February is getting off to a pretty fabulous start with a pair of over-the-top Lunar New Year celebrations, the start of SF Beer Week, and an extra-special appearance of Alonzo King's Lines Ballet at Grace Cathedral.
You can also geek out at Exploratorium's annual Science of Cocktails, raise money for Australian fire relief with a bit of beer and trivia, throw some punches at Rumble's new Marina location, and then chow down on a Golden State double burger at the city's first Shake Shack next door.
Monday, February 3rd
Indie Superette is open
7am to 9pm daily
Indie Superette, 3060 Fillmore St. (Marina), michaelmina.net
While Shake Shack and Rumbling Boxing have gotten some backlash from Marina residence over the plans to move into the former Real Foods grocery space, Michael Mina's Indie Superette seems like a shoe-in for the spot. The mini market and takeout food stuff store blends Indian and Hawaiian flavors into healthy grab-and-go dishes such as beet burgers, açai bowls, matcha soft serve, keto-friendly smoothies, and sundries.
Shake Shack opens
11am to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday; 11am to 11pm Friday and Saturday
Shake Shack Cow Hollow, 3060 Fillmore St. (Cow Hollow), shakeshack.com
Right next door to Indie Superette, San Francisco's first Shake Shack is serving up its famous burgers, fries, and frozen custard desserts whether Marina residents like it or not (but you know they will). Signature fare comes with a local twist—think B. Patisserie's kouign amann in the California Cold Rush concrete and Richards Grassfed Beef in the Golden State Double burger. Local beers are also on offer
Bluegrass Monday
9pm to 11pm
Amnesia, 853 Valencia St. (Mission), amnesiathebar.com
While you've still got a few more weeks to enjoy craft brews at the Mission music joint, tonight's the last time you'll hear Bay Area based bluegrass band, High Water Line, play at at Amnesia.
Chronicle Talks: 2020 Oscars
6pm to 7:30pm
Manny's, 3092 16th St. (Mission), welcometomannys.com
Prep for the Oscars (Feb. 9) with a chat about the nominees, best-dressed celebs, and more with Chronicle movie critic Mick LaSalle, entertainment dditor Mariecar Mendoza, arts and culture reporter Tony Bravo, and East Bay columnist Otis Taylor. // Tickets ($15, $5 off for Chronicle members) can be purchased on sfchronicle.com.
Tuesday, February 4th
For the Love of Food
6pm to 8pm
Heath Ceramics Factory & Showroom, 2900 18th St. (Mission), heathceramics.com
Alice Waters, Mark Bittman, and Lynda Marren (Just Add Salt) will all celebrate Jennifer Tyler Lee's new cookbook, Half the Sugar, All the Love. Anaviv Catering and Chez Panisse will be serving bites along with beer and wine. // Tickets ($150) are on mobilecause.com. All proceeds benefit Waters' The Edible Schoolyard Project.
Free Play Tuesdays
6pm to 11pm
The Detour, 2200 Market St. (Castro), detoursf.com
Grab your SO or BFF for free game night at The Detour where, if you purchase a drink or any food, you'll get free play on all games all night. // Event is free, find details on Facebook.
The Spirit of Apollo Anniversary
6pm
Amoeba Music, 1855 Haight St. (Upper Haight), amoeba.com
Remember when hip-hop duo N.A.S.A. released its out-of-this-world album, The Spirit of Apollo,featuring everyone from Kanye West to David Byrne, back in 2009? Now's your chance to catch creative DJ duo Sam Spiegel and DJ Zegon on Amoeba's stage. After the performance, stick around for a signing and grab The Spirit of Apollo 10th Anniversary box set. // Free to attend, details on samspiegeluniverse.com.
The Bitch Bible
Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm
Cobb's Comedy Club, 915 Columbus Ave. (Russian Hill), cobbscomedy.com
The unapologetic Jackie Schimmel's podcast, "The Bitch Bible," is going live! During this one-night-only show at Cobb's, Jackie Schimmel will crack you up with her no-holds-barred take on pop-culture, sex, and millennials. // Score tix on stubhub.com.
Wednesday, February 5th
Venezuelan Tasting Menu
12:30pm and 7:30pm seatings, Tuesday through Friday, through Feb. 21
1098 Jackson St. (Nob Hill), franciscassf.com
The Mission's popular Venezuelan restaurant Francisca's is opening a pop-up location in Nob Hill where they'll offer one very affordably priced prix-fixe menu ($39) with two seatings each day. Expect four courses with dishes such as porcini, potato, and leek soup; a signature plantain lasagna; and panna cotta.
A New Izakaya
5:30pm to 10:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday
Fish & Bird Sousaka Izakaya, 2451 Shattuck Ave. (Berkeley), fishbirdizakaya.com
The East Bay has a new go-to for modern Japanese fare. Dishes here include smoked spicy cod roe potato salad; Berkshire pork nabe; and sashimi sea bream. // Reservations recommended via Resy.
Trivia night for Australia
6pm to 9pm
Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company, 1735 Noriega St. (Outer Sunset), sunsetbeersf.com
The American Association of Zoo Keepers and Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company are teaming up to raise funds for Australia with this special trivia night. While you test your knowledge (and hopefully claim victory), enjoy a brew or two with all proceeds benefiting Zoos Victoria's Bushfire Emergency Relief Fund. // Trivia is $8 for non-members and $5 for members, details on Facebook.
Heart Opening Yoga
6:30pm
Outdoor Voices, 555 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley)
Get your flow—and your self-love—on with a Valentine's-inspired yoga class at Outdoor Voices. After some intention setting and journaling, you'll move through heart-opening poses and be all set to conquer the rest of the week. Don't forget your mat. // RSVP for the free event on outdoorvoices.com.
Thursday, February 6th
Ritual of Succession
Noon to 6pm Thursday through Saturday, through Feb. 29
Cult Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, 1217B Fell St. (Lower Haight), cultexhibitions.com
The tapestries, videos, drawings, and sculptures in this new exhibit share a thing in common: a focus on ancestry and mythology. Contributing artists are John Paul Morabito, Dana Harel, Llane Alexis, and Yetunde Olagbaju.Plants & Wine: Fern Mounting Workshop
7pm to 9pm
Plant Therapy, 2095 Market St. (Castro), planttherapysf.com
Want to bring more plants into your home but lacking space? Sign up for this workshop where you'll learn how to mount them to your walls. Lighten up with unlimited wine pours throughout class, then take your work home to show off to your friends. // Tickets ($60) on Eventbrite.
Watercolor Workshop
6pm to 8:30pm
Case for Making, 4037 Judah St. (Outer Sunset), caseformaking.com
Scared to death of painting people? Class teacher Lindsay Stripling is here to tell you that Your Hand Is Not a Camera. As the name of her watercolor paining workshop suggests, painting is an art, not a recreation of a photograph. Learn to depict people in creative and thoughtful ways. // Tickets ($155, materials included) can be purchased on caseformaking.com.
Rise & Style With Juice Beauty
10am to noon
La Bande Cafe & Market at San Francisco Proper, 1100 Market St. (Civic Center), properhotel.com
If you're curious about clean beauty products, stop by the Proper hotel for a talk with Karen Behnke, founder of popular organic label Juice Beauty. While you munch on breakfast, she'll spill her secrets about entrepreneurship and the beauty industry. // Tickets ($5 to reserve, applied to your food and beverage purchase) are available on Eventbrite.
Friday, February 7th
Round Pie Guys
10:30pm to 1am
Square Pie Guys, 1077 Mission St. (SoMa), squarepieguys.com
Square Pie Guys is doing the unthinkable: going round. Yeah, we know other people just call it "pizza." But for one night only, these beloved outside-the-box guys welcome a collaboration with Slice of SF for one big pizza party. Every attendee will get two pies and four drinks. // Tickets ($30) are available on Eventbrite.
SF Beer Week Opening Gala
6pm to 10pm
Pier 35, 1454 The Embarcadero (Embarcadero)
Considering going out for beers tonight? Do a bang up job of it at SF Beer Week's opening bash at Pier 35, where more than 130 beer labels from around the Bay Area will be pouring their brews under one roof. Look out for Russian River Brewing Co. (yes, they'll have Pliny the Younger), Admiral Maltings, Laughing Monk, Seven Stills, and many more. Then, over the next 10 days, make your way though SF Beer Week's various release parties, beer dinners, and mini festivals. // Gala tickets ($80-$125) can be found on Eventbrite; for the full schedule of events, go to sfbeerweek.org.
Science of Cocktails
9pm to midnight
Exploratorium, Pier 15 (Embarcadero), exploratorium.edu
Our favorite annual opportunity to geek out over booze, this year's Science of Cocktails is an invitation to sip craft bevvies from one (or more) of 20+ open bars while you take in the different exhibits throughout the Exploratorium, catch some alcoholic science demos, and dance to live music. // Tickets ($150-$250) are on exploratorium.edu.
