rodeo Beach for a look through the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco and then a bright fiery sunset over the Pacific. Dinner was from my favorite restaurant in Sausalito - Fish (think freshest seafood possible, redwood picnic tables, and wine or beer out of mason jars).

Second Sunday, May 8. It rained actually, but the day before I saw the Washington DC Nationals and SF Giants engage in a classic back-and-forth battle at PacBell, I mean SBC, I mean AT&T Park. I'm not sure if a baseball stadium is better than this one - it's a retro-park that not only sits right smack in the heart of the city, but is on the Bay itself. A 15-minute stroll down the Embarcadero brings you to the Ferry Building where the MarketBar beckons with its excellent appetizers and wide selection of wines.

Third Sunday, May 15. Bay to Breakers. A 12 kilometer (7.5 mile) run or walk from the SF Bay to the ocean. Tortillas are thrown, people dress up in costume (or run naked), bands play along the route, DJ's spin, and everyone has a good time. Afterwards, at Footstock, I relaxed with a beer, had a burrito and checked out some bands.

Fourth Sunday, May 22. After the night before attending a wedding at Auberge du Soleil, the day was focused on hitting Napa's wineries. Cakebread Cellars, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Bremer Family should be on everyone's short list of places to taste. And Sterling, while not the greatest wines, does have an unbeatable view. Then, the evening was spent in Sausalito at a friend's housewarming party/barbecue under a (nearly) full moon.

Fifth Sunday, May 29. From the 101 south, a winding drive through the hills along 17 down to Santa Cruz for good old-fashioned boardwalk on the beach action. Then a drive along the coast on the classic PCH Route 1 to Half Moon Bay, where just beyond you find yourself at the Moss Beach Distillery. There, while sipping a beer and munching on fried artichoke hearts, you can lean back in chairs made for 2 under a blanket, watching pelicans fly by and sailboats float by as the sun sets over the Pacific. A drive back along another winding road (92) brings you back to the 101 and back up into San Francisco.

Who are Tony and Nik?

A block up from Washington Square, on Stockton, is a tiny little place. It's far from the craziness of Columbus Avenue, even though it's only a block away.

A neighborhood drop-in, the local, but with a bit of style thrown in, Tony Nik's (1534 Stockton, no website) has been operating since the 1930's and it's a real throwback to what a bar should be: bartenders who give good service, strong drinks, and that's pretty much it.

Hanging out at the bar works well when you're there with some friends, but if you want some more privacy head to the back for the tables tucked away with some candles. The crowd is very mixed - I don't feel it gets too many tourists, age range is from young to old, many people looking for that drink to start the night, or to end the evening.

Mad props to Lisa Mao, as this is her favorite bar in the city.

Italian Restaurant in North Beach

How do you pick and choose amongst the Italian restaurants in North Beach. There are several great options mixed in with the touristy ones.

I have not been to Trattoria Contadina (but friends all highly recommend it). Mario's Bohemian is a great place for a snack (think paninis or a plate of lasagna). MangoRosa actually is only half Italian (and half Brazilian) - they somehow pull it off, the food is excellent. For a classic, hearty Southern Italian meal, Tomasso's is your best bet and they've been around for over 70 years.

My favorite place, though, is Ristorante Ideale (1309 Grant Ave, no website). The food is tasty and the service is excellent. The wine list is fairly extensive and well-priced. The waiters spend time with you helping to understand the specials.

I'd highly recommend their pear/mascarpone/prosciutto as an appetizer. Find out what the specials are, or go with one of their pasta dishes (pumpkin ravioli is very good). They have a host of classic Italian desserts, and if you've been having some wines the waiters will probably bring over a shot of lemon liquer over to end the meal.

The portions are not heavy and not huge - it's very European in that sense. In addition, I believe the waitstaff is all from Italy, which adds to the authenticity of this place.

My favorite place in North Beach

I was having dinner on Sunday night at Burma Superstar in the Inner Richmond (review will come up in the next few weeks), when my friend and I got to talking about different neighborhoods. One we started to talk about was North Beach.

North Beach, for me, has been the entryway into San Francisco. A friend of mine has lived for years in an apartment on Stockton near Chestnut and I've crashed on her couch time and again before I moved here. Then, when I did move to the Bay Area two friends of mine were living at that apartment and I ended up crashing there again from time to time.

