Ever dream of backpacking around the world, experiencing cultures and sampling delicacies of every kind? For those of us who can’t take the time off of work, there’s no better way to embark on a foreign adventure than starting your day with a worldly brunch. Here’s our roundup of brunches from around the world that you can find right across the bay in Berkeley.

1. France
If you’re lucky enough to grab a table at La Note on a Sunday afternoon, you’re in for a delightful Parisian treat. Choose from any number of their menu items; whether it’s their creme fraiche pancakes or cinnamon brioche French toast, you’re sure to be satisfied. Sitting in La Note’s back patio or under the Eiffel tower, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between where you were with one of La Note’s baguette sandwiches in hand. Be warned, for groups larger than two, arriving at La Note after 11am without reservations will mean at least a 40-60 minute wait. Mon-Fri 8am - 2:30pm, Thu-Sat 6pm - 10pm Sat-Sun 8am - 3pm, 2377 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley

2. South of the Border
Tomate serves plenty of traditional American orders like hotcakes and sides of sausage and eggs, but you’ll see people coming in for their Huevos rancheros or their special Cuban breakfast that consists of shrimps, plantains, organic basmati rice, black beans, eggs, and greens. There’s comfortable indoor seating or you can choose to enjoy your meal and bask in the sun on their private backdoor patio. Mon-Fri 8am - 3:30pm, Sat-Sun 8am - 3pm, 2265 5th St, Berkeley

3. East Asia
Sleep in on a Sunday morning and head over to the Thai Temple on Russell Street. From 10am-1pm, you can exchange your dollars for special tokens to order any number of fresh Thai menu items from vendors with entrees averaging $6-7. Popular items include the pad thai, mango with sticky rice, and Thai iced tea. Sun 10 am - 1 pm, 1911 Russell St, Berkeley

4. The Mediterranean
Sail across the Mediterranean Sea for a Greek-inspired brunch with excellent attentive service atZut! Choose from seating within the restaurant or out on the sidewalk patio and enjoy any number of Zut!’s Mediterranean entrees made with fresh local ingredients like their roasted beet salad with mint and grapefruit or one of their thin-crusted pizzas with fresh mozzarella and basil. Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 9:30 pm, Fri 11:30 am - 10:30 pm, Sat 10:30 am - 10:30 pm, Sun 10:30 am - 9 pm, 1820 4th St, Berkeley

5. Germany
Gaumenkitzel; it’s not only German for “delight of the taste buds” but a great getaway for some delicious menu items with more letters than ingredients in their name. Enjoy authentic home-style German cooking by pairing your Schnitzel & Egg with a Mimosa with German Kupferberg (dry Riesling). You might as well be in the Alps. Tue-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 9 pm, Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm, 2121 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley

6. American  
There’s nothing like home sweet home and our pick for a classic American breakfast goes to Bette’s Ocean View Diner. There are not many brunch items that can beat their souffle pancakes, unless of course you ordered the fried chicken and waffles from 900 Grayson.  If you cannot go on a random weekday, expect a large crowd at Bette’s for brunch on the weekend. But fear not, there are plenty of shops to peruse though on Fourth Street as you wait for your table. Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 2:30 pm, Sat-Sun 6:30 am - 4 pm, 1807 4th St, Berkeley

This town knows music. On any given night, you can find whatever genre you're jonesing to hear, sing, or dance along with. Here's a taste of what happened in the San Francisco music scene the past seven days...

“I work with little lights to create abstract images that exist right on the borderline of perception,” says former engineer and filmmaker Jim Campbell, who describes his work as lying somewhere between sculptural and cinematic with a heavy dose of technology.

Amid the organized jumble of lights, mechanical pieces, and assistants in the new-media arts pioneer’s Dogpatch studio sits a section of Blue Path, the 500-foot-long installation that will run the length of an entire concourse at the San Diego International Airport next year. Composed of 33,000 tiny LED lights affixed to wire, the undulating ribbon will be his largest public art piece to date.

Campbell, who contributed a major installation, Exploded Views, to SFMOMA this year and collaborated on stage design for the fall season of Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet says he is uniquely positioned in San Francisco.

“I’m lucky because I’m an engineer connected to Silicon Valley and the resources there,” he says. “The Bay Area is a neat place to make electronic art.” 

This article was published in 7x7's November issue. Click here to subscribe.

Forgive the dorked-out shout-outs, but this week I’ll be giving thanks to the following music apps, without which I don’t know how I’d ever sustain such a life-consuming addiction: Songkick (concert-listings aggregator), Spotify (if ya don’t know about Spotify…shame), WillCall (similar to Songkick but less robot-y), KCRW (wildly influential LA radio station), Shazam (song identifier), SoundCloud (music sharing and recording app), Pandora (duh), Anchording (great for musicians who need quick reference to tablature), and yes, even iTunes (sometimes).

A sincere, hearty thanks to the folks behind these creations, for making it absurdly easy to be a music obsessive. And, of course, we’re super, DUPER thankful for bands who play during the holidays and entertain us when we’re bored rotten.

Nas + Lauryn Hill (co-headline), Fox Theater, Monday

One of the most universally respected artists of the hip-hop world over the past 20 years, Nas continues to produce at artistically advanced levels. This year’s album, Life is Good, is one of the major triumphs of 2012, a fearless exploration of the modern man’s psyche. Nas has deep, poignant things to say on a regular basis, and his live shows are predictably transformative. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Lauryn Hill, who still enjoys a cult following despite marginal output over the past decade and a reputation for being plain awful live. Hopefully Ms. Train Wreck actually shows up on time and figures it out. It’s been a rough tour so far. 

The Joy Formidable, The Chapel, Tuesday

Yes, the Joy Formidable will be onstage on Tuesday. But the real object of our attention here is the venue, San Francisco’s newest house of tunes. The Valencia Street concert hall is booking some impressive acts, with Beachwood Sparks, Fresh and Onlys, Marissa Nadler among the willing. But back to the Joy Formidable, a band that could fill an arena with its grandiose, ambitious rock statements. It's something along the lines of The Killers and/or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, always building varied amounts of righteous momentum, as if there weren’t any direction to go but forwards and onwards and skywards.

Mord Fustang, Ruby Skye, Thursday

Need to work off some Turkey Day-related gluttony? Waddle on over to Ruby Skye after your binge eating session and let Mord Fustang lead your post-dinner cardio. Mord Fustang is a relative unknown, but the way EDM has been taking over the consciousness of the typical music fan, he’ll be rallying the masses any day now. Just, here… 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wkC8vWbFm8

Oh, and also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGksXB6a6s0

Wallpaper, Slim's, Friday

Oakland’s best-dressed party-starters are Wallpaper, hands down. And yes, they write songs with titles like “(EXPLETIVE) BEST SONG EVERRR” AND “STUPiDFACEDD” and “I Got Soul, I’m So Wasted.” But don’t be fooled, there’s plenty of sophistication going on here. Frontman Ricky Reed brings the same style to his songs as he does to his wardrobe, packaging autotuned vocals with a million bells and whistles, sometimes literally. It’s all cheeky and kitschy and, well, Oakland. See for yourself…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dE-7-kBxXw

DJ Quik, Mezzanine, Friday

The ridiculously prolific Compton producer known as DJ Quik (or David Marvin Blake to a few) has touched seemingly every corner of the hip-hop universe, influencing and producing for acts as big and diverse as Jay-Z and Whitney Houston and, holy crap, this can't be right — Shaq? The guy is a magnet for fun facts, really. Last year, in an effort to publicize his 2011 album Book of David, DJ Quik smoked out an entire weed dispensary in L.A. Innovative marketing at its finest.

@ChrisTrenchard

Last week, we caught Matthew Waldbillig, stepping in from the rain, at Freemans Sporting Goods in the Mission.

Matthew is a local artist, and he also holds down the fort at FSC Barber (see amazing grooming below). His sharp eye for design keeps his look always polished -- even in the rain. 

What he wore:  No label hat; RVCA button-down shirt and skinny pants; Levi's denim vest; Freemans Sporting Club raincoat; ML Brown leather belt, purchased from Taylor Stitch; Stacy Adams leather oxfords; Leighton umbrella, purchased from Amazon; Tattoos by Angelique Sanders at Flesh Company in Maryland; Hair by Audra Cutler at FSC Barber; Beard grooming by Dan Diemidio at FSC Barber. 

"I'm a very picky shopper," said Matthew.  "I like clothes that have a clean and simple style. RVCA on Haight St. has some classic styles mingled into their surf/skate lines that always fit me perfectly. Freemans Sporting Club is great for more tailored pieces that will last me for the rest of my life."

Seven Style Questios Things: 

1.  What do you never leave the house without? 

A hat. I really enjoy the look and functionality of a classic gentleman's hat. 

2.  I like a girl in...

tighter pants than me. 

3.  What are your style peeves?

Sweat pants and fringe. And guys, don't dress like a farmer. 

4.  What products do you swear by?

For my hair I use a few different pomades -- Layrite and Grants are my favorites. For my beard I just got a sample of beard oil from Juiper Ridge that smells like motor oil and desert clay that I've been using every day. My other favorite is Burning Barbershop cologne from D.S. and Durga -- the scene is smoky and sweet. 

5.  What's on your holiday wish list?

New shoes, power tools, and a trip to Palm Springs. 

6.  What's your drink of choice?

My go-to is Racer5, but on a cold rainy day I love a Black Russian. 

7.  What's your SF Top 5?

-Bike rides exploring the alleyways of San Francisco.

-Wednesday pizza night. (Most of the time it is at Serrano's but I like Pizza Hut and Delfina, too.)

-Rosamunde's brunch -- no likes and the food comes out fast.

-Early morning bike rides for coffee at Sightglass.

-Digging around in the treasures at Building Resources. 

