Welcome to Ticket Tuesdays, a new weekly chance for you to score entry to some of the hottest shows and events in the Bay Area.

Now that the air is crisp, the days are shorter, and ice skating rinks are everywhere, it definitely feels like the holidays. But the Cal Academy of Sciences has made it official with their 'Tis the Season for Science series of festivities that include live reindeer grazing on their living roof, indoor snow flurries, and a special theater show about the Earth's seasons and how animals have adapted to them, inside a dome shaped like a snowman!

Want to experience the seasonal magic? We've got FOUR entry passes to give away, and here's what you have to do: Just sign up for our newsletter below by tomorrow, and we'll choose a winner randomly. The winner will be notified via email on how to pick up his or her tickets! Good luck!

East Bay residents, just imagine getting from anywhere in Oakland, Berkeley or Alameda via an environmentally friendly electric railway to anywhere else in the East Bay or SF in 30 minutes or less, even in rush hour. 

San Franciscans, think about all the fun you could have on a weekend trip to the beach in Alameda or going hiking in the Redwoods without having to stress about the traffic getting back into the city afterwards. 

Image: Bay Area Rails

Feel like a dream? It would be for us, but it wasn't for Bay Area residents in the 1900s. Those lucky ducks had an incredibly extensive, clean and fast train system that ran through all the major East Bay cities and connected them to SF via a private ferry, and then later via the lower deck of the Bay Bridge. It was awesome. And it even had an awesome name: The Key System. 

What began as several seperate streetcar lines running through the East Bay in the 1890s became a consolidated railway under Francis Marion "Borax" Smith in 1902. Smith (who made his millions from his namesake mineral) envisioned an electric train system that served the bedroom communities of the East Bay while creating tourist attractions for the residents of San Francisco (like the Claremont Hotel!). 

Later named the Key System because on a map the railway shape looked like a key, the trains initially allowed commuters to easily get anywhere across the entire East Bay and into SF via ferry. During its peak in 1930, 60 million people used the ferry to cross into SF. The boats were luxurious with stained-glass windows, bars, a full restaurant, soda fountain and inlaid tile floors. 

But when the Bay Bridge opened in 1937, the number of ferry riders dropped dramatically and instead the Key System began running on the lower deck of the bridge. Now instead of a ferry to take commuters into the city, the Key System ran into the Transbay Transit Terminal–the same one busses used until it closed in 2010. 

The demise of the Key System in the '40s and '50s was two-fold. The popularity of owning a car skyrocketed, but most importantly General Motors began purchasing electric train systems across America and shutting them down. This happened in over 50 cities and ultimately the Supreme Court found General Motors guilty of conspiracy. Sadly for the Bay Area, the damage was already done. The Key System within the East Bay was dismantled and replaced with AC Transit buses in 1948, and train service across the Bay Bridge ended in 1958.  

Not only was the convenience of the train system now not available, but the East Bay and San Francisco suffered from the damaging effects of not having a real public transit system. Freeways built above thriving communities in Oakland and Berkeley decimated communities, and the double-decker Embarcadero Freeway (seriously, it existed!) dominated the SF skyline from 1959 until it was demolished post-1989 earthquake. 

A great public transit system for San Francisco feels like a far-flung fantasy, but to think there was once an eco-friendly system for the entire Bay Area to stay connected is mind-blowing. Bring back the Key System! 

I’m a 39-year-old woman and I don’t think I’ve ever had sex completely sober. Not that I’m drunk when I do it—I rarely get drunk—but I always at least have one glass of wine, and often two. Now that I’m in a serious relationship for the past six months or so, I realize that it actually scares me to have sex sober. I don’t feel dependent on alcohol in general and I don’t drink every day. What should I do?

He Said: First of all, there is nothing wrong with using wine as an aphrodisiac. It has been used that way from time immemorial. Think of it this way: Many come to associate sex with much harder stimulants, such as the party drugs GHB and meth, both of which lower inhibitions and sexual shame so prevalent in our judgmental society. Compared to those, a glass or two of wine is mild.

Nonetheless, you obviously want to shake the habit. It does make spontaneous sex more difficult. Are you really going to guzzle wine before morning sex? In the backseat of your car? Probably not. From your description, it sounds more like a crutch than an addiction—although AA or some other recovery group would be a great way to share the problem with others who undoubtedly have similar concerns.

But I would first try to wean yourself from the booze-sex association. Try cutting back to one glass of wine per encounter, then half a glass, and then, well, none. Once you learn to relax on your own, the sex itself will become the stimulant.

She Said: I think the key to the situation is the serious relationship. It’s easy to have alcohol accompany sex when dating—after all, most dates involve at least a little drinking. But it’s not realistic, or healthy, to make alcohol a prerequisite to ongoing sex. A little chemical help in lowering your inhibitions might be useful with a new lover, but as you get to know someone, the goal is to loosen those inhibitions consciously. In fact, it’s the conscious desire and decision to let down your guard that actually generates erotic excitement. It’s not supposed to be comfortable—it’s supposed to be exciting, which is to say scary. Masking the fear with alcohol or drugs also masks much of the authentic sexual energy of the situation.

