This week is all about the food, with a femme-powered taco contest, a Champagne dinner, Smokebread's lunchtime pop-up, and more.
Plus, catch a drag show, a lecture at Rickshaw Stop (yes, you read that right, or a rooftop carnival. Have a great week!
Monday, July 16: Spatial Sound Meditation
When: 8pm to 9:15pm
Where: Envelop at the Midway, SF 900 Marin St. (Bayview), envelop.us
Why: Immerse yourself in a 32-speaker sphere of sound by Envelop, a nonprofit creating listening spaces with open source spatial audio software. Relax, and let the world melt away. // Tickets ($30) are available at ticketfly.com
Monday, July 16: A Bubbly Dinner
When: 6:30pm
Where: Spruce, 3640 Sacramento St. (Presidio Heights), sprucesf.com
Why: Enjoy a tasting menu designed to pair with Champagne, from oysters on the half shell to Dungeness crab salad and roasted Guinea hen. // Tickets ($256) are available at champagnedinner.brownpapertickets.com.
Tuesday, July 17: Taco 'Bout It
When: 6pm to 9pm
Where: Tres, 130 Townsend St. (SoMa), tressf.com
Why: Top women chefs from Media Noche, El Sur, and Uma Casa are joining forces at Tres tonight for a tastebud-tantalizing taco competition to benefit NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Northern California. Show up for a bounty of good things served inside tortillas, including Merlot-braised short rib with chimichurri and jalapeño taco from Marianne Despres (El Sur). // Tickets ($40) include sampling of all tacos plus three drinks from the bar; available at eventbrite.com.
Tuesday, July 17: A Night of Burlesque and Drag
When: 8pm to 10pm
Where: F8 Nightclub, 1192 Folsom St. (SoMa), feightsf.com
Why: Peepshow is celebrating its 2nd anniversary with a lineup of performers from burlesque to drag. Watch, drink, and dance the night away. // undergroundnomads.wordpress.com
Tuesday, July 17: Women Chefs Will Talk
When: 7pm
Where: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. (SoMa), ybca.org
Why: Join Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times food writer Kim Severson as she moderates a discussion on the California dining scene with Dominique Crenn, Tanya Holland, and Reem Assil. Topics will range from food trends to labor and wage issues to the #MeToo movement. This will be a good one. // Tickets ($35) are available at timesevents.nytimes.com.
Wednesday, July 18: Make a Movie
When: 8pm to 9pm
Where: Stage Werx Theater, 446 Valencia St. (Mission)
Why: See a totally improvised movie come to fruition, complete with action, romance, tragedy, glory, and plot twists galore. Grab a friend or a date and get ready to LOL. // Tickets ($5) are available at eventbrite.com.
Wednesday, July 18: Geeky Lectures in a Rock Club
When: 7pm to 11pm
Where: Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St. (Hayes Valley), rickshawstop.com
Why: Forget every other experience you've had at Rickshaw—nerds are taking over tonight. There will be free drinks and discussions on cancer immunotherapy, tattoos, end-of-life protocols and, you know, the universe from Stanford postdocs, an ER doctor, and an astrophysicist. A DJ will spin beats, and pork belly baos and other tasty eats will be available from Cross Hatch Eatery. // Tickets ($8) are available at sf.nerdnite.com
Wednesday, July 18: She Ventures
When: 6pm to 9pm
Where: Impact Hub, 1885 Mission St. (Mission)
Why: Lovers of travel and the outdoors will appreciate this TED-style event with female founders, athletes, artists, and activists in the adventure and wellness space. Learn how to turn your passion into a career. Plus, prizes. // Tickets ($15) are available at eventbrite.com.
When: 10:30am to 2pm
Where: The Perennial, 59 9th St. (SoMa), smokebread.com
Why: Nick Balla will be bringing his Smokebread concept—think Hungary meets Japan meets Californiato the Perennial for lunch Tuesdays through Fridays. Spoon into hearty salads (Japanese sweet potato, broccoli, avocado, fennel, sunflower tahini with sprouts and seeds), a sausage and lentil stew with chili yogurt and dill, and of course sourdough smokebread with sprouted hummus and sunflower chicken salad.
Thursday, July 19: Rooftop Carnival
When: 4pm to 8:30pm
Where: Bespoke, 835 Market St. (SoMa), bespokesf.co
Why: Head over to Bespoke for drinks, games, and bites for a carnival reminiscent of the holiday affair on Westfield San Francisco Centre in the '50s. Get one drink for free. // eventbrite.com
Thursday, July 19: A Thousand Splendid Suns
When: 8pm to 10:30pm
Where: American Conservatory Theater, 415 Geary St. (TenderNob), act-sf.org
Why: Adapted for the stage by Irish-Indian playwright Ursula Rani Sarma, Khaled Hosseini's epic tale of three generations of Afghan women comes to ACT, accompanied by live music from composer David Coulter. // Tickets ($22-$120) are available at tickets.act-sf.org.