Lily Ko (lily7x7 @gmail.com) studied fashion design and merchandising at Central Saint Martins and the Academy of Art University. In addition to writing for 7x7, Lily is on the creative team at Pottery Barn, and works as a freelance stylist, writer, and designer.

Tuesday, November 20

Foodies and writers come together to eat, write, and share at Feast of Words: A Literary Potluck. Guests can bring a dish, take part in a writing exercise and share the work they have created for a chance to win literary and culinary prizes. Writer Mariah K. Young will share the story of a critical evening in which a Delhian restaurant worker manages an American wedding event for the first time. Culinary artist-in-residence, Yasmin Golan, anchors the evening’s potluck. 6:30pm, tickets $10 in advance, $5 with a potluck dish, or $12 at the door, cash bar. Purchase tickets here.

Thanksgiving Thursday, November 22

Is your refrigerator the same size as the one you had in college? Do you pay way too much for have a 300 square foot studio apartment? Is your oven electric? Then, you must live in San Francisco! Best that you and your pals and family head out to eat for Thanksgiving dinner. Your comprehensive list of where to gobble your turkey and stuffing in San Francisco can be found here.

Friday, November 23

The Grand Café starts serving a wintery prix fixe lunch today that’s perfect for fortifying you after a round of Black Friday shopping in Union Square. So what’s available for your noshing pleasure? A winter salad, savory bread pudding, and roasted organic chicken, plus an added bonus - choose a glass of rosé or a steamed persimmon pudding for dessert. It’s all a steal at $15 (plus tax and tip)! Served through Dec. 31, 2012, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 501 Geary St.

If you’re in the East Bay (or need a reason to head that direction), finish your shopping and head to the New Parish for eats, treats, and soulful beats. Food Social and FunCheapSF present local street food, awesome giveaways (including an iPad Mini for one of the first 200 people) and live DJ sets all night long. Entrance includes one sample from any food vendor you want,  a complimentary Pyramid Brew, and a raffle ticket to win a prize. $5, 5 – 9 p.m., 579 18^th St, Oakland.

As we all welcome the chilly holiday season, we must also cope with a devastating loss–our glowing, bronzed complexions. What we're left with is a less flattering shade of ourselves just in time for all those holiday parties. Yuck. But there are still ways to have a bronze Christmas! Try one of SF's seven best places to get your glow on and avoid looking completely pasty under the mistletoe this year.

1. Ipanema Airbrush Tanning Boutique - 2181 Union Street | $49 gets you get a full body bronze complete with skin nourishing pre-tan elixir and, for only $15 more, you can “double dip” and intensify your tan for even darker results. Visit Ipanema’s website for package deals and additional tanning treatments.


2. Brown Bunz Mobile Airbrush Tanning– 3150 18^th Street | Mobile airbrush tanning is the perfect solution for the homebody tanner. Avoid the hassle and anxiety of getting directions to a salon, finding parking, and undressing in a cold room. For $80, a tanning technician will bring an organic, vegan, and all natural sunless tan to you. Schedule a tanning party and B.B. lowers the price and provides the champagne! Salon appointments available as well.


3. Skin City– 323 Divisadero Street | Ever worry that your airbrush tan will have you looking more Snookie-esque than sun-kissed? Have no fear. Skin City allows you to customize your shade from their lightest “Winter Glow” to their darkest “Gimme Brown.” Get only your face bronzed for $15 or go for the full body for only $30 more.


4. Organic Shimmer Tanning Therapy– 1804 Union Street | We admire the low price of $35 dollars as much as the next avid spray tanner, but it’s the $10 touch up that entices us even more. It can be heartbreaking to see your bottled tan smudge or smear before you even get to show it off, but Organic Shimmer alleviates that stress with their handy-dandy touch up option within the first 48 hours. Phew!


5. Couture Glow– 2303 Greenwich Street | Founder of San Francisco’s Couture Glow, Sinead Norenius, has sprayed celebrities like Bethany Frankel and Natasha Bedingfield. Get red carpet ready with a master spray tan artist for $95 or with a junior spray tan artist for $50 and walk out with “the best and most natural looking tan. Period."


6. Radical Tan Salon– 255 King Street, Suite C | Yelp reviewers rave about this spray tan. Forty-nine bucks gets you a custom spray tan in a clean, friendly environment. For those who haven't been by lately, Radical Tan recently upgraded from machine airbrushing to custom technician spraying.This help to avoid spray tans-gone-wrong like Ross.


7. Sprayed Beauty - mobile | Enjoy a girls night in rather than a girls night out for once and host a tanning party. Sprayed Beauty travels to you with a free airbrush tan for the party’s host and discounts for all bronzing guests. Just you and a friend? Score discounted tanning for both of you! Tans start at $45.

Brown Bunz Mobile Airbrush Tanning

Airbrush tans have been said to make people look instantly slimmer. All the more reason to get glowing and still enjoy every bite of that delicious holiday food you’ve anticipated since bikini season started. 

