I'm headed to San Fran to visit some friends in December. I was checking to see if there were any good shows that week and what popped up but the Arcade Fire at the Bottom of the Hill!!

It'd be great to see them but has anyone ever been to this venue. Apparently it's an all ages show. Does that mean there is no booze or is it one of those places that lets you drink if you're legal. ie wristband style.

While we're at it Iron & Wine is playing the Great American Music hall the same night and then Slim's the next. Any opinions on those locales??

thanks.

ps If anyone has any SF tips on food, bars, stuff to do I am all ears as well.

AMOEBA in Haight Street, is all you need.

I saw MMJ at Slims last year, and wasn't very impressed with the venue. It's got a warehouse feel to it, with no tables (unless you buy the dinner package at a small restaurant on the second floor loft at the back of the venue). Not bad sound, but I wouldn't think it would be a very good atmosphere for Iron & Wine. I certainly wouldn't skip a show you really want to see based on my opinion of the venue, though.

That's good help Marco. I've seen I&W a few times allready so I'm leaning more toward The Arcade Fire, anyhow. Ever been to the Bottom of the Hill??

...and when you go to Amoeba, you can down some really good sangria & tapas next door at Cha Cha Cha.

Saw Spoon last year at Slim's. I agree with Dreaded Marco...it's not a great venue. Not terrible, though...just kind of bare bones. Pictures of the GAMH make it seem a bit more upscale; theater-like.

Hah.. I was trying to figure out the name of that restaraunt.....Thats where I went prior to Amoeba The food was alright, but the wine was divine.

SF Station

Top Dog in Berkeley has the BEST hot dogs ever. There is an Amoeba there too.

If you're into Chinese food, go to Chinatown. Best Chinese food. There's a REALLY good dim sum place called "Fook Yen" in San Bruno that is the best dim sum ever.

Best sushi= Little Ozaka. You haven't had sushi 'til you had sushi there.

Clam chowder bowls.

bottom of the hill is pretty small, like a capacity of 275 or so. it's okay for shows. i don't know how their all ages shows are set up, though.



i'd go to the great american music hall. it's nice and i think the sound is better than slim's.

Something from a native, Bottom of the Hill is fantastic and I have seen about 50 shows there. The sound is great and it’s a real small venue. The only problem is that it’s in a weird part of the city so nothing else is around it. It usually is 21 and over only but they do have all age shows every once in a while and when they do they still sell alcohol.

Great American Music Hall is a beautiful place to see a show in the heart of the Tenderloin district.

Slim’s in owned by Jackson Brown, Bob Sager or someone like that. I witness two of the loudest shows I have ever been to at that place, Flaming Lips and Spiritualized. The venue itself is all right but one of my least favorites in the city.

As far as drinking is concern you can’t beat the Mission district. Valencia Street between 16th and 18th has a bunch of cool bars along with a bunch on 16th itself. Check out the Beauty Bar on 19th and Mission while you are at it.

TwilightKid is totally wrong about the food at Cha Cha Cha, the thing to do if you go there is to order sangria and get a whole lot of different appetizers. The mushrooms and potatoes with that yellow sauce are to die for, making my mouth water. In fact this place is so popular that they opened a second location next to Beauty Bar in the Mission. Also try to go to North Beach for a dinner.

Hope you have fun, San Francisco is a wonderful place and I miss it everyday.

If you have your hipster gear on!


I agree that Slim's sucks, but Bottom of the Hill and, to a lesser degree, GAMH, are good. GAMH used to be an opera house or something way back when, so it's kind of like visiting San Francisco of old.

My favorite place to eat in SF was El Castillo, a burrito shop on Church St near Market (across the street from the Safeway!).

Actually, I'm totally right if you wanna get specific.. My one experience there was average at best. Therefore that it what my opinion is based upon.

If you are a regular, then perhaps you are a better judge and a better source to speak on the place, but ddon't tell me I'm wrong. Gracias.

This post gets my blood boiling, thanks!! I'm glad someone around here has actually been to the Bottom of the Hill and has good things to say about it.

My friend says he lives in the Mission district so that's nice to hear a reccomendation for his area of town. He's a really cheap PHd student and he tells me he eats nothing but $3 burritos around town and loves it.

thanks everyone. i'll take any all food and bar recs and store them away for a month or so.

Don't take it so personal Dov.

It is no big deal to be wrong about something, I am have been wrong many times. Cha Cha Cha is one of the best places to eat in San Francisco, so I had to say something. I ate there about 100 times.