Nightcrawlers of San Francisco
As the Spring Semester winds down toward its inevitable ending, and with warmer, dryer weather arriving any day, it’s time to beginning planning more weekend and summer outings. Looking for unique, affordable, tasty, or exciting adventures close to home? We asked the students and staff of Alliant to share some of their favorite local escapes for exploring the San Francisco Bay Area…
By Ned Doherty
I particularly enjoy visiting nightspots near my home, which finds me, often, staying home. (You can't get nearer than that.) However, when I do venture out, I tend to head to the Mission district, which I can do on foot.
My favorite music spot is the Make Out Room, the interior of which, although decorated in what one might imagine is a contemporary manner, does not appear to have been altered since the 1800's. Cool acts play there, sometimes unannounced. Across the street is the Café Revolution, which is also a happening spot. You can see live music there, performed in an informal setting. Plus, some of the folks that play there are, in musical parlance, “pretty heavy.” If you miss the show and want the recording, Aquarius Records on Valencia, near 22nd Street, is eclectic and wonderful.
I can't let this opportunity pass without plugging a couple of food sources: La Taqueria, on Mission near 26th Street is, in the humble opinion of some, the best place to eat in San Francisco, hands down. They are not open late so if you're carousing in the wee-wee hours, hit Taqueria Cancun on Mission at 19th Street. Also, with all the fuss about gourmet ice cream, some would argue that Mitchell's, on San Jose and 29th Street, is way better than good. Since there’s always a line, take a number, and soak in the
scene. Wanna talk food? Local culcha? Stop by my office (Rm. #109) anytime.
By Peter Clark
The human voice is a magnificent thing. The emotion a gifted singer can convey through a simple song has the power to send shivers down one’s spine. Unfortunately, most people don’t possess this gift. But despite this fact, a choir of drunken voices seems to scream out of karaoke bars across the city on a nightly basis. The silent majority’s call to solve the problem of this noise pollution has been answered by the owners of the Fillmore Karaoke Corporation.
Located across the street from the Fillmore Theater on the cusp of Japantown and the Fillmore District, the Fillmore Karaoke Corporation rents small rooms to private parties by the hour that contain couches, karaoke machines, microphones, and, perhaps most importantly, privacy.
Insider Tip: Don’t sneak in your own drinks—especially if they contain alcohol. The management doesn’t care, but inebriation does little to flatter vocal cord functioning. Also, if you’re sensitive to smoke this may not be your scene. More smoke seeps out from beneath the hallway of closed doors than from the average undergraduate dorm room.
Like Wayne Newton said in National Lampoons Vegas Vacation, “A singer’s body is his instrument, and I believe in keeping my instrument finely tuned.” And what better way to tune up the body after a hardcore ’roke session than with an influx of Omega-3’s from some fresh toro at the best sushi boat restaurant in the City?
At Isobune Sushi Restaurant, you can watch a parade of sushi atop lacquer plates pass by on boats floating on the moat that circles the oval shaped table around which the diner’s sit. When something catches your eye, just grab it off its vessel, dip it in wasabi, and dig in. Each plate is decorated with colored trim that
correlates to a certain price. Once you’re up to your eyeballs in plates and ready to check out, the server tallies up the various plates stacked by your side and charges you accordingly. Though it may be tempting to hide the plates in the planters near the tables to avoid payment, remember that the chefs know how to wield a butcher’s knife with surgical precision…