On the heels of Black Friday madness comes the 34th Annual Celebration of Craftswomen, which spans two fun-filled weekends (November 24-25 and December 1-2) at Fort Mason. It's one of the city's best opportunities to score artisan, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts, fine crafts, and contemporary art from a spectacular 300 artists.

As the only exclusively female show in the entire US, the Celebration of Craftswomen event is truly one of the jewels of San Francisco’s alternative holiday shopping season. And because its hundreds of artists are from far and wide, you'll have a vast array of items at your fingertips, from clothing, furniture and accessories, jewelry, bags and purses, bath and beauty items, housewares, ceramics and pottery, paper goods, glass, and art. It's all under one roof, and all made in the USA.

You'll also get a chance to unleash your inner crafty person at the show's large knitting lounge, engaging live art projects and entertainment, and a special screening room where visitors can take a break and catch a series of films especially programmed for the Celebration of Craftswomen.

Best of all? It benefits the incredible Women's Building, a refuge and resource for women and girls seeking full and equal participation in society.

November 24-25 and December 1-2, at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center, Herbst Pavilion

Food Talk
Good vs. Evil: Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert
All hell is about to break loose when Tony and Eric go head-to-head in a conversation between two luminaries on very opposite ends of the famous food star scale. The show's not until April, but it's bound to sell out in no time. Get your tickets now while there are still a few left.  
When: 8 p.m., Fri. 4/12/13
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St.

Holiday
Turkey Trail Trot
Work for your feast this year at the 10th annual Turkey Trail Trot. You're out of luck if you haven't already registered, but who's to stop you from following the pack along the route? Runners and Pilgrim Promenade walkers take off at 8 am, leaving everyone plenty of quality time to stuff their faces later that day. Bonus: The run burns 600 calories, the walk burns 300. That's equal to about 1 or 2 pieces of pumpkin pie! (each slice is roughly 300 calories.)      
When: 8 a.m., Thurs. 11/22
Where: Polo Field, Golden Gate Park

Performance 
Mummenschanz
The Swiss mask and mime theater troupe celebrates its 40th anniversary with Cal Performances this month. The troupe has established itself as quite the force in the changing world of physical theater. Mummenschanz proves that even the most fantastical art forms can spring from the everyday—such banal materials as toilet paper are used to craft the surreal costumes and masks.
When: Fri. 11/23–Sun. 11/25
Where: Zellerbach Hall, Bancroft Ave. and Telegraph Way, Berkeley

Holiday
Macy's Tree Lighting + Americana Music Feast
Get in the spirit at Macy's 23rd annual tree lighting. While you're there, stop by the SPCA windows featuring adorable kitties and puppies. Then, keep the holiday cheer going into Friday night at Cafe Du Nord's 17th annual Turkey Trot Americana Music Feast with Mississippi Mike Wolf and the Midnight Gamblers, The Blank Tapes, and more. As Du Nord puts it, expect a night of "Southern-fried country rock with a pinch of honky-tonk dipped in the 1970s, creamy indie-rock covered in old-school twang, and bad-ass hillbilly murder ballads."
When: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively, Fri. 11/23
Where: Union Square and 2170 Market St.

Music
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Soul, funk, and gospel come to Davies Hall, courtesy of Sharon Jones and her gang. This is not the kind of show for the typical symphony crowd—stay home unless you're ready to get down.         
When: 8 p.m., Sat. 11/24
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave.

Music
Tamaryn
The Kiwi turned San Franciscan has been making waves since her debut album in 2010. Now she's live with her latest release Tender New Signs. See the chanteuse while she's still a hometown girl.   
When: 9 p.m., Sat. 11/24
Where: The Independent, 628 Divisadero St.

Dance
Angles of Enchantment
Back home after a sold-out European tour, choreographer couple Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton are set to debut their newest productions on the ODC stage. Angles of Enchantment follows four dancers on an artistic journey to free their spirits. The metaphorical theme plays out in a flurry of vibrant color set against Margaret Hatcher’s eye-popping 3-D set.  
When: Sat. 11/24–Sun. 12/2
Where: ODC Theater, 351 Shotwell St.

Soon, the weekend Tahoe ritual will commence: Up on Friday, back on Monday, with lots of powdery snow, indulgent food, and strong drink in between. If you haven’t yet secured a ski house, and you like to winter in style, you’ve got a new option to consider: The Constellation at Northstar residences.

Adjacent to the stately Ritz-Carlton, the two-, three-, and four-bedroom luxury condos share all of the hotel’s amenities, but afford a bit more privacy, and of course, much larger accommodations for groups. You don’t even have to go outside—an enclosed skybridge takes you to the Ritz’s soaring lobby, stunning spa, and to its signature restaurant, Traci Des Jardin’s Manzanita.

The brand new, fully stocked condos make for the kind of photo backdrop that will turn your Facebook friends green. Cook in the open kitchen on Viking appliances. Relax by the stone hearth gas fireplace. Aprés ski, soak in your own jetted tub. Wifi, Bose speakers, HDTV, washer-dryer combos, balconies with mountain views, down bedding; it’s all there, just waiting for your slope-sore muscles and carb-loaded dreams.

