Best of the East Bay - Fun & Nightlife

From margaritas to man caves, check out all the ways to have a great time in the East Bay.

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Bartender

Reader Pick

+ Havana's Charly Defrancesco has a simple bartending credo: “Remember their favorite drinks, and make sure they have a full one.” Not to mention the occasional free drink, a practice owner Zack Scott actually blesses, figuring the goodwill outweighs any lost income. Scott does wince a bit when he hears his good-natured 26-year-old bartender's hangover cure—avoid sugary drinks. That's a tough trick, considering Havana's claim to fame is its supersweet mojitos. But, judging by the festive bar scene, it seems Havana patrons are willing to risk it.
1516 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek, (925) 939-4555, havanarestaurant.net.  —Ethan Fletcher

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Release for Road Rage

Editor Pick

+ Seeing your friends dressed in full-body jumpsuits is worth the price of admission at Umigo Indoor Kart Racing. But the real fun at this new Livermore business lies on the track, where once you overcome your fear of flipping, these little cars (with top speeds of 40 miles per hour) pack a large jolt of adrenaline. I was hooked the first time I floored the gas on a straightaway, my ears alive with the sound of crackling spark plugs and the wind whipping by my helmet. Good times.
6538 Patterson Pass Rd., Livermore, (925) 373-7223, umigoracing.com.  —E.F.

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Aerial Tour

Editor Pick

+ The vistas offered on an Airship Ventures Zeppelin NT tour—a not-yet-year-old operation—are for sure worth sticking your neck out for. And, you can literally put your head out the window and take a gander. Flying out of Oakland Airport (as well as Moffett Field, near San Jose), the state-of-the-art, superquiet Eureka airship offers beautiful, unobstructed views of the San Francisco Bay during half-, one- and two-hour tours. With a $495 per-person per-hour price tag, it’s more of a special occasion activity—but there’s no doubt that it’s special. We’d recommend flying in the afternoon, when the sun glitters spectacularly off the water, or even later, for the chance to see a sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge from 1,000 feet in the air.
(650) 969-8100, airshipventures.com.  —E.F.

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Theater Troupe

Reader Pick

+ It’s 50 years and counting for Diablo Light Opera Company, er, Diablo Theatre Company (DTC). The troupe is celebrating its Golden Anniversary with a name change, not to mention a collaboration with Company C Contemporary Ballet, for a September staging of On the Town. And, judging by its hilarious performance of The Producers this spring, DTC could be wowing East Bay audiences for another half-century.
(925) 943-7469, dloc.org.  —Miriam Wild-Smith

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Vitamin C in a Cocktail

Editor Pick

+ The beauty of a greyhound lies in its simplicity: just vodka and grapefruit juice. Cafe Van Kleef gives you your money's worth, hand-squeezing juice from fresh ruby red grapefruits into each order—then affixing a healthy wedge to the side of your glass. The result is a delicious (and nutritious) cocktail that has become the bar’s signature drink, occasionally to the chagrin of the staff. On busy nights, bartenders seem to spend any spare moment furiously slicing grapefruits before the next wave of greyhound orders.
1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, (510) 763-7711, cafevankleef.com.  —E.F.

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Hoedown in the 925

Editor Pick

+ Think you have to cross a state line to get to a hoedown? Just mosey on over to Back Forty Texas BBQ Roadhouse & Saloon. Even if you don’t know the Cotton-Eyed Joe from the Boot Scootin' Boogie, you’re in for a good time. Jody Dawn teaches line dancing les-
sons at 4:30 most Fridays. Then, load up on BBQ, and get ready for the band to start at 6. You’ll be shuffle-stepping with the best of them cowboys.
100 Coggins Dr., Pleasant Hill, (925) 935-1440, backforty.us.  —Susan Safipour