So, first of all, accept your fears and inhibitions. Embrace them. Imagine having sex sober, and whatever scares you about that—say you don’t like how your body looks, you’re tense about performance or worried whether you can orgasm—just let those fears be. Realize that most people, to some degree, have similar thoughts prior to sex. You’re a vulnerable human being who’s about to strip naked and let someone inside your body. Of course you’re a little nervous.

Second, if you can, share your feelings with your partner. This doesn’t mean you sit down before sex to analyze every emotion in detail. Keep it short and simple—a little goes a long way. Simply saying, “I’m kind of nervous right now,” or “I’m not sure if you like this,” or “I’m feeling a little inhibited” opens up the channel of communication and demonstrates your trust. Trust is sexy. Don’t just report your fears; ask for his help. What do you need to feel more open? Maybe it’s to start slowly. Maybe it’s to tell him what you like or have him tell you. Maybe there’s something about your sexual routine that needs changing. When it comes to sex, fear is often the lock on a whole Pandora’s box of desires and aversions. Take it slowly, be kind to yourself, and make your partner your ally, and you might find you need less of a buffer as time goes on.

Curious? Confused? Heartbroken? Send your questions to twosense@7x7.com

The DIY craze has everyone and their mothers attempting domestic design pursuits—most of which lead to tragic ends. Here to lend some expert guidance is Creative Bug, a Bay Area-based hub for video tutorials that virtually guarantee success, from pom pom garlands to screenprinting. We asked founder Kelly Wilkinson for a fool-proof project to brighten up your holiday table: Try your hand at dip-dyed napkins for a saturated pop of color at your next soiree.

Materials:

Pre-washed cotton napkins in plain, light color

Fabric dye

Salt

Kitchen gloves

Large, deep pot

Spoon

Paper towels

Fabric scrap for testing dye

Access to sink and stove

Ombre Napkins from Creativebug on Vimeo.

1. Gitane's New Bar Menu: Changes are afoot at the Financial District's Gitane, which is transforming its menu into a seasonal rotation through different Spanish cuisines (including those of Seville, Andalusia, and Valencia) with the help of new chef Patrick Kelly, who's joining wife Bridget Batson in the kitchen. There are also big changes at the bar, including an updated beer program with options like Linden Street amber ale and Scrimshaw pilsner, and sherry-centric cocktails ($12) like the Smoking Lady (vodka, amontillado sherry, Laphroaig, honey, lemon, sage) and the Doblon (Yamazaki single malt, fino sherry, lemon, honey syrup). If you're feeling peckish, a new bar menu features bites like rabbit and jamon serrano croquettes ($8 small, $15 large) or suckling pig confit with red endive and orange marmalade ($16). And don't miss the surprisingly gorgeous restroom, which was recently named one of the ten best in America (really!) (Tuesday-Wednesday, 5:30 pm-12 am; Thursday-Saturday, 5:30 pm-1 am, at Gitane, 6 Claude Lane, Financial District.) 

2. Rock Bar's New Cocktail Menu: The Rock Bar in La Lengua is also offering a revamped cocktail menu, with options like the Earnest Diamond (Angostura rum, maraschino liqueur, champagne, diamond elixir, grapefruit; $8) and the Donkey Show (reposado tequila, pear liqueur, allspice dram, cider, mole; $9). Drinkers can pair their cocktail with Cajun takeout fare from across-the-street sister spot the Front Porch (try the fried chicken), and shuffleboard bowling, an Aquarius Records-stocked jukebox, and silent-film screenings on Wednesdays keep things lively. (Monday-Saturday, 4 pm-2 am; Sunday, 10 am-2 am, at Rock Bar, 80 29th St., Bernal Heights/La Lengua.) 

3. Happy Hour at 50 Mason Social House: With a prime location on the border between the Tenderloin and Union Square, 50 Mason's new happy hour should be a draw for local office types looking to unwind after work. Weeknight drinkers can enjoy $2 Kirin and Ichiban drafts (and $1 off all other draft brews), $5 glasses of house red and white wine and wine flights (and $1 off all other wines), 25% off bottles of wine, and $3 "Mason Mule" cocktails. Live acoustic musicians play every night save Wednesday, when a DJ spins. (Tuesday-Friday, 5-7 pm, at 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason St., Union Square.) 

4. Press Club's Charity Initiatives: As holiday-season celebrations get underway, it's important to remember those who might not be as fortunate, which is why Press Club is offering two promotions to benefit people in need. This week, they're donating 10% of all sales to the Hurricane Sandy Red Cross fund, and next week, they'll give a free glass of sparkling wine to anyone who brings in a new, unwrapped toy. Chef Chris Borges also has some new food offerings, like grilled short ribs with Tuscan kale ($14) and a mushroom pizzetta with burrata and arugula ($12). (Sandy donations through Sunday, November 25; Toy drive party: Tuesday, November 27, 4-10 pm, at Press Club, 20 Yerba Buena Lane, SOMA.) 