Best of all, like the Ritz, Constellation is a true ski-in, ski-out facility. Walk out the door, snap in, and you’re on the slopes of Northstar, skipping the worst part of any Tahoe weekend—the lines. It’s pricey, but given the size of the units, it’s not out of reach. From now until December 13, for instance, you can rent a four-bedroom for $1,099 a night. With four couples, that’s less than $150 per person. (Two bedrooms during the same period are $699; three bedrooms $899; then peak winter prices take over.) And should you find that you don’t want to leave, just stop in the ales office on the way out. Eleven of the units are on the market, starting—but definitely not ending—at under a million.

For our column Jams We Love, we're turning you onto the songs that keep us going every day. In honor of Thanksgiving, crank up and enjoy these songs to remind you what you're thankful for.

Originally published on CaliforniaHomeDesign.com

Catherine Kwong has had a big year. In just 12 months, the interior designer opened her eponymous firm; completed the stylish “Fashion Blogger Studio,” one of the most talked-about rooms in the 2012 San Francisco Decorator Showcase; and married emergency room doctor Brian Kwong. But one (literally) small thing also happened: She renovated a 1,300-square-foot loft in SF’s Jackson Square for herself and her new husband.

When Catherine remodeled her home, she paneled the dining room wall with vintage wine racks, so there would always be a bottle at hand. “Guests can help themselves,” she says. She also personalized a Blu Dot oak-topped dining table by adding gold leaf to the steel legs. “I loved the simplicity of the original table, but it was too off-the-rack for me,” she says.

Click here for more photos and details on Catherine Kwong's stylish renovation!

“Twist is about time,” says founder and CEO Bill Lee. “If you’ve ever wasted time waiting for someone, then you know the problem we are trying to solve.”

Lee says the idea for the app, which is available in iOS and will be in android soon, came to him last year when, as an angel investor, he had around 200 meetings.

“A good 60 to 70 percent of the time I would get an email saying either ‘I’m running late,’ or ‘where are you?’ This was an itch I had every day.”

To make sure he was not the only one experiencing this pain point, Lee–who is an experienced entrepreneur and investor now heading his fifth company–came up with a creative market research strategy.

He studied Twitter, where he quickly determined that the tag #OMW (on my way) was consistently trending high every day.

“People were already sending millions of OMW messages on Twitter and Facebook. So we knew that yes, this is a big problem and we wanted to be the first to clean it up.”

He pulled together a team, raised financing, and built a prototype starting in the summer of 2011. By this past July, Twist was ready to go.

The app is very easy to use. At its core, it lets you see where the person you are trying to meet up with is at in real-time, and an estimate of how long it will be before they will arrive.

This removes a lot of the stress out of those anxious minutes leading up to meetings, when the distraction of worrying about whether you or the other person is going to be late or early can easily raise your blood pressure.

“Twist makes your life easier,” says Lee. “People can recoup their time. For instance, it lets me keep working up until they arrive. The real opportunity here is to take an offline opportunity, meeting in person, and bringing it online.”

The algorithm Twist employs to estimate ETAs takes into account a lot of third-party data about traffic conditions, the weather, bike lanes, public transportation performance, and the like. The app suggests the best route based on these and other factors, and also displays additional data, such as Yelp reviews of the restaurant you’re planning to meet at.

The Twist team of about 17 works out of its office in SoMA.

Only a half-dozen square, colorful, precise paintings are left behind, stacked amid brushes and Solo cups, at Clare Rojas’ sun-drenched Dogpatch studio, its walls hung with prepped linens to begin a new body of work.

“I just shipped out my show ‘Spaces in Between’ to Chicago’s Kavi Gupta Gallery, so there is not much art left,” explains the petite brunette with a Louise Brooks bob.

The small abstracts that remain are based on “a tension of balance and a love affair with color, as my work is going deeper into this inner psychological space,” says Rojas. They represent Rojas’ major and recent shift from a more folksy, narrative style of painting “based on empowering women”—including “Male Preserve,” a body of work dedicated to the male nude, which was presented at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery at Fort Mason in 2010.

While liberated of narrative in her current visual work, storytelling is still familiar territory for Peggy Honeywell, Rojas’ country-singing alter ego, who will perform at her husband Barry McGee’s exhibit at Berkeley Art Museum on Nov. 16. 

This article was published in 7x7's November issue. Click here to subscribe.

Each week, we offer a roundup of the best literary events in the city. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Want to submit an upcoming event for consideration? Go here.

Bookstores are taking most of this week off for the holiday, but early next week features a handful of standout events. 

Ellen Forney (Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me)

Monday, November 26, 7:30 pm, at the Booksmith (1644 Haight St.)

Forney, an artist and graphic storyteller who collaborated with Sherman Alexie on The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, turns her pen on her own struggles in this new graphic memoir. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Forney feared that treatment might cost her her creativity and livelihood. Studying the lives of other artists with mental illness, from Georgia O'Keeffe to Vincent van Gogh, Forney explores the cultural trope of the "crazy artist" and tries to determine if it's a myth or a way of life. 