Thursday, July 19: Night Market Food Festival
When: 7pm to 10pm
Where: Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. (Civic Center)
Why: This tasty pop-up comes thanks to Top Chef contestant Tu David Phu. Go indulge in unlimited bites with global flavors from restaurants including Nyumbai, Reem's California, Deuki Hong, Prubechu, and Aedan. Kevin Diedrich of Pacific Cocktail Haven will be pouring drinks; DJs will spin through the night. // Tickets ($85) are available at asianart.org.
Friday, July 20-Sunday, July 22: Book Fair
When: 6pm to 10pm
Where: Minnesota Street Project, 1275 Minnesota St. (Dogpatch), minnesotastreetproject.com
Why: Peruse books, art catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zines from more than 100 independent publishers, antiquarian dealers, artists, and collectors. Look out for live music and drinks on opening night, and talks, workshops, and more throughout the weekend. // sfartbookfair.com
Saturday, July 28: Bouquet Market
When: 11am to 5pm
Where: 1717 Fourth St. (Berkeley), bouquetmarketplace.com
Why: Shop handmade goods from local creators and artists from pottery to textiles. Peruse the booths, nosh on tasty eats, and listen to live DJ jams.
Saturday, July 21: Get Your Fredas
When: 10am to 4pm
Where: The General's Residence, 1 Fort Mason
Why: Expect to wait in line (sorry, no saving spots for friends) to stock up on your favorite oxfords, mules, and sandals from Sausalito-based shoe darling Freda Salvador at their annual sample sale today. Lady Falcon Coffee Club will be onsite pouring yummy brews. // fredasalvador.com
Saturday, July 21-22: Bon Odori Japanese Dance and Street Festival
When: 12:30pm to 6pm
Where: Buddhist Church of San Francisco, 1881 Pine Street at Octavia, buddhistchurchofsanfrancisco.org
Why: In its 80th year, Japantown will be taken over for two days with games, entertainment, and Japanese food. Join traditional Bon dancing led by dancers in brightly hued summer kimonos in a "gathering of joy."
Saturday, July 21: Native American Festival
When: 10am to 4pm
Where: Bear Valley Visitor Center, Bear Valley Rd. (Point Reyes Station)
Why: Head to the 38th Annual Big Time Festival to learn about the culture and traditions of the Coast Miwok and other local Native Americans. Learn basketry, flint knapping, clamshell bead making, and more. There will also be traditional dancers and crafts. // nps.gov
Sunday, July 22: Potluck Series
When: Multiple times
Where: The Charter Oak, 1050 Charter Oak Ave. (St Helena), thecharteroak.com
Why: Prepare to chow on serious eats prepared by a cast of great culinary talent, including Mourad Lahlou (Mourad), Brandon Jew (Mister Jiu's), Dennis Lee (Namu Gaji), and David Morgan (Bywater). Proceeds will benefit the El Cajon Project, a non-profit that helps at-risk high school students with culinary arts internship programs. // Tickets are $95/person. For reservations, contact Emily at etodd@thecharteroak.com or (707) 302-5583.
Sunday, July 22: San Francisco Symphony Plays Stern Grove Festival
When: 2pm
Where: Stern Grove, 19th Ave. and Sloat Blvd. (Parkside), sterngrove.org
Why: Stake out your spot and enjoy a relaxing Sunday in the park to the sounds of the SF Symphony.
Sunday, July 22: Art Car Jam and Steampunk Fest
When: 9am to 4pm Saturday, 11am to 6pm Sunday
Where: Obtainium Works Art Car Studio, 510 Pennsylvania St. (Vallejo), obtainiumworks.net
Why: Steampunkers and Burning Man types will appreciate this fourth annual art car jam where street-legal and pedal-powered vehicles are decked out with all kinds of crazy contraptions. Watch a bicycle rodeo, peruse the steampunk fest, and catch the Obtainium Cup Rally where everything from human-powered vehicles to bicycles and disability scooters will compete based on creativity.
Sunday, July 22: Car Show + Block Party
When: 10am to 4pm
Where: Saratoga Village, 14460 Big Basin Way (Saratoga)
Why: Head to the 9th Annual Saratoga Classic & Cool Car Show to see more than 300 sweet rides. There will be tasty eats and sips from local wineries and breweries, craft and automobilia vendors, and a live band. // Free entry and parking; sccshow.com
Sunday, July 22: Chop Bar's 10th Annual Pig Roast
When: 4pm to 8pm
Where: Old Kan Beer Co. 95 Linden St. (Oakland), old-kan.com
Why: Chop Bar is teaming up with Old Kan Beer Co for an annual pig roast. It'll be an AYCE affair with $5 beers and fernets, as well as live music and a family-friendly crowd. // oaklandchopbar.com