A Mocktail Bar
6:30pm to midnight Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 6:30pm to 11pm Sunday and Monday
Bizzy's Dry Bar, 2930 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland), bizzysdrybar.com
The arrival of Bizzy's Dry Bar means Oakland now has a mecca for specialty mocktails—think spicy mojitos and hot toddies—non-alcoholic beer and wine, and (juice) shots.
Line's Ballet's Grace
Performances Friday and Saturday
Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (Nob Hill), gracecathedral.org
Alonzo King's Lines Ballet is coming to Grace Cathedral for the premiere of Grace, a multi-score dance performance with Native American drumming choreographed especially for the church. // Details are on linesballet.org.
*Update Feb. 4: This event is now sold out.
Saturday, February 8th
Guided Meditation Workshop
10am to 11:30am
Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center, 401 Baker St. (NoPa), bksanfrancisco.org
Whether you've been trying to break into meditation or are already a seasoned pro, head to this workshop to focus on building your inner resilience and increase your overall positive state of mind. // Free to attend, donations accepted. Register via Eventbrite.
Greek Delicacies Cooking Class
10am to 1pm
Ramekins Culinary School Events & Inn, 450 W Spain St. (Sonoma), ramekins.com
With just one look at Ramekin's revithkeftedes (chickpea croquettes), you'll definitely want to learn to make them. In this hands-on cooking class, you'll master them, as well as learn to make a spread of traditional Greek dishes including caper salad, mastelo (lamb stew), and melopita (honey cake). // Tickets ($105) can be purchased on ramekins.com.
Rumble Boxing
Classes offered daily starting today, see schedule for details
3060 Fillmore St. Suite 120-A (Cow Hollow), doyourumble.com
Throw punches at Rumble Boxing's brand new studio, fittingly located in the Marina—and just steps away from Rumble Training. After moving through 10 rounds of full-body strength and conditioning moves, you'll be dripping in sweat and have totally earned your Saturday brunch. // Register for a class and buy a package ($35 two-for-one first time special) on doyourumble.com.
Stories from the Harlem Renaissance
2pm to 3:45:pm
Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St. (SoMa), moadsf.org
In the mid-1920s, when Zora Neale Hurston was the only black student at New York's Barnard College, she began writing about African American life; she eventually became a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. A new collection of her stories, Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick, is the subject of tonight's reading and discussion with UC Berkeley African American studies professor Chiyuma Elliott, poet Tonya M. Foster, and novelist Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. // Tickets ($10) are on litquakeyearround2020.sched.com.
Chinese New Year Parade
5pm to 9pm
Geary, Post, and Kearny Streets (Chinatown)
Head to the biggest parade for the Lunar New Year, packed with dancing lions, floats, flowers, colorful costumes, appearances by Miss Chinatown USA, and a 288-foot Golden Dragon. // Tickets ($38) are available on Eventbrite.
The Best of the San Francisco Comedy Competition
7pm to 10:30pm
Rock Wall Wine Company, 2301 Monarch St., Suite 300 (Alameda), rockwallwines.com
San Francisco comedy at an island winery? Why not. Get there early to grab the best seats and enjoy live DJ music as the night gears up. // Tickets ($30) can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Sunday, February 9th
19th Annual Lunar New Year
Noon to 4:30pm, Saturday and Sunday
Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. (Oakland), museumca.org
Celebrate the Lunar New Year at OMCA. Get access to the museum galleries, see lion and dragon dancers, magic performances, Taekwondo demos, cooking exhibits, Tibetan prayer flag crafts, Korean drum dances, and more. // Tickets ($13 and up) are on Eventbrite.
Dumpling Down
11am to 5pm
SoMa StrEat Food, 428 11th St. (SoMa), somastreatfoodpark.com
Keep the Lunar New Year celebrations going with a dumpling-filled day at SoMa StrEat Food. There will be oodles of dim sum classics from more than 13 vendors, plus bottomless kumquat mimosas, Chinese-themed beers, and entertainment by Kollaboration SF. // Tickets ($5/entry, $28/bottomless mimosas) can be purchased on Eventbrite; food available for purchase at the event.
NSFW Cookies
Exact hours TBD—keep an eye on their Instagram
Hot Cookie, 1817 Polk St. (Russian Hill), hotcookie.com
The Castro's Hot Cookie always hits the sweet spot—that is, if penis-shaped macaroons and delicious warm, butch bars get you hot and bothered. Look out for such explicit edibles today at the cookie shop's second location on Polk Street.