John Perry (The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging, and Postponing)

Tuesday, November 27, 7 pm, at Book Passage Corte Madera (51 Tamal Vista Blvd.) 

Stanford philosophy professor Perry's book focuses on a topic we all can relate to: putting things off. Instead of trying to make ourselves more productive, however, he argues that we should use our dawdling as an opportunity to explore why we're putting off the task in the first place, and embrace the creativity that often comes with procrastination. And for those who really have a problem, Perry offers ingenious strategies to break out of the rut. 

Susannah Cahalan (Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness)

Tuesday, November 27, 7 pm, at Books Inc. Opera Plaza (601 Van Ness Ave.)

In 2009, then 24-year-old Cahalan was a recent college grad with a promising career as a cub reporter. One morning, however, she awoke to find herself strapped to a hospital bed, unable to move or speak-- and quickly learned that she had been there for over a month, with no memory at all of what had happened. It turned out she had been plagued by hallucinations, violence, and eventually catatonia, nearing death as a team of doctors worked around the clock to unravel the medical mystery that had suddenly caused her to go mad. Cahalan uses hospital records, surveillance footage, interviews, and her father's diary to piece together the story of what happened to her, and examines the fallout of a life-threatening crisis that she cannot remember. 

James Gustave Speth (America the Possible: Manifesto for a New Economy)

Monday, November 26, 7-8 pm, at the World Affairs Council (312 Sutter St., Suite 200)

Speth, the former dean of Yale's school of environmental studies, has authored two books examining how current U.S. economic and environmental policies could spell the collapse of the country and its economy. He recently completed his trilogy with a more hopeful tack, exploring how the country and the environment could still recover if sweeping economic changes are given the opportunity to take hold. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $5 for students. 

As San Francisco’s Belgian Beer month winds down, it’s a good time to consider a growing trend: The small but increasing number of brewers who are flipping the old adage about how it takes a lot of beer to make a great wine. These inventive brewmasters are using wine (in the form of fresh juice or crushed grapes) to make great beers, which are mostly Saisons. The resulting genre-busting, lightly hopped, beer-wine hybrids are yet another delicious foray into the ever expanding world of craft beer.

Now that most of the 2012 grape harvest is safely percolating in winemakers’ fermentation tanks, let’s have a look at what brewmasters have done with their share of this year’s grapey bounty:

Social Kitchen’s Saison du Semillon: This seasonal harvest hybrid is the result of collaboration between Social Kitchen brewmaster Kim Sturdavant and Oro En Paz winemaker James Davids. The two friends worked out a recipe that included the addition of fresh squeezings from 600 pounds of Semillon grapes into a batch of fermenting Saison. The result is a bright, golden 7% ABV ale that seamlessly melds spicy Saison flavors with the juicy depths of Semillon. Kim noted that the food-friendly ale should be on tap at the brewpub for the next three weeks. If you miss this incarnation, there is talk of barrel aging some of the ale and either bottling it or having it available again on draft.

Allagash’s Victoria Ale: Allagash loaded over 200 hundred pounds of crushed Chardonnay grapes directly into a batch of their flagship Belgian wheat beer to create the Victoria Ale. The cloudy, straw-colored brew retains the yeasty Belgian flavor and tight carbonation, but is balanced with crisp, tart pear flavors from the Chardonnay. At 9% ABV, you can lay down a few bottles and see what other flavors the years bring.

Birra del Borgo’s Equilibrista:This hybrid is a mix of the brewery’s Duchessa, an Italian Saison, and a load of Sangiovese grapes. The beer-y must is fermented and bottle conditioned, then the residual yeast is removed and a dosage of Marsala wine, candi sugar, and Duchessa distillate is added to each bottle. Those are the mechanics, but it’s difficult to improve on Google’s Italian-to-English translation from the brewery’s own web site: “A young Chianti is renowned for its strength, a Duchess, she captivates with elegance and together they get married, creating unforgettable alchemy. Dwell in the bottle along with their little yeast that will give fragrance to their marriage. Grow old together, and then the magician Brewer gives them new life with the ritual of the mouth, adding the potion, the liqueur d'expedition, according to an ancient recipe handed down from generation to generation.” It’s like bottled Fellini!

Cantillon’s Gueuze Vigneronne Brasserie: Belgian Lambics are the wild cards of the beer-deck: A barley and wheat wort is fermented with naturally occuring Belgian yeast and a bacteria that, sometimes, adds a mild champagne-like lactic sourness. Cantillon pushed their already-famous lambic over the top by heaping a ton of Italian white Muscat grapes into the mix. The batch is fermented again and finally aged in used burgundy barrels for two years. The finished ale is 5% ABV, mildly sour with a mellow bouquet of apricots, oak, and Muscat. It’s a luscious indulgence.