I always liked to walk from her place down Stockton, past the big church where Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio got married, along Washington Square (pausing to watch the tai chi practitioners), up Union Street, along the shops of Grant, and arrive at a place that's survived the test of time.

It's 50 years since they introduced the West Coast to espresso, and Caffe Trieste is still going strong. Yes, it's overrun by tourists, I know that. But if you have a chance to go by during the day and sit and just observe, you'll see the tourists flit in and out. What remains and what sits there for hours on end is a true neighborhood of San Francisco originals.

There's the painter, the crazy guy, the two guys who always bicker, the bedraggled looking hippie who just happens to be a famous poet, the woman with the dogs, and on and on. There's true cameraderie amongst these lost souls, who find family in a coffee shop in North Beach.

This little coffee shop in this neighborhood made me realize San Francisco is very different from most other cities in the US. There's a real European aspect to this city. Sure, the architecture reminds some people of Europe, but to me it's the people - especially those that gather here. It's the pace of life, it's the wanting to connect with others over, simply, a cup of coffee.

This post should be about lunch, but the food's so-so. Maybe this will do? They don't have non-fat milk, so order up a real cappucino, sit back for a couple hours, and enjoy.

More music links

Wanted to turn you on to this band that has been getting bigger every time they come through San Francisco. Check their progression: Cafe Du Nord, Popscene, a street fair in Oakland, Rickshaw Stop, Fillmore (with Wolfmother), and Bill Graham Civic (Not-So-Silent-Night).

Silversun Pickups may as well be called Silversun Pixies or Silversun Pumpkins. Think fuzzy guitars mixed with bittersweet melodies. Lazy Eye is just a nice slice of circa 1993 fuzzed-out bliss and Well Thought Out Twinkles is "Billy Corgan's best song that he never wrote" according to a magazine.

Stream it here - http://www.myspace.com/silversunpickups or http://www.silversunpickups.com/

Here's some other bands I've been listening to / going to shows recently (bands mentioned yesterday have links here). Most of these you can stream some music or download some songs.

Cold War Kids - http://www.myspace.com/coldwarkids or http://www.coldwarkids.com/
Arctic Monkeys - http://www.myspace.com/arcticmonkeys
Mogwai - http://www.myspace.com/mogwai
Manu Chao - http://www.manuchao.net/
Wolf Parade - http://www.myspace.com/wolfparade
The Lovemakers - http://www.myspace.com/thelovemakers
Futureheads - http://www.thefutureheads.com/home.php
M Ward - http://www.myspace.com/mward
The Shins - http://www.theshins.com/
Badly Drawn Boy - http://www.myspace.com/badlydrawnboy
Fiery Furnaces - http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com/
Voxtrot - http://www.myspace.com/voxtrot
Arcade Fire - http://www.myspace.com/arcadefire
Bloc Party - http://www.myspace.com/blocparty
Franz Ferdinand - http://www.myspace.com/franzferdinand
Dr. Dog - http://www.myspace.com/drdog
Wolfmother - http://www.wolfmother.com/
The Killers - http://www.thekillersmusic.com/
Modest Mouse - http://www.modestmousemusic.com/
The Raconteurs - http://www.theraconteurs.com/
Deerhoof - http://deerhoof.killrockstars.com/
Imogen Heap - http://www.imogenheap.co.uk/
Kid Beyond - http://www.kidbeyond.com/
Zero 7 - http://www.zero7.co.uk/
Sia - http://www.siamusic.net/
Jose Gonzalez - http://www.jose-gonzalez.com/
Tesoro - http://www.tesoromusic.com/
Royksopp - http://www.royksopp.com/
OK Go - http://www.okgo.net/news.aspx
Manu Chao - http://www.manuchao.net/


The Hype Machine aggregates MP3's from blogs all over - http://hype.non-standard.net/

IndieFeed - http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndiefeedAlt/modernRock
Stereogum (blog) - http://stereogum.com/mp3_index.xml
KEXP (radio station in Seattle) - http://kexp.org/podcasting/podcasting.asp

Go to http://www.team-love.com/ (Conor Oberst's site) to download the new Jenny Lewis album - also Tilly & the Wall, and other Bright Eyes' friends...

Go to http://www.tvtrecords.com/download/ for TVT Records' selected downloads

Kill Rock Stars - http://www.killrockstars.com/

SubPop - http://www.subpop.com/

Check out Live Music

San Francisco has a great local music scene, plus bands come through here all the time.

