Don’t overlook Dada!

If you work in the city, then you probably on the hunt for cool spots to unwind after work. We all have our favorites and for different reasons. Sometimes its the view or to impress other times the vibe is critical.

When its for atmosphere, one of my favorites is Dadá on 2nd. It is easy to get to, right between Market and Mission.. just look for the blue paint and the neon orange sign above. You can walk right buy it as you would not think it was a bar. Don’t! Check it out and you are in for a treat. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) its a bit of a secret spot and I always hear, “How long has this been here?” The answer, about 5 years!

They have a great happy hour, with long hours, strong drinks for reasonable prices.  What more can a person ask for? Oh yeah; art, lighting, good music (a bit loud)…all of which are good to go. It has art pieces strung around and really filling the place.  Lights dimmed and changing slowly between red, green and blue.

The bartender is usually a one man show so you do have to wait a bit but that’s OK. Gets really crowded on Thursday and Friday, thus I go earlier on in the week. Where I can enjoy and drink a$7 martinis? No where half as cool, yet people would just walk by it thinking ill. Trust me, it is not a dive but you would think it is from the outside.

Mezzanine

The Mezzanine is a small often overlooked venue right at: 444 Jessie Street @ Mint
SF – Mint Plaza, if you know. If not; then the corner of 5th and Mission if you walk towards 6th or Market their is an alley that connects to Jessie st. You can’t miss it with the lights and shouldn’t. A decent space venue that brings in a good number of names with a wide variety of music range.

After arriving 40 minutes after door opens nothing was happening. Did a  quick walk around and head to bar. Crowded kinda normal and over priced naturally. There’s a large selection of hard liquor and slim selection of soft beers and wine. Warning: Pay cash because cards are charged 20%.

Then when the show starts the crowd takes over the empty floor. Music blaring like its a stadium, the feedback getting to my head. In some ways it is great because its loud and you really feel everything. Yet I am starting to feel my age, EEK!

The club is way protective on its VIP seating areas. Everywhere else lacks sorely for a place to chill and sit. This is not a pleasant scenario, worse when there is an hour wait between sets. Really?! An HOUR… and the DJ in between was not great. Getting cranky here.

Halloween Recap.

With the first weekend of November starting, I cannot help think back to “Halloween Weekend”. The girls night ended up being lo-key but great bonding time as you know. Saturday was my parents anniversary dinner, (They were brilliant and got married on Halloween) after was a private party we going to. Thus we opt out of the potential ones we had.

The private party was winding down by the time we got there. Kinda funny, with a bunch of random and quirky typical SF people. My friends where there with their night flying high. It was chill but funny. The after party was pretty hot. We were on a boat. It was old and like a fisherman’s boat where people lived too. It was funky the music old school and all kinda rocking.

Take-out ready to rock out

Sunday was very lo-key because Monday were the tickets for Carl Cox at Vessel. I forgot how small and cramped the place is! Here we are listening to a so-so warm up DJ waiting for the real one to come one. The place is industrial posh and already cramped. If you do not have bottle service there is no place to sit. Everyone is getting all up in your business. When Cox does finally get on we are starting to dance and rock out a bit.

Tight quarters!

Yet it was not that fun to hang out in one safe spot and chill. By midnight we were a bit bored, specially since Cox is OK but not OMG. After a bunch of bumping from random strangers was getting annoying we went home. I found myself wishing there was a way to combined Saturday night with friends and Monday with a good music together.