San Francisco Event Concierge

Monster Drawing Rally at the Verdi Club
2424 Mariposa St. (in Potrero Hill) A $10 donation is suggested
Event time: 6 – 11 p.m. Phone: 415-863-2141 or visit Www.soex.org for more info.
They’ll sell you the whole seat, but at Southern Exposure’s annual Monster Drawing Rally, you’ll only need the edge. Working in groups of 30, under the watchful gaze of attendant enthusiasts, over 100 artists have an hour to produce a piece of art that at event’s end will be sold for the buy-it-now price of $60 apiece. Some artists go overboard, using sewing machines to sew thread drawings on fabric, others collaborate on their works by tying their hands together to try and create as one. The Monster Drawing Rally provides a unique opportunity to watch a drawing come to life, and to purchase a work of art minutes after its completion. Proceeds from the event provide direct support for Southern Exposure’s Exhibitions and Artists in Education Programs. Music delivered all night long by DJ Frau Holly. Curbside tacos for sale. Valet bike parking by the SFBC.

BOOKSWAP: EAT, DRINK, TALK (and SWAP BOOKS!)
Our second Book Swap of 2010 might just be the most fun you’ve had at a bookstore, ever — so don’t miss it.  Join special author guest Allison Hoover Bartlett (The Man Who Loved Books Too Much), along with other smart, creative lit-minded souls of the city. Enjoy good company, swell atmosphere, delicious Reverie food, free-flowing wine, wise discourse and hilarious anecdotes.  Bring a book — one you loved but can part with – and be ready to passionately tell others why you love it so — and we’ll cook up some good, smart fun. You’ll also receive a 20% off discount card!
Author Holly Payne says the Book Swap is “The most unique book event I’ve ever participated in.”
Space is very limited — these events sell out, so we urge you to get your tickets well in advance! As always, tickets must be purchased in advance, in the store, or at Brown Paper Tickets (or phone 800-838-3006).
Location: The Booksmith , 1644 Haight Street,   San Francisco, California 94117

3 activities for a memorable San Francisco visit (dining, drinking, ???)
Order whatever was cooked on Kokkari spit that day at. 200 Jackson St. 415-981-0983, kokkari.com…Start at the Old U.S. Mint and meander the 3.8 miles’ worth of Barbary  Coast Trail bronze medallions. U.S. Mint at Fifth and Mission Sts…Have your fortune made at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.56 Ross Alley., 415-781-3956

THEATER (2 great shows)
Suddenly Last Summer is a psychological southern gothic drama set on a summer evening in the garden district of New Orleans at the end of the 1930s. $36 General, $26 Student/Seniors, Sliding Scale Thursdays. Box Office 415-345-1287 or www.BrownPaperTickets.com.
ACTORS THEATRE OF SAN FRANCISCO 855 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Wicked is still packing them in at the Orpheum Theater (one of the oldest and best theaters)!
The story behind the witches of Oz, it is an incredibly entertaining production filled with wonderful performances and extravagant props. Performances are available Tues-Sunday, w/Wed., Sat. & Sun 2pm matinees. Ticketmaster 415-512-7770 or www.bestofbroadway-sf.com

FINAL WEEKS OF KING TUT AT THE DE YOUNG
Extended hours, Hawass lecture part of final weeks through March 28.
SAN FRANCISCO—Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs enters its final weeks at the de Young Museum before heading to its next presentation in New York City in April.  The exhibition closes on Sunday, March 28.  The de Young will offer extended viewing hours and a special lecture by noted Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass during the last few weeks. Extended Viewing Hours for the following days:
Saturday, March 20 & Saturday/Sunday March 28/29 9am-9pm, last ticket @7:30 pm
On those days, the Museum Café will remain open until 7 pm.  The de Young’s permanent collection will close at the regular time of 5:15 pm and the Museum Tower will close at 5:30 pm.  Exhibition tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com.

Dig the Pig at Piccino (in Dogpatch)
Piccino Cafe, 801 22nd St.  The event time is 10am-3pm.
Piccino and Roli Roti chef Thomas Odermatt will be spit-roasting a pig at Piccino on Saturday, March 7. Stop by for crispy-skinned swine lovingly cooked on the rotisserie by the Swiss chef.  415-824-4224

San Francisco fun facts…
“I Left My Heart In San Francisco” was written by a gay couple, Douglass Cross and his partner George Cory in 1954. Tony Bennett’s recording in 1962 made the song famous…San Francisco is built on 43 hills…The crookedest street is not Lombard Street , Vermont Avenue between 22nd and 23rd is the “crookedest,”.
Filbert between Hyde and Leavenworth is the steepest street at 31.5 degrees.

Calling all aspiring Wine Pros & Winos!
Want to test your pallet? Think you can guess what’s in your glass? Wine Wednesdays are a weekly fun social wine tasting where all participants will be challenged to guess the varietal (grape) of what is in their glass (no appellations, vintages or producers this week – easy peezey, right?). Guess ‘em all right and the $10 tasting fee is on us.
The true test for wine professionals is to taste wine “BLIND”. Trying to identify the varietal attributes of a wine is more difficult then you may think. But one of the benefits of tasting blind is you may find that your pallet enjoys wines you thought you wouldn’t. To many wine drinkers price is a major factor on assessing quality. You may surprise yourself and find that price has absolutely nothing to do with what you really enjoy.
BLIND Wine Wednesday- $10 tasting fee, Three 2 oz. pours
Complimentary if you guess all correct.  Get 50% OFF Retail/Take-home purchases
Every Wednesday 5pm-8pm at The Vin Club, 515 Broadway 415-277-7228

Vital information about Alcatraz tour tickets and Sunday BART service…
It’s important to book ahead for Alcatraz. For advance tickets go to Www.AlcatrazCruises.com or call 415-981-7625. Tours depart from Pier 33 at Fisherman’s Wharf. If they are sold out, 150 tickets (total) are released each day at 8am for the first three tours. Every passenger must be present at the time tickets are purchased. BART service begins later in the morning on Sundays and holidays. BART is not recommended if you have flights before 9:30am.