Blake and I will have a couple of post-wedding festivities if you'd like to see more of us:

- bagels (our favorite from Poppy!) and coffee at our house in South Berkeley on Sunday 6/29 at 10am.

- We'll also be having a gathering at Two Pitchers Brewing in Oakland the evening of 6/29. It's a family-friendly spot and also the home of Lovely's which makes some of the best burgers in Oakland.

We're going to collect emails with the wedding RSVPs and will send more information on these gatherings as the big day approaches.

The Bay Area has a ton of amazing food! Here are some of our favorite spots:

- Bardo (Oakland), beautiful mid-century modern restaurant with delicious food. Great for a special meal.

- Lo Coco's (Oakland) a very cozy Italian restaurant with handmade pizza and pastas.

- Poppy Bagels (Oakland), delicious bagels!

- Ensarro (Oakland) Ethiopian food, it's even better with a group. Go for the veggie and meat combinations.

- Taqueria El Paisa@.com (Oakland) yes, that weird name is correct. It's an unpretentious, cheap and cheerful spot with the best tacos and burritos in the Bay Area.

- We have the BEST bakeries. Try Neighbor Bakehouse (San Francisco), Tartine (San Francisco), Nabolom (Berkeley), Pâtisserie Rotha (Albany), Bake Sum (Oakland), the Good Luck Bakery pop-ups (schedule on Instagram), or Arizmendi (Oakland and Emeryville).

- Vik's Chaat (Berkeley) Indian Street Food

- Copra (San Francisco) an upscale Indian restaurant in the city, both the decor and the food will impress. Book a reservation a few weeks in advance.

- Shan Dong (Oakland) Chinese hand-made noodles

- Mama (Oakland) Italian restaurant with a 3-course pre fixe menu for $39.95

- Saul's Delicatessan (Berkeley) Jewish deli/diner

- Bad Walters (Oakland) Sarah's FAVORITE ice cream shop!

- Friends & Family (Oakland) This is a lovely bar with fantastic cocktails and snacks. We love sitting out on the patio in the summer.

- Tanzie's (Berkeley)- a cozy spot right in our neighborhood, the Thai brunch is unique and delicious, definitely get the lava eggs.

- Mensho (Oakland)- a ramen restaurant hailing from Japan and each time we've gone they blow our minds. They offer several options of both meat and vegetarian ramen.

The websites Eater and the Infatuation are also good resources for local dining.

Looking for something fun to do during your stay? We'd recommend:

- California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco), beautiful museum in Golden Gate Park

- Walk the loop around Lake Merritt (Oakland)

- The Painted Ladies (San Francisco), this is the famous row of victorian houses you'll recognize from the Full House opening

- Rent a paddleboat and paddle around Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park (San Francisco)

- Catch some jazz at SF Jazz (San Francisco), Mr. Tipples (San Francisco), or Yoshi's (Oakland). Make an advance reservation for any of these at least a couple of days out.

- See the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco)- it's an icon for a reason! You can drive over it, bike over it (quite windy!) or see it from a local viewpoint like Baker Beach or Chrissy Field.

- Hike the Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park or Joaquin Miller Park

- Ride the Steam Trains in Tilden (great for kids!)

- The Illusionist at the Palace Theatre (San Francisco)- really fantastic magic show in prohibition-era nightclub. Tickets sell out, so book early!

- Grand Lake Farmer's Market on Saturday (Oakland)

- Alcatraz (San Francisco), this is a very interesting historical tour of the famous prison. The boat ride out gives you a gorgeous view of the city, too. Tours book up, so plan to book your tickets at least a couple of weeks in advance.

- Berkeley Rose Garden (Berkeley)

- Take a Shimmy Pop dance class at Hipline (Oakland, women and gender minorities only)

- Mission Dolores Park (San Francisco) great people watching and a nice view of the city. Grab some cutty bangs from the nearby Mr. Liquor and a pastry at Tartine and have a picnic in the park.

- Try out a yoga class at Green Yogi (Berkeley) with Sarah

- Conservatory of Flowers (San Francisco)

- Trip to Berkeley Bowl West (Berkeley) this place has an astounding amount of produce. Also, a lot of unique finds and prepared food. It's the best grocery store on the planet.

Shopping:

-Re:Love and Walden Pond Books stores in the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland

- 4th Street in Berkeley, Marisa Mason is a favorite of Sarah's

-College Avenue in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley. We especially love shopping at Koraa and Five Little Monkeys toy store then grabbing a snack right across the street at Nabolom or Baker & Commons.

- Thrift stores: Out of the Closet (Berkeley), Crossroads (College Ave in Oakland), and the Goodwill Boutique (San Francisco)

California is so beautiful! If you're looking to see more of it while you're out West here are some ideas:

- Yosemite National Park (~4 hr drive). There are several hotels around the valley. Campsites book early.

- Visit wine country, Napa and Sonoma are a short drive away (~1 - 1.5 hours away). We can provide some restaurant and winery recommendations if you plan a visit.

- Muir Woods or Armstrong Redwood forest if you'd like to see some massive redwoods

- Monterey/Carmel (~2.5 hour drive) See the California coast with whale watching, kayaking with the sea otters, and the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium