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.

Edit Module Show Tags

Edit Module Show Tags Edit Module Show Tags Edit Module Show Tags

Faces

Stars to the Rescue

At this star-studded 29th annual event, guests gathered at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts to socialize, sip wine, and bid on silent auction items in support of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). Grammy-nominated country singer Trace Adkins, the Pacific Mambo Orchestra, Al Pitrelli, Jeff Scott Soto of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and comedian Elayne Boosler all took the stage over the course of the night. The proceeds go toward funding ARF’s facilities and programs, which help save shelter animals.

Macy's Believe Campaign

As part of Macy’s yearly Believe letter-writing campaign, which works to grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses during the holiday season, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area welcomed 4-year-old Nova to Macy’s Pleasanton at Stoneridge Shopping Center. At the event, Santa Claus told Nova, who is battling leukemia, that her dream to have a puppy came true. In January, Nova met her new best friend, Coconut.

Hometown Hoedown

For the fifth consecutive year, the Moraga Junior Women’s Club joined forces with the public to raise money and awareness for a chosen cause. The country-themed bash, which took place at the Lafayette Community Center, benefited the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Contra Costa. (CASA trains volunteers to help abused children stay safe in foster homes.) Attendees donned cowboy attire, listened to live music from local band the Ripplers, and enjoyed tasty barbecue and whiskey flights.

Ruby Slippers Gala

Hope Solutions—an organization devoted to healing the effects of poverty by providing services such as case management, housing advocacy, counseling, and more—held a fundraiser at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville to collect funds for local homeless and at-risk individuals. The event featured cocktails, appetizers, silent and live auctions, dinner, dancing, a wine pull, and entertainment by the band David Martin’s House Party.

Heartfelt Gala

Continuing its mission to assist those in need, Monument Crisis Center hosted its annual benefit at Alamo’s Round Hill Country Club. The evening included drinks, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dancing, entertainment, and live auctions, and the proceeds will aid low-income families in Contra Costa County.

Threads of Hope Awards

Every year, Diablo profiles five outstanding East Bay volunteers in our December issue. These individuals are then recognized at the Threads of Hope Awards—a presentation open to the entire community. This year’s ceremony, along with a reception, was hosted at the Lesher Center for the Arts, and Jessica Aguirre of NBC11 News was mistress of ceremonies. The 2019 award recipients were local heroes Edie Henchey, Karen Henrich, Linda Turnbull, Sharon Beswick Pappas, and Tom Wallace.

Sips in the City

At the top of the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, an estimated 300 guests gathered for an evening filled with wine tasting, delicious food, and silent and live auctions to raise money for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. The proceeds largely benefit the expansion of the hospital’s virtual reality technology, which was featured in Diablo’s October 2019 issue, and will also help with the purchase of other medical equipment. The event was put together by the Rowan Branch, a group that garners funds for supplies and programs at the Oakland institution.

Art of Mixology

For the sixth consecutive year, bartenders and drink enthusiasts came together at Orinda Theatre Square for Lamorinda Arts Council’s craft cocktail competition and fundraiser. Attendees were able to sample over 20 craft cocktails made by 18 participants, snack on tasty finger foods, and vote for their favorite drink. In the end, the Mixologist of the Year Award went to Casey Carr of Batch and Brine for his drink called “So-Shu Think You Can Dance.”

Shellie Awards

In January, the 41st annual Shellie Awards took place at the Lesher Center for the Arts. The awards show, which highlights the region’s outstanding performing arts community, honored more than 120 individuals and their work in both musicals and plays. The winning productions included Contra Costa Musical Theatre’s Matilda, Broadway Repertory Theater’s Annie, Center Repertory Company’s The Diary of Anne Frank and Mamma Mia!, and more.

Best in Show: Stories From Beyond the Shelter

To celebrate animals and beloved pets, Berkeley Humane held a storytelling contest at Freight and Salvage. The event, which was hosted by KQED’s Michael Krasny, featured cocktails, a silent auction, and international best-selling author Isabel Allende. All earnings went toward Berkeley Humane’s livesaving programs.

John Muir Health Gala

For the sixth year in a row, local residents celebrated John Muir Health at a black-tie bash. With hundreds of guests present—including community leaders, physicians and clinicians, corporate executives, hospital administrators and board members, and donors—the gala benefited John Muir Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. Following a reception, cocktails, appetizers, dinner, and a live auction, the night came to an end with music and dancing.