It’s officially Fall, even though the calendar doesn’t say so yet. After this weekend, we are full swing into the time of pumpkin spice everything. Enjoy yourselves this Labor Day but stay safe! Looking for something different? (Aren’t we all?) May cost a wee bit more than your usual takeout but you must at least check out these fine-dining establishments that have pivoted to something special. A.C.T. offers a virtual live performance, almost like being there. The Sanchez Art center celebrates 20 years with an in-person fundraiser – their annual 50/50 show. You make an appointment, wear your favorite mask and delight in the original small creations by 50 local artists – and there is outdoor live music! And grab your tiara and listen in to this week’s podcast.

This week’s podcast is a fun, enlightening and a delightful conversation that will change your opinion of the 100-year-old tradition of Miss America. Kim Selby, our SF Editor chats with Hilary Levey Friedman about her new book, “Here She Is: The complicated reign of the beauty pageant in America.” Hilary is a professor at Brown University and daughter of a former Miss America. Her book is the perfect combination of the history or “herstory” of feminism interwoven into how pageants actually empower the feminist tradition. LISTEN IN.

Fine Dining

As many Bay Area restaurants find themselves unable to operate within their urban settings during COVID-19, some are taking their award-winning kitchens on the road and plopping them down right in the middle of nearby farms and vineyards.

Not for those watching their pennies, San Francisco’s favorite hot spot Avery, is transporting diners to some insanely scenic local farms and vineyards that aren’t typically open to the public. Hosted on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through September with seatings at 5pm and 7:30pm, the private dinners take place at a communal table for up to 10 close family and friends, possibly on top of a mountain or in the middle of a vineyard—you won’t know until booking.

Taking a page from Outstanding in the Field, Avery’s website says, “no two evenings will be the same.” You’ll arrive in style: Avery has arranged for Epic Limo to pick up their guests and drive them, with canapés and Champagne, to the evening’s location. On arrival, groups are greeted with a glass of wine and a property tour before sitting down to a unique menu—from starters to nightcaps at sunset—prepared by chef Rodney Wages. There are plenty of options to upgrade the evening, too. For an extra cost, you can extend your stay with a Champagne pool party at a winery, spend the night at a private villa, or schedule an afternoon of wine tasting before dinner. WOW, just wow. Find more information and make reservations (starting at $289 per person) at averyonthefarm.com.

A three-Michelin-star standout, SingleThread is taking its downtown Healdsburg operation out to the vineyard, Thursdays through Mondays through the end of September. The restaurant has teamed up with nearby Kistler Vineyards for a Summer Wine Dinner Series that features 10 courses paired with Kistler’s single-vineyard wines at socially distanced tables. A portion of the proceeds from these dinners will be donated to Sonoma Family Meal and to Community Foundation Sonoma County’s COVID-19 Resilience Fund; Reservations (starting at $375 per person + tax and tip; $300 for optional wine pairings) are available .

Support the Theatre

It is so important to support the arts now more than ever. Theatres are dark and are doing their best to survive. A.C.T has created exciting free and ticketed virtual programming and events. Continue to expand your imagination and build a better world through theatre. This weekend and next enjoy Madhuri Shekar’s “In Love and Warcraft”. This cosplay-loving romantic comedy about intimacy and love in the digital age was a smash hit when A.C.T. presented it this spring—now it’s back for four live-streamed productions Sep 4–12.

ACT also offers mini classes, a book club for plays and sessions where artists provide commentary on a specific scene from a recent production. Fascinating! Coming up – A.C.T’s fun, interactive memorization challenge. You send a video of yourself reciting a specific poem, hm, how do those actors memorize all the lines? Find out more at www.act-sf.org

Live Art Event

The ability of artists to share their creative inspirations has been severely impacted as you know. Sanchez Art Center decided that their annual 50/50 show needed to go on with extremely careful measures. 50 California Artists were selected by juror Patricia Sweetow (gallery of same name). Each artist has been passionately and deliberately creating 50 small (6”x6”) works over 50 days. Sanchez Art Center (in Pacifica) decided to bring you their works that can be viewed in person and in their entirety only during the opening weekend.

Limited ticket sales offer viewers the chance to chat with the artists (MASKS on) and listen to live music in an outdoor lounge between galleries.After the show’s opening you can view in person by appointment. Virtual galleries will be forthcoming. Tickets to the event are $35 and you can gather more info on the site. Get tickets.

GET THE BOOK.