Last week was hard. Get ready to blow off some steam this week with porky eats from Cochon 555, glasses of wine at Aquitaine's new bar, a pickup b-ball game at the renovated Margaret Hayward Playground, and live music from Train.
Plus, take a faux calligraphy class to make your own holiday cards, shop the reopened Paxton Gate, and visit California's first-ever gluten-free brewery. Have a good one!
Get Carry Out with Cochon 555. In place of the brand's usual heritage breed pig event, this year Cochon555 is teaming up with chefs including Dirk Tolsma (Epic Steak) and Lorenzo Caamal (Merkado) for a pandemic-safe virtual dinner series. Choose your takeout menu (don't worry, there's still plenty of pork) and a cocktail or wine pairing. While you eat, the chefs will keep you entertained on Zoom; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7pm (pick up food in advance). // Tickets ($100/person or $185/two) are available at cochon555.com.
Learn all about SF's own art star Ruth Asawa with Marilyn Chase, author of the new book Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa. Chase spent over a year examining Asawa's saved boxes of art, writing and letters, and interviewing her friends and family; Tuesday at 7pm. // Register for the Zoom event (free) on sfpl.org and order a copy of Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa at chroniclebooks.com.
Go on the Dogpatch Planet Walk. The 20-minute excursion features a small scale model of the Solar System, centered around a 42cm sun located on Minnesota and 22nd streets. // Details on twitter.com
Go play at the renovated and reopened Margaret Hayward Playground. The$28 million redo of the six-acre Western Addition park includes a new playground, plaza and stage, basketball courts, a sports field, and community clubhouse. // sfrecpark.org
Watch Marin Theatre Company's American Dreams. The interactive, online performance holds space to contemplate what it means to be or become a citizen and transforms political debates into personal questions by allowing the audience to decide who wins citizenship during every performance; shows offered Tuesday through Sunday. // Buy tickets ($30) on marintheatre.org.
Get down with 15 to 18 wagyu-inspired courses during Gozu x Avery.The collaborative dinner between the two top-notch restaurants will include Japanese whiskey pairings and outdoor dining; Tuesday and Wednesday nights. // Reserve ($185 per person, beverage pairings $175) on Tock.
Shop the most delightfully odd merch IRL at just-reopened Paxton Gate. Thanks to sneeze guards, temperature checks, and other protocols, you can safely peruse all the taxidermy, fossils, plants, and more. // paxtongate.com
Hang out with activist Angela Davis and artist Isaac Julien as they discuss Frederick Douglass' impact on contemporary racial and social movements as well as Julien's moving-image installation, "Lessons of the Hour," on view at McEvoy Arts through March 13th; Wednesday at 6pm. // Register and watch (free) on zoom.us.
Visit California's first-ever gluten-free brewery, Buck Wild, which opened at Oakland's Jack London Square this week. While you sip a pale ale or amber, you can even munch on eats courtesy of SF GF spot Kitava. // buckwildbrew.com
Enjoy food, wine, and a film under the stars at Mount View Hotel & Spa's outdoor theater. Pick from The Year of Spectacular Men on Thursday, Stage Mother on Friday, or Cold Brook on Saturday, paired with a three-course menu and wines from Raymond Vineyards, Charles Krug, and Favia. Make it a mini vacation and book a stay in Calistoga while you're at it; 6pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. // Tickets ($150 per couple) are available at napavalleyfilmfest.org.
Rather watch a movie at home? Stream the Napa Valley Film Festival Alumni Series, featuring movies from festivals past; Wednesday through Sunday. // Tickets ($35 for three films, $60 for all) are available at napavalleyfilmfest.org.