5. Viva la Moustacherie!: November is coming to a close, and so is Movember, the annual mustache-centric campaign to raise money for men's health causes. To pay tribute to the many men who grew mustaches for the cause (and the women who donned fake ones), Wix Lounge and OwnTown are throwing a party with free beer, wine, appetizers, and desserts, as well as a mustache-centric photobooth with plenty of props. RSVP here. (Tuesday, November 27, 6-9 pm, at Wix Lounge, 2601 Mission St., Mission.) 

Originally published as part of My SF on Huffington Post SF

Hans Benson of the San Francisco Bulls hockey team has traveled across the globe for hockey, but now he's back in his hometown playing right wing for the San Francisco Bulls, the new San Jose Sharks feeder team and the city's first professional hockey organization since 1996.

As if the grand opening wasn't enough, the minor league hockey team is already in the spotlight due to this year's NHL lockout, a labor dispute that has delayed the season's start. (On the day of The Huffington Post's interview, San Jose Sharks alternate captain Ryane Clowe was on the ice for his first practice after signing with the Bulls.)

Benson sat down after practice to talk about the lockout, the best local SF spots and turning San Francisco into a hockey town once again.

Hans, you've been travelling for hockey for almost 15 years. How did you end up back in your hometown on San Francisco's first team in over a decade? Oh, it's been a scheme for about two years in the making--ever since San Francisco put in a bid for the team. I was playing in Bakersfield at the time, and when they actually got the team about a year ago, I was like, "Heeeeyyyy."

What's it like to be playing back in San Francisco? It's unbelievable. My family and friends come to the games and I get to play in the Bay Area. Traveling has given me such an appreciation for where I'm from. The Bay Area's the best: the food, the wine, the people, the pot.

The pot? Washington and Colorado legalized entirely earlier this month, but California is still struggling. It's better that way.

How so? Marijuana is a part of our culture here in Northern California. If we fully legalize it's going to bring all of these jerks to the scene, flooding the state, monopolizing the clubs and turning it into something ugly. I think we should keep it to the small farmers who are really passionate about it. I've got to stop talking about this or I'm gonna be like Timmy Lincecum--next thing you know I'll be in High Times!

Alright, alright. So tell me how you got into playing hockey. San Francisco isn't exactly a hockey town. I loved hockey as soon as I saw it as a kid. I would go down to the ice arena and watch it, and then new neighbors moved in next door and they had nets. One night they told me there was a tryout for a traveling team. I didn't have any gear and I come from a really working class family. But I went down to Play It Again Sports [a used sporting goods store], laced up from head-to-toe and made the team. I never looked back.

Click here for more questions with Benson!

Follow Huffington Post SF onTwitter.

Originally published on Californiahomedesign.com

This is an old favorite. I've wanted to live here since long before there was an "I Could Live Here." I first saw this moody San Francisco Victorian profiled just after its completion in 2007, when it was profiled by the NYT and promptly lit up the blogosphere. The difference today? It's for sale. The rub? I still can't live here, because this uber-popular abode now costs nearly twice as much ($2,250,000) as when it sold in 2005 ($1,368,000). And I couldn't afford it then, either.

But I can wax poetic about why I love it, and maybe even come to a Zen-like realization that it's not actually THIS house that I covet, but the possibilities that still lay dormant (and not yet priced out of my reality) in another one.

Click here for a peek inside this gorgeously moody Victorian!

In between attending the slew of upcoming holiday parties and get-togethers, you still gotta eat! Here’s your monthly reminder of five new spots that recently opened around town.

Capo’s
Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana is at is again, although this time his pizza perfection obsession is all about Chicago-style pizzas. There are four traditional Chicago styles you’ll find: cracker-thin crust (served in squares), deep dish, stuffed (which is like deep dish but comes with a lid of dough and sauce on top), and cast-iron, along with a special “quattro forni” creation. Enjoy a “Made Man” cocktail while your pizza bakes. Call for your reservation now at 415-986-8998. The vibe is very Chicago 1930s, and so is the payment plan: Cash only.

Chocolate Lab
Fans of Michael Recchiuti’s chocolate creations can now swing by his new outpost in the Dogpatch which is serving much more than his delicious chocolate confections: the Chocolate Lab is open for lunch, dinner, drinks, and everything in between. You can select something off the savory menu of tartines on Firebrand bread (like bay shrimp, or chickpea and vegetables), or cheese and charcuterie plates. And, of course, there’s a dessert menu with chocolate and caramel plated desserts, plus cookies, pastries, and more (including vino, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea).
 
