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 | Spoon + Fork = Spork Funny how the word “spork” makes one think about places like, say, KFC -- bucket meals, plastic utensils and fast-food. But put those thoughts out of your mind -- despite their digs in the former home of a KFC, there’s nothing pre-packaged about Spork except its name. The atmosphere is sleek and quirky, with a keen attention to detail throughout, including large modern paintings of fingers, and a sleek bar with seating reminiscent of that found at a coffee shop, only cool, modern and in slate grey and chrome.More |  | Sit-down Mexico City Market Food For all the taquerias, taco trucks, and Mission dives specializing in moonshine margaritas, the neighborhood seems to lack a good sit-down Mexican spot where you’d be willing to take your mom. Thankfully there’s a new option: Michael Pena’s Regalito Rosticeria, where you’ll find Mexico City style “market food” and an inventive menu with fresh ingredients at an affordable price.More |  | Mozart’s Un-Repenting Rake An evening at the opera, even a “school night” performance, promises something special. The night is even better with a pre-performance Prosecco at Jardiniere, a chance to bask amidst sweet smelling men in tuxedos and grand looking women in diamonds and stoles, and, in this case, the opportunity to enjoy what many consider to be the most perfect opera, the pinnacle of its form.More |  | N’awlins Cooking in the Outer Sunset Next to a narrow shop selling vivid seashell necklaces and scarves sits Cajun Pacific Restaurant, a small slice of New Orleans in the Sunset. This little joint serves supper Thursday through Saturday, with a menu that changes weekly and includes classics such as gumbo ($6 cup, $7 bowl), bread pudding with whiskey sauce ($6), and andouille sausage corndogs ($8). Despite the intimate setting and the opportunity to don the Mardi Gras beads, we found the cooking uneven; the menu would benefit from a move away from the Pacific, and a concentration on the Cajun.More |  | Local Loving Elixir in the Upper Haight From the folks at Magnolia Brewing Company comes one of the most inviting spots you'll find in the Upper Haight, The Alembic. Boasting a "local loving" motto, which means not only a creative, super-upscale pub menu favoring regional ingredients but also a selection of local beers on tap (including Magnolia's own). The Alembic is an elixir for those seeking a mellow spot for drinks and eats in the Haight.More |  | Trigger Happy What does a girl do when she has it all? Say beauty, brains, a happy childhood with a view of the fjords of Norway, and a fortunate marriage to a promising young scholar? Add to that a six-month honeymoon with a visit to the seven wonders of the world with a dip into Rome’s Trevi Fountain, only to return -- potentially enceinte -- to a new home brimming with fancy furniture, books, and a few pistols? Well, if you’re Hedda Tesman, née Gabler (played by René Augesen), you start shooting things.More |  | A Ripping Social Satire of Love and Marriage W. Somerset Maugham’s plays concentrated on social commentary and the conventions of marriage, and in his clever satire, “The Circle”, Maugham presents his audience with a circuitous dilemma -- is marriage for practical purposes, or is marriage for love and passion? The drama here is in two generations of upper-crust marriages where characters are confronted with similar impulses, with wives who seek to abandon stability for a shot at romance.More |  | Southeast Asian Street Food Infused with Tea and Grooves Located in the space that housed 1751 Social Club (and Storyville before that), Poleng Lounge is a tea house, food Mecca, and dance club all in one. This means experiencing the sounds of trickling water and the scent of fine tea leaves, before being hit with the bluster of seven dancing girls lining up against a velvet rope, waiting for entry into Poleng’s Temple Room.More |  | The Spaces Between Film and Stage A bare stage with a projection screen, the image of two men walking amidst a dusty, black and white cinematic landscape, the sounds of piano rumblings reminiscent of the music from the silent film era. This is where Berkeley Rep’s production of “All Wear Bowlers” opens, with Trey Lyford and Geoff Sobelle, both the authors and stars of this production, exploring the permeations between film and stage, performer and audience, vaudeville and postmodern theater.More |  | New Mexican-style Eats with a California Twist It’s difficult to eek-out decent New Mexican food outside the state’s borders. Lucky for us, the folks at Green Chile Kitchen & Market, located in the Western Addition in a beautifully renovated Victorian on the corner of Baker and Fulton, work toward importing the culinary treats of New Mexico, offering casual, cafeteria-style service (as well as curbside take-out, where you can order by phone and drive up outside for sidewalk service), and a lovely rendition of New Mexico’s classic green chile.More |
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