Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
258
What to Do If You Have a Sitter
If you've been sightseeing with the k ids all day and still ha ve enough energy for
a night on the t own, I'm impressed. If you just want t o dine somewhere special,
consider
Fleur de Lys
(p. 107). Dinner at this elegant establishment is an unf or-
gettable ev ent in itself , and y ou'll pr obably ha ve no time f or an y post-meal
activities. A less ex travagant option is friendly , hip
Delfina
(p. 144). When you're
done enjoying terrific nor thern I talian fare here, you'll still ha ve time f or some
grown-up entertainment, and you'll be steps away from a host of Mission District
bars, c ocktail lounges , and music and danc e clubs . I n general , the options f or
hitting the t own are bountiful. Check the listings in the
SF Weekly
or
Bay Guard-
ian,
or on w ww.sfgate.com/eguide. Since most clubs don 't get going until af ter
10pm, plan t o take cabs an ywhere not within walk ing distance of y our hotel.
Finding some c ool jazz
The famed Oak land jazz club
Yoshi's
now has an
impressive 28,000-square-foot space in San F rancisco on 1330 F illmore St., at
Eddy St. (
&
415/655-5600;
http://sf .yoshis.com). S ee jazz g reats f or about
$12 to $30 per ticket; or der up some delec table Japanese “pub” fare from the
on-site restaurant while y ou enjoy the sho w. Another jazz club in the same
Fillmore Jazz Preservation District is
Rassela's Jazz Club,
1534 Fillmore St., at
Geary Blvd. (
&
415/346-8696;
www.rasselasjazzclub.com), a casual, comfort-
able lounge wher e y ou can list en t o jazz, Latin rh ythms, R&B, or blues , and
enjoy snacks fr om the adjac ent Ethiopian r estaurant. There's a t wo-drink
minimum weekdays. Weekends after 9pm brings a c over charge of $7.
Blues bars and other liv e music
T he
Boom B oom Room,
1601 F illmore
St., at Gear y Street (
&
415/673-8000;
www.boomboomblues.com), is open
every night f or dancing, cocktails, and jiving . Lines of ten form on the w eek-
ends, so it doesn't hurt to arrive early and sip your drink slowly. Cover charges
vary depending on the night and the ac t. For an eclec tic music selec tion, try
Cafe du Nor d,
2170 M arket St., at Sanchez Str eet (
&
415/861-5016;
www.
cafedunord.com), a basement-lev el club and r estaurant that was onc e a
Prohibition-era speakeasy. The club r etains is old-time int eriors with paneled
walls and a hand- carved mahogan y bar . C overs f or the experimental and
swing bands that pla y nightly run fr om $7 t o $40.
Dancing
The Endup,
401 6th St. at Harrison Street (
&
415/646-0999;
www.
theendup.com) has been a fix ture of the SF danc e sc ene f or y ears. I t's in a
sketchy part of t own and ma y be t oo crazy for some people , but if y ou want
to dance, there's no place better suited to the activity.
Ruby Skye,
420 Mason
St., between Post and Gear y streets (
&
415/693-0777;
www.rubyskye.com),
is the biggest danc e club in San F rancisco, f eaturing DJs fr om ar ound the
country on weekend nights. Cover charges range from free to $30.
The Ramp,
855 China Basin, off 3r d Street at M ariposa Street (
&
415/621-2378;
www.
ramprestaurant.com), is an indoor/out door bar/restaurant. It isn't open y ear-
round, but bet ween May and Oc tober you can danc e to live jazz, salsa, and
world music on F riday, Saturday, and Sunda y evenings at no c over charge—
weather permitting.
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