Dogfish Head’s Nobel Rot: The brewery started this party with a pale spicy Saison-style ale and introduced it to some Pinot Gris must. But it wouldn’t be Dogfish Head without taking it further. For a blast of added character, they also invited Viognier which was infected with botrytis, also known as The Nobel Rot. This fungus is sometimes applied to wine grapes while they are still on the vine to raisin the clusters and intensify the flavors. The resulting 9% ABV farmhouse style ale is gold and translucent, and the rich heady taste is more white wine than Belgian ale.

With early snowstorms hitting the mountains, the tiny town of Truckee is starting to look like a storybook place to do some holiday shopping. Several stores in the historic downtown section of the town are perfect places to pick up your next gift including cooking supplies and books from the Cooking Gallery, unique jewelry from the Artisan's Market Place or La Galleria or gooey fudge from Sweets Handmade Candies. However, with winter shopping comes cold hands and sore feet. A great remedy for both is a relaxing glass of wine from one (or all) of these three locations this historic, railroad town.

The Uncorked Wine Bar in downtown Truckee is just below the Dragonfly Thai restaurant and is open every day at noon. They offer daily tastings and wine by the glass specials as well as weekly specials. Wednesday is Ladies Night from 4-8 pm with $4 glasses of wine, on Thursday you can get two glasses of wine and a cheese plate for $20 and every Friday from 4-7 pm is the Meet the Winemaker Event. Their Great Wall of Wine includes a huge selection of limited production wines from around the world including Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and California Pinot Noir and you can enjoy your glass by their gas fireplace.

If you are looking to keep it cheap or even free, right next door is the Art Obsessions Gallery. This large gallery is filled with large palette knife oils from Scott Anderson, mythical paintings by Michael Parkes and equine art by Patricia Borum. Make your way to the back of the gallery on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday and have a glass of Chardonnay, Merlot or sparkling wine along with some snacks like olives or cheese.

When your shopping is done, head over to the Truckee River Winery on Brockway Road for their wine tastings and special events. The Truckee River Winery is happy to be the highest and coldest winery in California and serve 8 varietals including a Russian River Valley Chardonnay, a Nevada County Merlot and an Eldorado County Pinot Gris. Their cozy tasting room has a fireplace, rustic furniture and a bar and a small retail shop — all surrounded by wine barrels. On Monday through Friday this winter their Apres Happy Hour offers 20 percent off all wine and beer and Friday is Game Night.

Top photos courtesy of Uncorked and Truckee River Winery. Bottom photo by Christina Nellemann

First it was gold that got everyone’s attention. Then Mark Twain wrote the “Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” and all bets were off. Gold Country made its mark on the map and California history. And though the days of striking it rich are over, there’s a mother lode of reasons to plan a weekend escape of your own.

Calaveras County is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about a three hour drive from San Francisco. Not long after crossing the county line on State Highway 4, you’ll hit Copperopolis. Mines in the town provided much of the copper used to make bullets in the Civil War. What you’ll find today is new construction built to look old.

Gold miners might still feel at home 15 minutes down the road in Angels Camp. This historic Gold Rush town was established in 1848 when shopkeeper Henry Angel opened a trading post. Even with cars rolling up and down Main Street, Angels Camp still retains old-time charm. Life moves a little slower. Businesses close early and stay closed on Sundays and even sometimes Mondays. And oh yeah, they still love frogs.

The third weekend in May, Angels Camp hosts the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee. But you don’t have to go to the fair to know being green in this town has its advantages. There are frogs on street signs, frog statues and the not-to-be missed Frog Hop of Fame. In Hollywood, celebrities get a star on the Walk of Fame. In Angels Camp champion frog jumpers get their names and achievements embedded in the city’s sidewalk and history.

Along with chocolate frogs, antique stores and gift shops, Main Street also has a classic 1920s movie theatre that adds to the old town ambience. Grab lunch or dinner at Sidewinders, which serves great Tex-Mex food along with fabulous beer battered fries.

For a heart stopping experience, head east on Highway 4 to neighboring Vallecito. Moaning Cavern Park is paradise for the adventure seeking type. At 165 feet, the cavern is large enough to hold the Statue of Liberty, and after watching a safety video and being harnessed with a multitude of straps and metal clips you can drop like a spider from a web into the cavern below. The drop starts off plenty wide to get your footing, before you have to feel your way through a dark, narrow worm hole. When you see the light of day – cavern actually – you’ll be dangling, twisting in space 100 plus feet above the cavern floor. In my case, terror quickly gave way to the awe of a view like none I’ve ever seen before.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. There is a walking cave tour, that requires climbing down and back up 234 stairs, but the views don’t compare.

If you’d prefer to stay above ground, you can race on twin zip lines a quarter mile long. Try Super Style and learn what it feels like to fly. 

When exhaustion sets in, call it a night in the Caddy Shack at Greenhorn Creek. The five-bedroom, two-bath cottage has a small yard with a BBQ and horseshoe pit. Just off hole #9, you can sleep in and still tee off ahead of the crowd.