What's coming up? I'm signed up for Filter Magazine's weekly San Francisco newsletter (info@filter-mag.com), plus I go to SF Weekly, the Guardian, SF Gate, Live105's concert calendar, and Pollstar for information on upcoming gigs.

Here are the venues I find myself at more often than not. They are ranked roughly in size and should give you a sense of what type of band (local, indie-up-and-coming, has-a-hit-video-on-youtube, has-a-hit-video-on-MTV, up to well-known).

Very small venues - mainly local music
Boom Boom Room - small, blues joint across the street from the Fillmore
Hemlock - punk in the Tenderloin
Make Out Room - mainly local music (various types of rock and pop) in the Mission
Elbo Room - also in the Mission, bit more jazz and dub thrown in with the rock and pop

Small venues - mix of local, West Coast (LA, Portland, Seattle), and a smattering of national or international up-and-coming indie bands
330 Ritchie a/k/a Popscene gets some of the best up-and-coming bands from all over the world (they also have a weekly party called Leisure which focuses on all the UK music from the 90's)
Cafe Du Nord - feels like you're in somebody's basement living room in the Castro (bands seen: Cold War Kids, Dr. Dog)
Bottom of the Hill - in Potrero Hill, perhaps SF's most beloved live music venue?
The Independent - on Divis, you can catch a band on the rise or on the slide back into obscurity
Mezzanine - while it gets its share of rock bands, this place focuses on electronic and hip-hop
Slim's - on Folsom and 11th, features indie rock & pop and a bit of everything else (bands seen: Kid Beyond)

Bigger Venues - more well-known bands
Great American Music Hall - my favorite venue, in the Tenderloin - mainly indie rock & pop (bands seen: OK Go, Fiery Furnaces)
The Warfield - a classic theater where bands who are really breaking big play (bands seen: Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand)
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium - impersonal big box, unfortunately (bands seen: Beck, Franz Ferdinand)
The Greek Theater - a 100+-year old outdoor amphitheater on Berkeley's campus (bands seen: Manu Chao)
The Fillmore - the venerable place that has a great sense of its history (check out all the classic posters through the years) as much as it's a place for bands currently making a name for themselves (bands seen: Bloc Party, Mogwai, Wolf Parade)

Places I want to check out but have not been include Yoshi's (jazz in the East Bay) and the Rickshaw Stop (in Hayes Valley).

Wish

This place is tiny. That's a good thing. You WILL meet other people, that's guaranteed. The drinks are strong. Wish is located at 1639 Folsom.

It's a very chill vibe in here, very San Francisco but there's definitely an LA or NYC twist. You have a good mix of 20-year olds and 30-year olds, people just looking to have a few drinks, some people looking to get they groove on early, and others just looking to chill out on the comfortable couches. You even have some hipsters post-Slim's show and club kids pre-1015 thrown in for good measure.

Get here early and it's very loungey, some house beats playing in the back. As the night moves on, it gets more and more crowded and the beats pick up. Some dancing starts (aided of course by the drinks). The bartenders know how to make drinks. They are also very willing to try out their new concoctions on you!

Very friendly in a hipster, chilled out way. Enjoy.

Stunna Sushi

You may have been to the Sushi Groove over in Russian Hill - been there for years - an old standby. You may usually head over to Folsom around 3rd, 4th, 5th Streets rather than this part of Folsom (near 11th Street) for dinner. But, there are good spots around. Marona's on the corner of Folsom and 11th is one of the best Thai restaurants in town (see my lunch post from yesterday).

So, this Sushi Groove (called Sushi Groove South - 1516 Folsom Street - no website) has a good ratio of fresh sushi and sashimi, great vibe, good crowd, and bangin' beats.

But, you may ask: is this real authentic Japanese sushi? Yes and no. Their sushi and sashimi is fresh. But really it's all about crazy rolls and other weird concoctions that would shock a true sushi afficionado. But come on, you're either sitting at the bar or at some table listening to a dj spin some tunes while drinking sake cocktails like lemon ginger snap. Afterwards, you're going to be heading off to Butter, Slim's or Wish (see tomorrow's post for that).

This is what I'd recommend. Start off with some edamame and a sake cocktail (or ask for an unfiltered sake). Kick back, put on your stunnas, listen to some mashups, get mashed up on some drinks. At some point, lob in an order for rolls - dragon, spider, all your favorites and ones you'd not thought of. Make sure to get some sashimi or sushi as well.