Dynamo Donut and Coffee Kiosk
You a fan of donuts? Yeah, you’re not alone. The next time you finish your jog along the Marina Green, you can swing by the new Dynamo kiosk and score donuts and Four Barrel Coffee—and enjoy a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Kiosk hours are Tue.–Sat. 8am–4pm and Sun. 9am–4pm. The location is 110 Yacht Rd., just off Baker Street at Marina Boulevard on the Marina Green (in front of the St. Francis Yacht Club).

The Little Chihuahua: Valencia
Are you a fan of The Little Chihuahua’s tortilla soup and fried plantain and black bean burrito? Now you can score those local favorites and more at the third location that just opened in the former Urbun Burger space on Valencia. The menu is mostly the same as the other locations—except they won’t be doing nachos and enchiladas for now. (Since the website isn’t updated yet, the address is 581 Valencia St. at 17th St., 415-255-8225).

Rosa Mexicano
Looking for some “upscale” Mexican food downtown? Sure, this place is a national chain, but they’re trying to do a local spin on the menu (and the ingredients they use). While our local love for the authentic flavors at the taqueria can’t be touched, sometimes an after-work bite of tableside guacamole, queso fundido, and flautas (with a couple margaritas) is just what you need to numb the after-effects of a day full of conference calls.

Marcia Gagliardi is author of the weekly tablehopper e-column and book The Tablehopper’s Guide to Dining and Drinking in San Francisco. Read more at tablehopper.com.

Pampering and R&R are necessary to the full Wine Country experience. Don’t miss these elegant stays, spas, and entertainment venues.

Westin Verasa Napa
Located on the riverbank in the heart of downtown Napa, this hotel is within walking distance to more than 15 wine-tasting rooms and 30 restaurants and is surrounded by boutique and specialty shopping. Experience the bloom of spring, the peak of summer, the autumn harvest, or the cozy ambience of winter in luxury at this Napa Valley hotel.

1314 McKinstry St., Napa, 707-257-1800, info@westinnapa.com



Hotel Yountville
In the picturesque town of Yountville, the very heart of the culinary universe, lies a new resort, the Hotel Yountville. Offering 80 brand-new luxurious rooms, the 4,000-square-foot Spa AcQua, and culinary delights served daily in Hopper Creek Kitchen, Hotel Yountville is the new star of Napa Valley
Wine Country.

6462 Washington St., Yountville, 707-967-7900

 
North Block Hotel
Experience Yountville’s new casual luxury. Sip at limited-production tasting rooms a short stroll away. Dine at Redd Wood or one of Yountville’s Michelin-starred restaurants. Sleep in one of our super-luxe rooms with fireplaces and balconies. Refresh in our pool, or get a Plump Facial or Muscle Melt Massage at North Block Spa.

6757 Washington St., Yountville, 707-944-8080




Napa Valley Opera House
The historic Napa Valley Opera House is located in the heart of downtown Napa, nestled among world-class restaurants and wine-tasting rooms. Hosting an eclectic array of music, dance, and performing arts, the opera house provides an intimate setting that is raved about by artists and audiences alike.

1030 Main St., Napa, 707-226-7372

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

Nothing can ruin a Thanksgiving weekend more than getting a $72 ticket...except being blamed for your in-laws' car getting towed. We've broken down the matrix of rules and regulations for you so you can relax this Thanksgiving knowing that neither will happen to you.

THANKSGIVING DAY
What will not be enforced on Thanksgiving Day:
•    Commuter Tow-Away (ex. No Parking 3 p.m - 7 p.m Commuter Lane)
•    Residential Permit Areas
•    M-F Daytime Street Sweeping (ex. Street Sweeping Thursday 8-10 a.m.)
•    Daytime 7 DayStreet Sweeping
•    SF Parking Meters (However, Port Authority Meters will be enforced!)*

What will be enforced on Thanksgiving Day:   
•    Port Authority Parking Meters (many until 11 pm so read the hours!)*
•    Night-time 7 Day Street Sweeping such as on Market Street
•    Non-Residential 1 Hour and 2 Hour Zones
•    White Zones, Green Zones, Yellow Zones, Blue Zones, Red Zones

THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING
What will not be enforced the day after Thanksgiving:
•    Commuter Tow-Away (ex. No Parking 3 pm -7 pm Commuter Lane)
•    Residential Permit Areas
•    M-F Daytime Street Sweeping (ex. Street Sweeping Friday 8-10 am)

What will be enforced the day after Thanksgiving:
•    7 Day Street Sweeping
•    All Parking Meters
•    Non-Residential 1-Hour and 2-Hour Zones
•    White Zones, Green Zones, Yellow Zones, Blue Zones, Red Zones

There is a situation where it's easy to make an expensive mistake on the day after Thanksgiving because it doesn't feel like a workday: Commuter lanes such as the ones along the Embarcadero, Fifth Street, and Mission Street, are not enforced on Friday. But remember, all of the meters are.

SATURDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING
Although it feels like a holiday, it is just a regular Saturday in the eyes of the DPT, and they will hand out $250,000 worth of citations like they do every day, so be mindful.

