Best of the East Bay: Play

Here are the East Bay’s places to have a good time, all the time.

Published: June 27, 2014

Night On The Town / Art Visionary / Classic Games / Sports Bar / Reader Picks

Night On The Town

Hit these spots for a superfun time with friends.

Norma Cordova

Get Crafty

Editor pick: Beer Tasting Room
Sip a flight at the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Room, featuring 16 small-batch beers on tap you won’t find elsewhere in the Bay Area. 2031 Fourth St., Berkeley, (510) 647-3439, sierranevada.com.

Keep it Contemporary

Editor Pick: Carbs and Cocktails
Grab a bite at Build Pizzeria while sipping a cocktail made with handcrafted bitters. 2286 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, (510) 898-1839, buildpizzeria.com.

Go Out on the Prowl

Editor Pick: Singles Scene
Modern China Cafe’s fire pits and unhurried happy hour make mingling easy. 1525 N. Main St., Walnut Creek, (925) 988-8008, modernchinacafe.com.

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Reader Pick: DIY Workshop
You may not be the next Picasso, but the wine might make you think you are, at Canvas and Cabernet. 1421 Locust St., Walnut Creek, (925) 287-1614, canvascabernet.com.

Rock Out

Reader Pick: Live Music Venue
Play pool or hit up the jukebox at Dan’s, which transforms into a live music venue on weekends. 1524 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek, (925) 932-1331, dansbar.com.

Battle at Bocce

Editor pick: Food and Fun
Whether you’re with a group of friends or just your sweetheart, Campo di Bocce is the place to eat, drink, and play. 175 E. Vineyard Ave., Livermore, (925) 249-9800, campodibocce.com.

Shake Your Groove Thing

Reader Pick: Place to dance
Go to ShBoom Nightclub, a club for grown-ups, to boogie. 2410 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Ste. 130, San Ramon, (925) 837-9777, shboomnightclub.com.

End the Evening Right

Editor Pick: Late-Night Spot
Top the night off with fish tacos and a key lime pie martini at The Rellik Tavern. 726 First St., Benicia, (707) 746-1137, therelliktavern.com.

—Caitlin McCulloch

Shannon McIntyre

The Curator

The Bedford Gallery’s curator brings sophisticated exhibits to Walnut Creek.

Editor Pick: Art Visionary

In her office in the Lesher Center for the Arts, Carrie Lederer is beaming.

“We just secured a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts!” says Lederer, curator of the Lesher Center’s Bedford Gallery. “It’s a first for the Bedford and possibly for the center.”

The grant will help fund an upcoming exhibition called Blow Up, featuring inflatable contemporary pieces from Andy Warhol and others. It’s yet another example of Lederer’s moxie as a curator over the past 20 years and hardly the first exhibit to receive national buzz.

“We had great success with our skate deck show,” says Lederer, excitedly describing how a 2012 show featuring skateboard art from local contributors went on a coast-to-coast tour of galleries in eight different states. Another show, Nature’s Beloved Son, featuring photographs by Pleasant Hill artist Stephen Joseph of John Muir’s environmental research, continues to tour the United States and Canada. And Post Secret, artist Frank Warren’s project in which anonymous people from around the world wrote their secrets on postcards, was a smash when Lederer brought it to Walnut Creek in 2009.

While art lovers across the country can appreciate Lederer’s creative presentations, East Bay patrons reap the real benefits. This summer, Lederer has put together a show about skulls as icons. After that, WC100 will feature a multimedia presentation of Walnut Creek artists, in recognition of the city’s centennial.

“We want to ask, ‘What are the amazing and wonderful pieces and people who make this such a special place?’ ” says Lederer, who is also an acclaimed sculptor. “I hope it will shine a light on who we were and who we are now.” 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek, (925) 295-1417, bedfordgallery.org.

My East Bay

Drink
Unique places in Walnut Creek, including ØL BeerCafe and Bottle Shop.

Shop
Oakland’s Temescal Alley—beginning at Doughnut Dolly.

Stroll
Oakland’s Art Murmur Saturday Stroll in the afternoon.

—Peter Crooks

Courtesy of High Scores Arcade

Retro Fun

There is no shortage of throwback enjoyment to be had in the East Bay.

Editor Picks: Classic Games

Arcade Games

Remember Donkey Kong? Paperboy? Or Galaga? You can play all these and more at High Scores Arcade in Alameda, where the classic machines are in tip-top shape. It costs $5 for a half hour or $10 to play all day. (All games are set to Free Play, so leave your quarters at home.) 1414 Park St., Alameda, (609) 468-3083, highscoresarcade.com.

Billiards

Sip a cold brew or cocktail while challenging friends to a game of pool at Bay Area Crown Billiards in San Ramon. Looking to play on a regular basis? Join one of the hall’s leagues. 2416 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon, (925) 725-3900, bayareacrownbilliards.com.

Go-Karts

Bumper boats, mini golf, arcade games—oh my! Whether you’re hosting a birthday party or just looking to blow off steam, a day playing games and racing around the go-kart track at Boomers is sure to take you back. 2400 Kitty Hawk Rd., Livermore, (925) 447-7275, boomersparks.com.

Laser Tag

Battle your pals in an arena retrofitted with dizzying pulsing lights and high-energy music at Q-Zar Laser Tag. Weeknight discounts are great for groups or anyone looking for a deal. 2295 Willow Pass Rd., Concord, (925) 521-9663, q-zar.com.

