If rainy days have got you down, these fun things are sure to cheer you up.
Come hungry this week, a taco battle at Merkado, Bollywood night at Besharam, a Singapore cocktail pop-up at True Laurel, a new menu at The Dorian, and an AAPI chef collab series at Nisei. Plus, West Coast Craft, Bill Maher, Vance Joy, and more.
Have a good one!
Mondays are less scary now that SPQR is serving dinner. Hate to cook on the first night of the work week and can't find an open restaurant? The Fillmore Street favorite is now kicking it off with seasonal five-course prix fixe ($96); 5pm to 8:30pm Mondays to Thursdays. Plus, don't miss their coffee and donuts pop-up, 9am to 2pm weekends. // SPQR, 1911 Fillmore St. (Pacific Heights); reservations at spqrsf.com
Starkbierzeit (Strong Beer Month) is on now at Radhaus. You’ll find a super celebration of Bavaria’s strong-er biers with nightly food specials. and Golden Gate Bridge view; daily through April 10th. // Radhaus, 2 Marina Blvd., Fort Mason Center (Marina); reservations at radhaussf.com
Treat the ladies in your life to a beer and bouquet delivery for International Women’s Day. Fort Point Beer has paired up with Wallflower to send their new Coven botanical lager (peep the gorgeous packaging) plus a bouquet to a special someone in the 7x7 area on Wednesday, March 8th for only $38 (+ $3 delivery); preorders begin Tuesday at 5:30pm. // Details at fortpointbeer.com
A taco showdown that supports women’s rights? Sign us up. Head to Merkado to watch talented women chefs from around the Bay Area whip up their best taco recipe. You’ll get to taste them all and vote for your favorite (with a margarita in hand). Funds raised from the evening will benefit reproductive rights organizations; Tuesday, 5pm to 10pm. // Merkado, 130 Townsend St. (SoMa); tickets at eventbrite.com
Eat like an actual grown-up at The Dorian. Sure, you’ve had an espresso martini (or five) at this Marina staple, but have you ever sat down to enjoy a meal? Over the last few months, the resto has elevated its menu with a vision for wellness, seasonality, and whimsy. Order comforting salads, sharable spreads, entrees, and apps with locally sourced ingredients; Tuesdays through Sundays. // The Dorian, 2001 Chestnut St. (Marina); reservations at doriansf.com
Celebrate Bollywood Night at Besharam, in honor of International Women’s Day and Holi. The fantastic all-vegetarian Gujarati restaurant will be transformed with projections of Bollywood music videos while chef Heena prepares a a family-style menu (drunken pani puri, chili cheese pizza, espresso beignets) inspired by her childhood memories of the Mumbai cinema; Wednesday, 5pm to 9pm. // Besharam, 1275 Minnesota St. (Dogpatch); reservations at resy.com
Take a stroll among millions (yes, millions!) of daffodils at Filoli, the historic estate and gardens in the Santa Cruz Mountains. More than 80,000 tulips plus a wash of cherry blossoms, wisteria, and many more bountiful spring flowers are already blooming. Don't forget to order a seasonal cocktail and stop by the shop for garden inspiration; 10am to 5pm daily. // Filoli, 86 Cañada Rd. (Woodside); tickets can be purchased in advance at filoli.org.
Thank you to our partners at Filoli.
Fill your closet with classic staples at the Wente Vineyards x Jenni Kayne pop-up. Ten percent of wine sale proceeds from the day will benefit Dress for Success; Wednesday, 3pm to 7pm. // Wente Vineyards, 5050 Arroyo Rd. (Livermore); details at wentevineyards.com
Pair natty wines with DJ beats. Berkeley-based Broc Cellars teamed up with DJ Muggs of Soul Assassins and Egon, nee Eothen Alapatt, the founder of Now Again Records, and the Sun Ra estate. Together, they created Notes and Tones, a private wine label and album pairing that is being released this Thursday, 6pm to 9pm. // Broc Cellars, 1300 Fifth St. (Berkeley); details at broccellars.com
Taste what's so great about Singapore's most famous cocktail bars, Analogue and Native. At this one-night-only pop-up, two of The World's 50 Best Bars will showcase their sustainable techniques and unique creations. True Laurel will offer a special food menu focusing on vegetarian dishes; Thursday, 6pm to 10pm. // True Laurel, 753 Alabama St. (Mission); no reservations, walk-ins only truelaurelsf.com
Warm yourself up with some “Saturday Sun,” with two nights of Vance Joy shows; Thursday and Friday at 8pm. // Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave. (Oakland); tickets at ticketmaster.com
Get your hands on gorgeous dinnerware from the great-grandson of artist Henri Matisse. North Carolina–based company East Fork will be popping up to sell its tableware in new spring colors. The brand was founded in 2009 by friends John Vieglund, Connie Matisse, and Alex Matisse; Thursday, through March 15, 10am to 5pm. // Fireclay Tile, 901 Brannan St. (SoMa); details on Instagram
Kick off Nisei's new Third Culture collaborative dinner series, which will showcase AAPI chefs, with chef James Parry of the Chinese pop-up Happy Crane. Expect a dialogue between chef about the trials and triumphs of mixed cultural backgrounds, and of course a multi-course meal; Saturday and Sunday. // Nisei, 2316 Polk St. (Russian Hill); reservations on Tock
Stock up on books at the Little Feminist and Booklandia warehouse sale. You'll find a huge selection of inclusive and bilingual children's books up for grabs at 30 to 70 percent off; Saturday, 11am to 2pm. // Mothership HackerMoms, 3288 Adeline St. (Berkeley); details at eventbrite.com
Wind your way through West Coast Craft as you shop for colorful pottery, unique textiles, and more goodies at the beloved outdoor market; Saturday, 10am to 3pm. // Fort Mason Center (Marina), westcoastcraft.com
Embrace the woo at the first San Francisco Crystal Fair of the year. Recharge with crystals, minerals, beads, and jewelry—plus massages, psychic readings, aura readers, and singing bowls; 10am to 6pm Saturday and until 4pm Sunday. // San Francisco County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave. (Golden Gate Park); tickets at eventbrite.com
Relive your Vegas glory days at Steve Aoki's Hiroquest: Genesis Tour. The DJ will take over SF Saturday night at 7pm. // Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St. (Civic Center); tickets at ticketmaster.com
You can touch the art at de Youngsters Day Out. The free, all-day celebration brings artist-led, hands-on activities to 7,000 kids in the Bay Area. Activities will include free vision screenings for children and free glasses giveaways throughout the day from local eyewear brand Zenni. Additionally, families can participate in large-scale art-making, capoeira lessons, and more; Saturday, 8:30am to 5:15pm. // de Young, 55 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. (Golden Gate Park); details at famsf.org
Explore works from Bay Area women cartoonists and illustrators at a two-day pop-up marketplace. You'll be able to shop their books, prints, and other works throughout the museum's galleries; Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm. // Cartoon Art Museum, 781 Beach St. (Fisherman’s Wharf); tickets at cartoonart.org
Join Spinsters of San Francisco for an elegant philanthropic event benefitting Compass Family Services. Enjoy an open bar, wine tasting, appetizers, an exclusive silent auction, jewelry, live music, and immersive experiences all for a good cause; Saturday, 6pm to 10pm. // Fairmont San Francisco Swig Suite, 950 Mason St. (Nob Hill); tickets at eventbrite.com
Experience Bill Maher live on stage for one night only. The Emmy-winning political talk show host and comedian takes the stage for a special performance; Sunday at 8pm. // Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St. (Hayes Valley); tickets at broadwaysf.com