*To see just exactly where Port Authority Property is, click here and look at the key...any street in the yellow zone is Port Authority jurisdiction.

For more parking tips, tricks and secrets, click here. To download VoicePark free app that guides you by voice to the closest available parking spot click here.

Bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party can be a lofty assignment. To help steer the table conversation from flaccid to fantastic, we’ve rounded up a trio of renegade labels to spark some fiery commentary—and complement your meal. Bottoms up.

Las Madres 2010 Eric Kent Wines Syrah
Owner-winemaker Kent Humphrey’s artist-wife, Colleen Teitgen-Humphrey, curates work from a different artist for each of their Sonoma boutique brand’s labels. For this Syrah, she chose San Francisco artist Akira Beard’s modern portrait of Rudyard Kipling flanked by his poem “If,” which is a “timeless and inspiring work of art in itself,” says Teitgen-Humphrey.

BRING IT As a gift for the literarily or artistically inclined—this young wine has some growing up to do.
PAIR IT With a cassoulet or any full-flavored game, roasted or grilled meats, and stews.
BUY ITerickentwines.com ($42)

Educated Guess: 2010 Roots Run Deep Cabernet Sauvignon
For some of us—we won’t say who—wine selections are little more than educated guesses. The folks at Roots Run Deep have partnered with design group CF Napa to skip the guesswork and get down to the science of it all with chemical equations explaining the complicated winemaking process on the bottle’s label and cap.

BRING IT For physical theorists and hypotheticals.
PAIR IT With slightly sweet dishes (roasted duck or yams), dry cheeses, or BBQ anything.
BUY ITvintagepointcellars.com ($20)

Pick Up Sticks 2010 Hudson Wines red blend (65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Barbera)
Created by designer Michael McDermott, Pick Up Sticks’ label employs the childhood game’s triangular motif to articulate the name behind winemaker Lee Hudson’s unique process. Depending on the year, this blend of Mediterranean varietals not usually seen together has varying amounts of Grenache, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Barbera, and Viognier. Hand-placed stickers on every bottle were inspired by Hudson’s love of vintage travel cases.

BRING IT For childhood nostalgia junkies or avid travelers.
PAIR IT“It’s a wine designed for turkey,” says Hudson.
BUY IThudsonranch.com ($39)

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

What’s better than the gift of choice? Enter San Francisco startup Wantful, which allows shoppers to create custom books filled with 12 gift options. Here, 7x7 editors do the legwork for you. We’ve selected 12 great gifts for the socialite—from teas and sweets to entertaining essentials—all priced at just $50. Click to pay, send a book, and let your loved one decide. Holiday shopping? Done.

Click here to buy 7x7's $50 gift book for the socialite!

In the book:

1. Minedesign sugar boudoir candle

2. Bellocq tea set

3. Julie Tuton filigree earrings, locally made

4. Rosanna Imports Inc. Le Gâteau small cake pedestal

5. Donation to Foundation Rwanda

6. Fashioning Fashion: European dress in detail, 1700-1915 (Prestel)

7. Magisso Ltd. cake server

8. {cocoa} flavored artisanal chocolate, locally made

9. Rosanna Imports Inc. La Vie Boho dessert plates

10. Juliska Hanna petit vase

11. Arthur Court Perla wood salad servers

12. Skyn Iceland Icelandic relief eye cream

All photos courtesy of Wantful

I Am a Camera catches one’s attention amongst the titles of coffee-table books in John Chiara’s industrial live-work studio on Alabama Street. For a man who builds large-format cameras, which he hauls on trailers up and down the California coast, it is tempting to take this as his mission statement.

Chiara’s workspace is filled with manly but sentimental artifacts—including surfboards and board games made at home during his youth—that mingle with plants, art, and a low-key mix of midcentury and Empire-style pieces.

The San Francisco native’s singular supersized photos of landscapes—hand-processed here with a motorized scooter and a large canister drum—are so moody and saturated in dusky hues that they are almost abstract. So it comes as little surprise that surrealist filmmaker David Lynch included Chiara’s work in his selection for this month’s Paris Photo exposition. 

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

7x7 asks the city's chefs for the recipes to their most loved cocktails, bar snacks, starters, mains, and desserts. If there's a dish you can't stop thinking about and want to make at home, email schuyler@7x7.com. Your wish may end up on the blog, along with the actual recipe from the chef. 

Originally created by local bar mixologist and founding member of San Francisco Cocktail Week, H. Joseph Ehrmann, this delicious cocktail has become a holiday classic.