Mini Golf

Sink a putt at Subpar Miniature Golf, where the handcrafted holes resemble monuments in the East Bay. Or challenge your friends to a slot car race to see whose automated miniature vehicle earns the checkered flag. 1511 Park St., Alameda, (925) 521-4653, subparminigolf.com.

—Stacey Kennelly

Illustration by Adam Nickel

Watch the Game

This place is heaven for fans of every team.

Reader Pick: Sports Bar

It’s no accident that the Stadium Pub’s logo looks like the sign over the bar in Cheers. Just like Sam Malone’s beloved watering hole, the pub has that “where everybody knows your name” vibe, which keeps regulars coming back. (More incentives: There are 23 brews on tap, plenty of top-shelf spirits, and a menu of sports bar classics—try the Fire Dog.)

Stadium Pub also has a pleasant sense of diplomacy to its hometown feel, and to the game distribution on the 47 TVs. Giants fans sit with A’s fans; Niners faithful clink pints with Black Hole veterans. Sharks, Warriors, Bears, and international soccer fans are all welcome, too. 1420 Lincoln Ave., Walnut Creek, (925) 256-7302, thestadiumpub.com.

—Peter Crooks

Reader Picks

Bartender

Greg Palomo at Walnut Creek Yacht Club
1555 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek, (925) 944-3474, wcyc.net.

Date Night

Va de Vi
1511 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek, (925) 979-0100, vadevi.com.

East Bay museum

Lindsay Wildlife Museum
1931 1st. Ave., Walnut Creek, (925) 935-1978, wildlife-museum.org.

East Bay Winery

Wente Vineyards
5565 Tesla Rd., Livermore, (925) 456-2305, wentevineyards.com.

Happy Hour Menu

Bridges
44 Church St., Danville, (925) 820-7200, bridgesdanville.com.

Late-Night Dining

Hubcaps
1548 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek, (925) 945-6960, hubcapsdiner.com.

Local Brewery/Distillery

Linden Street
95 Linden St., Oakland, (510) 251-8898, lindenbeer.com.

Place to See Art

Bedford Gallery
1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek, (925) 295-1417, bedfordgallery.org.

Ski Resort

Northstar
100 Northstar Dr., Truckee, (530) 562-1010, northstarcalifornia.com.

Wine Bar

Residual Sugar
1684 Locust St., Walnut Creek, residualsugarwine.com.

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Faces

Always Dream

Neiman Marcus Walnut Creek hosted a fashion show in collaboration with Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation. The intimate gathering at the upscale store included mouthwatering bites, champagne, and a runway show featuring several special-occasion looks. Proceeds from the soiree support the work being done by Always Dream to advance early childhood literacy.

Eat Real Festival

This popular Oakland fest drew droves of foodies who craved street eats and sweets from more than 50 of the Bay Area’s finest food purveyors—plus cocktails, wine, and craft beer from various local vendors. Benefiting the Food Craft Institute, the three-day extravaganza in Jack London Square also featured music, special culinary classes, and activities for kids.

15th Anniversary Celebration

The Monument Crisis Center feted its 15 years with a lively commemoration that featured delicious fare, drinks, and music at its Concord facility. In honor of the milestone, the organization also started a matching campaign to raise $15,000 for its numerous programs that support low-income families and individuals in Contra Costa County.

Moonlight on the Mountain

Save Mount Diablo hosted its signature fundraising gala at the China Wall formation in Mount Diablo State Park, garnering more than $460,000 for the preservation of open spaces. More than 500 guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, wine, entertainment, and auctions while taking in majestic views.

Day in the Park

Ellie Mae Classic

Professional golfers, local celebrities, and athletes—such as Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry—competed at this annual golf tournament held at the TPC Stonebrae Country Club in Hayward. Hosted by the Pleasanton-based mortgage software company Ellie Mae, the weeklong event raised roughly $150,000 for several charities, including the Warriors Community Foundation, which offers education and development programs to underprivileged students around the Bay Area.

An Evening to Remember

The Pleasanton-based Tyler’s Grace Foundation feted its fifth anniversary by hosting a fundraising gala at the Diablo Country Club, where nearly 300 guests gathered to enjoy cocktails, an elegant dinner, auctions, music, and dancing. Proceeds from the benefit will support 30 families affected by cancer.

Gourmet Gallop

To raise funds for Diablo Ballet and its educational PEEK Outreach Programs, 280 people sipped, savored, and strolled their way through downtown Walnut Creek, where several businesses served special drinks and culinary creations to attendees. business fundamentals to local youths.

Taste of Oakland

The 2018 Taste of Oakland festival series in Jack London Square celebrated the unique musicians, culinary talents, and technological innovation coming out of Oakland and the Bay Area. The event benefited Youth Aid Nonprofit, a charity that provides free summer camps and music lessons and teaches business fundamentals to local youths.

California Trail Opening

The Oakland Zoo celebrated the grand opening of its 56-acre California Trail expansion with cake, refreshments, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Guests were treated to a first look at the new permanent exhibition, which re-creates habitats for eight native California species, including the jaguar, grizzly bear, and gray wolf. Twenty-five years in the making, the California Trail aims to highlight the Golden State’s natural history while also promoting wildlife conservation.

Nourish Gala

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano hosted its biggest bash of the year at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo, where more than 200 guests gathered for cocktails and a silent auction before enjoying a three-course dinner with wine. The annual fundraiser supported the Community Produce Program, which provides about 250,000 pounds of produce each month to people in need.