When I lived in Hayward, 2013–2014, I avidly anticipated the opening of Brews & Brats on B Street, one of several new restaurants moving into the downtown strip at the time. Alas, Brews & Brats still wasn’t open by the time I moved to Oakland, but now, a year later, it’s fully established. As I
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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked past Telegraph Beer Garden and never been entirely sure there’s anything there. That’s because I’m usually trekking into downtown Oakland a little before their weekday hours begin, so all I see is a big, black gate, a peeling sign, and a few windows I can’t peer
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In Albany, the Ivy Room is enjoying a rebirth after having undergone many transformations over its six decades of existence. The venue, with a makeover and new owners, re-opened its doors three months ago. A sign of what may come can be seen in the retention of the sign itself, a classic one that’s earned
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Mason Bar, an upscale cocktail bar in Arroyo Grande Village, is where Friend #1 recommended we go for nightcaps after trying out the pescatarian options at Ember earlier that evening. Without a doubt, Mason Bar’s single greatest asset is that it opens to the street, providing excellent views of strolling pedestrians and the occasional joyriders.
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Last summer, the husband and I moved away from the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina after spending eight years watching the cities expand and their food scenes skyrocket off the heat-charts. Seriously, the New York Times is obsessed with the place! So I was excited to head back for the weekend in mid-September—my
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After a fun night out at Kuleto’s last November, our friends introduced us to one of their favorite drink spots, just a few blocks away. See that fruit bowl of citrus on the counter? It was one of many, and the smell of them permeated the room. There is no question that the Cantina uses
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I came across the Barrel Room on a night out with an old high school friend, which pretty much describes every night out I’ve had since moving to the Bay Area—I have a lot of old friends to rediscover in this neck of the woods. We wanted somewhere to extend the evening but still hear
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Double Black Diamond Martini Firebirds Southpoint, Durham $10 This martini doesn’t have a long list of ingredients, but classic martinis never do, subsisting on quality liquor with a personalized touch of what gets the drinker’s juices flowing whether vermouth, blue-cheese-stuffed olives, or cocktail onions. The Double Black Diamond martini is even simpler than that, just
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Alley 26 320 East Chapel Hill St. Downtown Durham Website $9 to $12 per drink 4 pm to 2 am (May I take this moment to say I love a bar that posts a closing time?) To my disappointment, Alley 26, Durham’s newest upscale bar, is not located in an alley. It takes up actual
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Eats and Night Sights in New Orleans Why, you might ask, are you focusing on dining at night in New Orleans? Isn’t the food there good anytime? Of course it is! But one must make distinctions between their blog posts somehow, and with the massive amount of eating we did in New Orleans, I figured
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