The Kentucky Pilgrim

Serves one

1 1/2 ounces Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Infusion (see recipe below)

1 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce Maraschino Liqueur

1/2 ounce demerara syrup

1. In a mixing glass, add all ingredients, fill with ice, and shake well for 10 seconds.

2. Use a Hawthorne strainer to pour into a wine glass.

3. Garnish with a long lemon twist.

For a warm cocktail:

1. Mix all ingredients into a mug and add 3 ounces hot water.

2. Stir and garnish with a wide lemon disc twist. 

Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Infusion

Serves One

1 liter Wild Turkey 101

2 bar spoons cardamom seeds

1 1/2 cups dried, unsweetened cranberries

3 sticks cinnamon

1. In a wide-mouthed glass infusion jar, place Wild Turkey 101 and cardamom seeds.

2. Close and leave in a dark cool place for 1 day.

3. Strain out cardamom and add dried unsweetened cranberries and cinnamon.

4. Close and leave for another 2 days, agitating once per day.

5. Strain solids and store in the original Wild Turkey bottle with proper labeling.

A long time ago, when I was growing up in a small town in Michigan, part of the background every Thanksgiving day at my aunt’s house on Oxbow Lake was the Detroit Lions football game on TV.

The Lions still carry on that tradition, as do a few other NFL teams, and thanks to a brand new little startup started by three guys out of their apartment in San Francisco, this Thanksgiving football fans have a new way to enjoy these classic games with others.

Pickmoto is a free mobile (iOS only for now) app where you pick the team you think will win each week, and compete head-to-head with other fans.  

Since launching in September with about 50 users, Pickmoto has grown rapidly to over 8,000 users by early November, covering both professional football and – as of recently – basketball games each week.

More sports will be added, including March Madness next spring and the major league baseball season.

There’s no point spread involved in these bets. It’s just which team wins the game. Depending how the crowd predicts the outcome, you’ll win or lose points accordingly.

Before the recent 49ers-Rams game, the Niners were overwhelmingly the favorite, picked by 93 percent of the users to win. Had they done so, those who predicted the outcome successfully would have been awarded only about one point.

A Rams’ upset, however, would have awarded those few lucky fans who predicted that outcome around 98 points.

(As it turned out in real life, the teams played to a rare tie, so no one won anything.)

Pickmoto’s trio of founders, who met when they were students at UCLA, are Ryan Gerard, Ben Peters, and James Wildman.

“We want to innovate with mobile apps in sports,” says Peters. “There are many wonderful web-based sports and fantasy games, but none on mobile.”

“We’re trying to make it fun for serious and casual fans alike,” adds Gerard. “Our user survey indicates that 50 percent of our early users do not even play fantasy sports.”

One surprise already is that the game appeals to both men and women. By last week, four of the top ten leaders nationally, including the top point-getter, were women.

Besides playing against each other when betting on games, users can bet against the crowd, or against a “robot” called Motobot.

Motobot is not an actual robot, but a player programmed by the founders. He has a distinctive personality and likes to engage in trash talking with other fans.

Since online gambling is currently prohibited for the most part by authorities, real money does not exchange hands on the app, but winners earn virtual gold coins, which can also be earned by inviting friends to play.

Pickmoto also allows you to buy gold coins for $0.99 each.

“We've definitely determined that this a product people want,” says Peters. "We convert four out of five people who sign up into users, and four out of five who play one week play the next week also.“

Pickmoto has issued a special Thanksgiving edition that you can access here.

The Bazaar Bizarre is back for the holidays for the sixth year in a row! Come December 1 and 2 at the Concourse Exhibtion Center, the free event opens its doors to the masses who are in search of handmade, quality gifts and a chance to get their DIY on.

It promises to be the biggest and most fun yet with over 200 local artists, designers, crafters, and food makers selling their goods. Attendees can try their hand at crafting in a DIY fun house with workshops and demos, enjoy a food market curated by Forage SF, and explore a non-profit area celebrating some of the cities most loved organizations including Center for the Book and Creativity Explored.

Choose from limited-edition prints, hand-crafted jewelry, housewares, screen printed t-shirts, kids toys and clothes, bath and body products, ceramics, and more to give yourself or loved ones. Feeling the itch to make stuff yourself? Workshop SF,creativebug, The Crucible, and Rock Paper Scissors will be on hand for fun crafts like silk-screening, jewelry making, and making books from matchboxes. For those who want to get competitive Scrap will be holding a birdhouse-building competition with supplied recycled materials.

And with all this shopping and crafting, you'll definitely work up an appetite. Forage SF has recruited Bay Area artisan favorites like Kika's Treats, Uncommon Pickle, Oaktown Jerk and Maison de Monaco for your eating pleasure.

The first 200 visitors on both Saturday and Sunday will receive a limited-edition tote bag designed by indie illustrator Martin Hsu and packed with free goodies.

Saturday December 1st & Sunday December 2nd 2012, Concourse Exhibition Center EAST HALL. 620 Seventh St. (at Brannan). Saturday & Sunday 11-6 pm – FREE TO ATTEND

Obviously you should hit up the classic spots like Tadich Grill, Sotto Mare, and Swan Oyster Depot during Dungeness crab season. But now that it's that special time of year, you'll find crab walking into a way larger breadth of menus—especially since the coastal fisherman are saying it's going to be a great year. We asked a bunch of chefs around town how they're using the local bounty, and gathered up the best dishes to pass on to you. Get ready for Dungeness crab in salads, chowders, flatbreads, dips, sandwiches, benedicts and more. 

