FRIDAY NIGHT
Eating
Food: Plum in Oakland — from Daniel Patterson of Coi fame — serves highly conceptual, highly sensual fare using a wide variety of fresh ingredients. The hot spot is a moderately priced outpost of contemporary cooking.
Drinking
Wine: Shopping for the perfect vintage in San Francisco? Here’s a short list of some of the better wine stores in The City.
On the town
Night at the opera: “Friday Nights at the de Young” hosts “Opera Night.” Events include an Ensemble Parallele presentation of excerpts from Philip Glass’ “Orphee.” [6 to 8:45 p.m., de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. Golden Gate Park, S.F.]
Cuban pianist: “Chuchito” Valdes is in town. Valdes comes from a distinguished Cuban music family. His sound draws on many styles, Afro-Cuban Latin jazz among them. [10 p.m., Pena Pachamama, 1630 Powell St., S.F.]
SATURDAY
A great bike ride
‘Bay to the Beach’: With its Connecting the City initiative, the S.F. Bicycle Coalition is aiming to realize a sustainable San Francisco that’s great for bicycling for everyone. Come along and examine this already-popular bikeway across The City. Free for members and $5 for nonmembers, and rain cancels the ride. [10 a.m. to 1 p.m., meet at Pier 14, The Embarcadero at Mission Street, S.F., www.sfbike.org]
Ferry Plaza farmers market top picks
- Anemones
- Almond butter
- Avocados
- Carrots
- Dandelion greens
- Meyer lemons
- Pink Lady apples
- Plant starts
- Tatsoi
Lunar New Year
Flower market: The San Francisco Botanical Garden Society hosts its Lunar New Year Flower Market. Festivities include flowers, plants and performances. [10 a.m. to 4 p.m., County Fair Building, 1199 Ninth Ave., Golden Gate Park, S.F.]
Symphony celebration: The San Francisco Symphony presents its “Chinese New Year Concert and Celebration.” Eastern and Western music and other arts are on the bill. [4 p.m., Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
Wine arts
Zin city: The 20th annual Zinfandel Festival continues its celebration of the robust red wine. A grand tasting takes place today. [2 to 5 p.m., Herbst and Festival pavilions, Fort Mason Center, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, S.F.]
Movies
Dark side: “Noir City 9,” the 2011 San Francisco Film Noir Festival, presents Charles Vidor’s “Blind Alley,” Fritz Lang’s “Secret Beyond the Door” and other films. [Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., S.F.]
Comedy
Comedy festival: S.F. Sketchfest, the San Francisco Comedy Festival, presents “Whose Live Anyway” at 7 and 9:30 p.m. at Marines Memorial Theatre; “Music Night” at 8 and 10:30 p.m. at Cobb’s Comedy Club; “Viva Variety” at 8 and 10:30 p.m. at the Eureka Theatre; and other shows. [2 p.m. onward, multiple venues; www.sfsketchfest.com]
Theater
Show extended: Thrillpeddlers’ presentation of the Cockettes’ “Pearls Over Shanghai” has been extended. White slavery, opium dens and miscegenation happen in 1937 Shanghai in this hit show. [8 p.m., Hypnodrome, 575 10th St., S.F.]
SUNDAY
A great hike
‘Peak Experience’: At 1,500 feet, Marin’s Mount Burdell sits below Mount Tam, but it is the highest peak in north Marin. The moderate 5.5-mile round-trip trail meanders across green hills with barren oak trees whose craggy branches look like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Rocks were mined here to make San Francisco’s cobblestone streets. Vantage points have views of Petaluma River, Mount St. Helena and Mount Diablo. [Visit www.WeekendSherpa.com to sign up for e-mail about the outdoors in Northern California]
Lunar New Year
Flower fair: The Chinese New Year Flower Fair welcomes the Year of the Rabbit. Oranges, tangerines, flowers and plants are for sale. [9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Grant Avenue from Clay Street to Broadway and thereabouts, S.F.]
Visual art
Fine prints: Art spanning five centuries is for sale at the San Francisco Fine Print Fair. Items include Durer woodcuts and prints by current California artists. [11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Conference Center, Building A, Fort Mason Center, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, S.F.]
Music
String ensemble: The St. Lawrence String Quartet presents a program of music spanning several centuries. Violist Hsin-Yun Huang appears with the group. [2:30 p.m., Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University]
Early music: Voices of Music presents an evening of Baroque concerti. The San Francisco Early Music Society presents the event. [4 p.m., St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1111 O’Farrell St., S.F.]
Dance
Story ballet: The San Francisco Ballet presents “Giselle,” a full-length ballet with lavish scenery, soulful music and choreography epitomizing the classicism of the Romantic ballets. [2 p.m., War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F.]