Dana can be found on twitter @drebmann

Dana and her family were hosted by Greenhorn Creek and Moaning Cavern Park, but as always Dana's thoughts and opinions are her own.

Nothing pairs with wine like food, and Napa Valley has no shortage of farm-fresh, creative cuisines. Join the locals and winemakers at these prime tables, most within walking distance to Napa’s world-famous vines.

Carpe Diem
Carpe Diem, located in downtown Napa, is a wine bar-restaurant that showcases chef Scott Kendall’s take on classic comfort food and has an extensive wine and beer program that focuses on small and unique producers, both locally and from around the world. Come into Carpe Diem, eat, drink, and be merry, and experience the casual comforts Napa has to offer. Happy hour is every day, 4–6 p.m.

Open Sunday–Thursday 4–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 4–11 p.m. 1001 Second St., Napa 707-292-4676

Tarla Grill
Tarla Grill, situated in downtown Napa, offers a straightforward yet sophisticated menu of Mediterranean, Greek, and Turkish fusion cuisine. Whether you are looking to enjoy some cocktails and mezes at the bar during happy hour, catch the latest sports game, or enjoy a brunch, lunch, or dinner at one of their intimate tables, Tarla Grill is sure to satisfy even those with the most discernible of palates. Allow them to share this dining and cultural experience with you in a refreshing change of cuisine that will shake up your taste buds.

Open Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–10 p.m. 1480 First St., Napa, 707-255-5599

Ca’ Momi Enoteca
Ca’ Momi Enoteca specializes in Verace Pizza Napoletana-certified pizza Napoletana. All menu items are based on traditional Italian recipes and are made from the highest-quality organic ingredients that are sourced locally or imported from Italy. Our Napa Valley and California wines are available, as well as wines carefully selected from small artisanal producers in Italy. The restaurant is open daily and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Indoor and outdoor seating options are available. Reservations are recommended.

610 First St., Napa, 707-257-4992

Eiko’s
Eiko’s delivers imaginative twists on traditional Japanese cuisine. Our vision combines modern and authentic Japanese cuisine, and executive chef Jake Rand creates a selection of innovative dishes influenced and inspired by Napa Valley’s local culture. We use only the freshest ingredients, including sustainable seafood and fresh produce delivered daily from hand-chosen, local purveyors. Eiko’s also offers Napa’s swankiest social hour–
Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.–at the chic and welcoming lounge and patio fire pits.

Open Monday–Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., Sunday–Thursday 5–9 p.m., Friday–Saturday 5 p.m.–1 a.m. 1385 Napa Town Center, Napa, 707-501-4444

Goose & Gander
Goose & Gander, located in Walter Martini’s famous 1920 bungalow and property, is a festive Wine Country public house, a gathering place for locals and visitors to come eat, drink, and have a great time. The rustic American, seasonally driven menu and retro-fresh libations celebrate Napa Valley’s abundant bounty in the casual but elegant pub-like dining room, the cherished basement bar, and the beautiful garden and outdoor patio. Additionally, Goose & Gander provides the perfect setting for special events— from 10 to 150 guests.

1245 Spring St., St. Helena, 707-967-8779, info@goosegander.com, facebook.com/goosegandernapa, @GooseGanderNapa

The complete Napa Guide was published in 7x7's November issue. Click here to subscribe.

What if we could assemble every winery that put Napa Valley on the map? And what if we could taste the most important wine they ever made? The answer, of course, is that would one would be one epic tasting. And it was.

For two consecutive days, a panel of experts — composed of Anthony Dias Blue, Karen MacNeil, Sotheby’s Nicholas Jackson and wine blogger Alder Yarrow — and a room full of wine professionals and wine lovers gathered at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena to taste what was described as the most definitive tasting of Napa Valley wines to date.

The list read like a Billboard Chart 100 list — from the 1966 Charles Krug (the year Robert Mondavi left to start his eponymous brand) to Joseph Phelps’ first Insignia (1976) to modern-day “cult” Cabernets like Screaming Eagle and Harlan, the tasting showcased the evolution of a young but determined wine region.

A lot has changed since the year Lois Martini made the first-ever Carneros Pinot Noir in 1957: The region, as MacNeil put it, “was full of sheep” and less than six percent of the Napa Valley was planted to the variety it is now famous for — Cabernet Sauvignon. As late as the 1980s, “we were still figuring out how to grow Cabernet,” said the winemaker for Far Niente.

Today, not only do we “have better grapes,” according to Ivo Jeramaz, Mike Grgich’s nephew, than we did the year his uncle made the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, but what happens in the winery has changed dramatically as well. Winemakers have discovered how to harness malolactic fermentation and can afford new oak barrels.

While, for some, the glory days of Napa Valley will always be the 1970s — the days captured best by the beautiful 1978 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard — what makes modern-day Napa Valley so broadly loved is its diversit. Where else can you get a Chablis-like Chardonnay (Stony Hill) and rich, powerful Cabernet Sauvignons (every wine made from To Kalon)? It is after all, as MacNeil puts it, the Wild West of winemaking.