Learn all about biohacking with the new Showtime documentary Citizen Bio, which highlights at-home scientific experimentation attempts at everything from curing cancer to hard drive arm implants happening nationwide, including a couple of Bay Area spots. // sho.com
Explore Marcela Pardo Ariza's "Kin-Streets," displayed in bus shelters along Market Street. The photographic art project and love letter to the LGBTQIA+ Bay Area community includes images from the GLBT Historical Society archives juxtaposed with images of current community residents in order to highlight intergenerational connection and resiliency; on view through December 10th. // Details and map on marcelapardo.com
Soak up your beer with some pretzels while cracking up at Hofkuche with F Bomb Comedy. Comics from HBO and Netflix will keep you entertained from the safety of your own socially distanced biergarten table; Thursday at 8:30pm. // Tickets ($50 and up depending on table size) are available on Eventbrite.
Virtually attend the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival. Seven programs offer a selection of short films from around the world that center on trans and nonbinary stories; Thursday through Sunday. // Reserve tickets (free with option to add a donation) on sftff.org.
Get competitive during FaultLine Theater and PianoFight's virtual BrainPower Hour. Hosts Nikki Meñez and Brennan Pickman-Thoon will take you through 60 boozy trivia questions in 60 minutes. The winning team will receive home delivery of a whole bunch of alcohol; Friday at 7pm. // Register ($10/person, maximum six people per team) on Eventbrite.
Sip a glass of wine or two at Aquitaine's new digs. After shuttering in FiDi last winter, the wine bar is back with a new Church Street location complete with a parklet. Stop by during happy hour for $8 wines, charcuterie, pommes frites, and deviled eggs; Tuesday through Saturday, 2pm to 9pm. // aquitainesf.com
Volunteer to bake with Uhuru Foods & Pies. Whether you're new to baking or a seasoned pro, your sweet and savory concoctions, made in a commercial kitchen in Alameda, will help fund the Black Power Blueprint. Volunteer shifts are available 9am to 1pm Monday and 11am to 3pm Thursday and Friday. // Register on Eventbrite.com.
Catch a live acoustic performance by Pat Monahan and Train during the virtual 39th Annual Family House Gala. Plus, bid on live auction items and make your own cocktail with Mourad and Aziza beverage director Meg Abraham. Proceeds help provide housing, meals, and transportation for families of children being treated for life-threatening illness at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital; Saturday at 6:30pm. // Tickets ($150 per household) are available at familyhouseinc.org.
Try something new and snag tix to the 9th Annual California Banjo Extravaganza, hosted by world-renowned banjo player Bill Evans. Hosted by Freight and Salvage, this virtual event will feature 20 to 25 minute sets by award-winning banjoists and Zoom banjo workshops; Saturday, workshops begin at noon PST, show at 5pm. // Tickets (pay what you wish for show, $25 for workshops) can be purchased on thefreight.org.
View Gabriel et Guillaume and FrenchCalifornia's new project: a complete furnishing of the 40th floor penthouse apartment at Fifteen Fifty by Related. Inside you'll find mid-century modern furniture from around the globe, rare 1980s and '90s pieces from Martin Szekely, and a contemporary art collection. // Book an appointment to view it IRL by emailing info@gabrieletguillaume.com or visit virtually on gabrieletguillaume.com.
(Courtesy of Gather SF)
Get a jumpstart on your holiday card making with Gather's virtual Faux Calligraphy Card Workshop. During this beginner-friendly class taught by Rachel Jacques, of the SF-based design and calligraphy studio Bright Line, you'll learn the basics of forming letters and designing quotes; Saturday at 1pm. // Tickets ($55, includes kit with workbook and supplies) can be purchased on gathersf.com.
Watch "Throughline: San Francisco Symphony—From Hall to Home." This digital concert highlights the world premiere of Nico Muhly's commission written specifically for a digital medium and filmed around the world, plus music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Ellen Reid, and more; Saturday at 7pm. // sfsymphony.org
Make an appointment to view "Syncretism," thefirst U.S. exhibition in 10 years of the French artist known as The Old Boys Club. At Marrow Gallery, the collection of works, which originally began as a reaction to the 2015 terrorist attacks in France, draws from global visual language to propose unity; through November 28th. // marrowgallery.com
