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Anaheim and San Francisco
Bar Guide!
Barry Bonds was
kind enough to pose for us between hitting home runs.
Batter up! It's party time in Anaheim
and San Francisco.
The 2002 World Series may bring excitement on the field, but there
is a championship party beyond the ballparks. In fact, at PacBell Park,
it's right across the street. Welcome to the World Series Party Guide
to Anaheim and San Francisco. This is a bar, nightlife, restaurant and
sightseeing source for places around the ballparks and all about the
towns. We feature the classic places, be it fall or otherwise.
First things first, though. Where is Anaheim? Well, it's not Los Angeles.
It is, as locals say, "behind the Orange Curtain." Think Disneyland.
It's closer to Mickey Mouse than Mickey Rourke. Orange County has its
own airport, own beaches, own conservative political preference. So,
when you hear people chant "Beat L.A.," they are wrong. Edison
Field is an hour (or more) from Dodger Stadium up I-5.
San Francisco is best known for its great restaurants. True, it's hard
to get even an average meal in this town. But it has some pretty cool
bars, too. The weather this time of year is good, probably the best
of the year. Far better than summertime.
What follows is a quick guide to stadium-close bars. For a much more
detailed guide to each city – including clubs, restaurants and
tourist activities – click on the respective links.
San Francisco (See
our complete city and bar guide)
Momo's patio
can be seen from the balconies of Pac Bell Park.
• Momo's is within a Barry Bonds foul ball of the stadium.
A good Happy Hour spot, it will be THE place to be before and after
games. A good crowd, well-dressed and well-behaved. Typical San Francisco
young business clientele.
• Around the corner is Paragon. It is similar to Momo's.
The crowd is more relaxed – tennis shoes and baseball caps are
common – but the menu is quite limited. That's the food menu,
by the way. The bar is casual and cool in a classy environment.
• Palomino. It's down the street a bit (take the street
car) but has a large patio and is the best Friday Happy Hour bar. The
food is good and the place is filled with upscale young drinkers. A
little farther down the Embarcadero is Pier 23. It's not really
a sports bar but it does have TVs and a hearty party crowd, especially
on Sunday afternoons. Game, what game?
• Sports Bar(s). A weakness of the City. The best is Baysider
on Union Street. Lefty O'Doul's in Union Square has lots of Giants
fans. It is also the unofficial hangout of USC alumns and students when
the Trojans are in town for the Cal football game. Shanghai Kelly's
at Polk and Broadway is a small dive with a local loyal crowd. It's
a short walk to a cool martini bar, Tonic, at Polk and Union.
Anaheim (See
our complete city and bar guide)
Unlike Pac Bell Park – and indeed,unlike all new stadiums in this
country – Edison Field is not part of a downtown hub of bars and
restaurants. It's in Anaheim, which means it requires a car to get anywhere
(this it has very much in common with its neighbor to the north, Los
Angeles).
To really cut loose in Anaheim, one has to first get out of Anaheim.
Newport Beach and Huntington Beach come to mind. Among the liveliest
places will be Sharkeez on Balboa Island. Some people will even
be watching the games. All will be trying to hit home runs at this singles
spot.
Still, there are two sports bars in the Edison area worth checking
out:
• National Sports Grill. It's a few blocks away and
the Angel coaches often go there for lunch. It will be "en fuego"
during games, as it has been all through the playoffs.
• ESPN Zone, Downtown Disney. Get there early. The bar
is split into two sections (not counting the upstairs gameroom) which
takes away a bit from the camaraderie/rivalry. It's a really packed
place for Monday Night Football, too.
While in the area, check out our Los
Angels city and bar guide
– More
PubClub Sports –
• Fenway
Park and the Bars of Boston
• Top
Party Schools and College Football Guide
•
Kentucky
Derby
 PubClub
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