St. Vincent

Valencia Street's newish wine tavern always has "She Crab" corn chowder made with sea urchin and Carolina rice, but now the usual lobster meat is subbed out for fresh Dungeness. Chef Bill Niles also has a new chilled crab salad on the menu, made with roasted white beet, white grapefruit, scallion salsa verde, chervil and crumbly, partially ripened goat cheese.

Twenty Five Lusk

Chef Matthew Dolan is doing a dramatically plated half crab, served simply with olive conserva, and Meyer lemon butter. 

Bar Crudo

In NoPa, the king of seafood (and great beer, for that matter) is Bar Crudo, and the twin brothers who own it have added a Dungeness crab rillettes with green apple and pink peppercorn. The plate is served with little toasts brushed with crab butter, so you can stack mounds of the rillettes on top. There's also a palate-refreshing salad of arugula, almond and raisins served on the side. 

Prospect

Last week, executive chef Pam Mazzola added Dungeness-stuffed calamari to the appetizers section of the menu. The dish is plated with ginger, meaty shiitake mushrooms, spicy, roasted kabocha squash, shishito peppers and a mandarin orange relish. 

Rich Table

Chefs Sarah and Evan Rich change the toppings on their housemade plancha bread with the seasons. Right now, the crispy and doughy slate is slathered with a sauce made from charred Early Girl tomatos, then finished off with a scatter of Dungeness crab and sliced fennel.  

Skool

Waterbar

Chef Parke Ulrich plates chilled Dungness claw meat atop a vibrant monochromatic bed of cucumber ribbons, buttery mache, zucchini puree, and fragrant lemon verbena. A scatter of violet borage flowers gives the plate a pop of color. 

Woodhouse Fish Company

Both Castro and Fillmore Street outposts of this New England-style fish shack will be adding a new grilled crab special every week for the next month or so. This week's dish will be a grilled salt and pepper Dungeness with jalapenos, scallions, butter and lime. Next week will be a slightly Asian-inspired ginger-lime crab with jalapenos, sesame oil and cilantro. Plain, delicious grilled crab with garlic butter and grilled lemon is also available. 

Seven Hills

An unassuming, soulful Italian restaurant, Seven Hills sits at the top of Russian Hill on Hyde Street. Since it is run by Alexander Alioto of that Alioto family, you better believe the menu nods to local Dungeness crab during the season. Right now, Alioto has an artichoke heart with crab and lemon hollandaise, and a delicate chilled crab salad served with tomato water gelee, baby white turnips, French breakfast radishes, baby carrots, pink grapefruit and microgreens. 

Mission Rock Resort

Go to Mission Rock Resort on a nice, sunny day for its great setting out on the water in Potrero Hill. The joint has passable menus, and since Dungeness is in, you should get the crab cake benedict or try the Rock Roll sandwich, made with a simple mixture of fresh crab, Bay shrimp, and drawn butter on a classic torpedo roll. 

Rain, rain, go away! Come back...when we have better boots to wear.

Keep those well-pedicured toes nice, dry and stylishly warm in a pair of sleek rain boots.  Whatever your personal style, we have a pair that will work for you. 

1.  Sperry Top-Sider Albatross Rain Boots, $198

2.  Burberry Mid-Calf Buckle Rain Boots, $275

3.  Sergio Rossi Wedge Rain Boots, $350

4.  DKNY x FEED Matte Rubber Rain Boots, $115

5.  Chooka Duckie Rain Flats, $68

6.  Melissa Sweater Fold Rain Boots, $79.95

7.  Burberry Willesden Rain Boots, $425

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.

If you ride a bike in San Francisco, you’ve probably noticed that the landscape looks a lot different than it did even a year ago. Bike lanes and projects have been added from the Bayview to Outer Richmond and everywhere in between.

Here are ten bike improvements I’m most thankful for this year:

1. Fell bikeway added this week. Have you seen it? There’s a new bikeway on Fell Street between the Wiggle and Panhandle. It’s just the first stage of the bigger safety improvements on these unsafe three blocks, but it’s a great first stage. Super thankful!
2. Giant green sharrows on the Wiggle that guide you through the flattest crosstown route. How do you get there? Go to Duboce Park and then follow the bright green bikes painted on the street to the Panhandle. Can’t miss ‘em.
3. Bike corrals. There are more than 20 on-street bike parking corrals in the city, making it easier than ever to shop and dine on bike. It makes a huge difference on 18^th Street, in front of Delfina and Bi-Rite Creamery.
4. New patch pavement on Market Street. It was pretty rough out there for a while, but the worst spots got some fresh pavement this fall.
5. New bike shops. A testament to the staying power of bicycling is that even in this economy, new shops are opening up all over the city. And they’re staying open. Nice job shopping local, bikers!
6. Smooth, safe 17^th Street bike lane: This street has long been a favorite crosstown route, and it got an awesome new facelift this year. 17^th Street is smooth as silk and now has a buffered bike lane in parts. Go out of your way to ride this!
7. Better approach to the Golden Gate Bridge. It used to be a hairpin turn to get onto the bike side of the GG Bridge. Now, it’s a mellow, smooth, awesome vista.
8. Bike-timed lights. Did you know that Valencia and 14^th Street are both timed for bike speed? It’s called a “Green Wave,” and it means you keep up your momentum on your bike, and that car traffic is calmed a bit. Thankful!
9. Expanded Bike valet so you can ride your bike to all the awesome SF events. From valet at Giants games (Oh, thankful for the Giants as well!), to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, to all the cool smaller events around town. It just warms my heart to see so many bikes lined up in a row.
10. Friends in the bike lanes. There are 71% more people biking today in SF than just five years ago. When more people bike, it’s safer, we’re more visible. And it means our city is more healthy and engaged. Thankful!

To learn more about these projects, and other upcoming ones, visit sfbike.org.

Don't try and deny it: Thanksgiving is a stay at home holiday. The sort of people who trek to exotic locations for the harvest holiday are the same ones that go on six vacations a year and have "drivers"–suffice to say, you're probably not one of them. Unless you're John McAfee and you're planning to spend the holiday liveblogging your flight from the authorities or you've got a nice cosy seat staked out at the closest bar (sometimes a necessity after visiting family), you'll be stuck indoors with the people that mean the most to you. Or are the most mean to you, whichever it may be.

If you're sinking into a couch somewhere in the company of friends and family, there are still some worthwhile movies in the wasteland that is Netflix that aren't a total wash. Here's a quickie list of seven off-queue indie suggestions culled deep from the bowels of the online giant that will give you (just a little) culture from the couch this Thanksgiving.

The Great Happiness Space
Be warned: the title of this American-made documentary on male Japanese host club workers (you might call them "emotional strippers") is ironic. They're not actually very happy. This slickly lensed look at the the culture of manufacturing and monetizing emotion seemed very Japanese when it came out in 2006 is starting to look more and more like it could be an American reality very soon.

On Any Sunday
The quintessential motorcycle movie, featuring avid weekend warrior and tournament racer Steve McQueen. Sunday is the Endless Summer of motorcycling, and was also directed by chronically modest documentarian Bruce Brown. Saturated footage flashes back to a more innocent time when motorcycles were verging on a national pastime, and kids were more likely to die yelling "Woo Hoo!" in a fiery crash than an ill-ventilated basement gripping an XBOX controller. It's certainly nostalgic, but limiting a viewing to that frame would be to underrated this gem of a film.

Bay of Blood
Get spun up for the opening of Another Hole in the Head next week with the film that some people consider to be the original slasher. Mario Bava's proto-exploitation gore fest has all the fixings you've come to expect from the genre: Big knives, big kills, and big, heaving breasts. Like most modern slasher films, it has barely a shred of plot, which somehow manages to be an asset as it frees the viewer up to enjoy the film's colorful scenery and removes any obligation to feel bad about it when the characters are hacked to bits one by one (naturally).

Quill
This low-key story of the life and times of a golden retriever as he grows from unbearably squish-able puppy to trustworthy guide dog will most likely make you pathetically whimper in front of all guests at least once. A huge hit in its native Japan, Quill is almost impossibly subtle by Beethoven's 2nd standards, so when one of the younger set complains about the subtitles you can send them to bed and start watching what you really want to see, but at that point it will probably be too late as you watch enraptured, stifling tears like the best of 'em.

The Thirteenth Floor
Regarded as a Matrix also-ran thanks to the unfortunate timing of its release date, this stylish thriller merges LA Confidential-era Los Angeles with a computer-age paranoia plot and actually owes more to Fassbinder's World on a Wire than it does Mr. Smith and Co. Fans of Lynch's eXistenZ will also want to zone in on this one before it is unjustly relegated to the dollar bin of history.

Half Nelson
This one isn't that much of a secret. If you've been wondering where the heck Ryan Gosling came from or you still have not had enough, this might help you out. It's certainly not his first movie, but it's the one that put him on the map as a real actor (said in Will Fewell's imitation James Lipton voice). Spoiler alert: Gosling is a high school teacher who smokes crack. He's also super cool. There. Now you want to see it.

I'm a Cyborg But That's OK
After completing his "Vengeance" trilogy, Old Boy director Park Chan Wook tapped into what must be an unimaginably large reserve of good will to create a film that is best described as the Korean Amelie–if Amelie were to take place in a mental institution. Starring the adorable Bae Doo Na (who recently popped up in Cloud Atlas, again as a robot), and a K-Pop star called Rain, Cyborg merges the sci-fi and rom-com genres in a way that is entirely precious and lovable, but doesn't generate the douchey chills of the latest Gerard Butler-starring holiday cash-grab.