Vickery’s Wicked Little Halloween Party (October 31, 7:30 p.m.; 21 and over): The $10 cover gets you into the most popular party in town. The hottest people will be dressed in the craziest costumes, trying to win the $1000 grand prize. A cash bar will be available and music will be provided by DJ Moo Moo and Electric Company.

Formerly known as the OSB (O’Farrell Street Bar), 800 Larkin has a dark seductive style, plenty of space to unwind in comfortable leather couches and lounge chairs, and a varied clientele. Drinks are reasonably priced, and you can’t beat the two-for-one happy hour. The bar is clean, but not overly sterile. 800 Larkin keeps its edge, and offers a nice alternative to this emerging scene.

If you are just considering starting up a relationship from a distance, then you should seriously consider long distance dating advice before you make this commitment.

Better known as Zotts, although I’m not really sure why, this little hideout in Portola Valley just off Interstate 280 in the South Bay is one of a kind. Between the rectangular burgers, giant sausage sandwiches, and 40 ounce beers – that’s right, big, old school 40s – it’s impossible not to enjoy yourself at Zotts. Oh, and while the beer garden is absolutely huge, it will fill up on nice weekend days, so get their before noon.

12 Steps Down was nominated for Best t-shirt country in Philly in 2007 and 2008, and one of the best bars for 2008 by Philadelphia Magazine. There are good reasons for these accolades. A truly diverse and great bottle beer list, made up of both domestics and imports. A nice draft beer menu with a “beer of the week” that varies, although not necessarily weekly as the name suggests (depends on how quickly the keg, or kegs, kick). XM radio set to the New Wave station (this might not be a plus to some people, but it’s what I like to listen to). Knowledgeable bartenders. A cast of regulars.

One of the other things to consider is the clientele. If a club has no cover and no dress code then it means anybody can come in. The kinds of people who want to sit in a room full of naked women for free and in their street clothes are not always the upper echelon of society. They tend to be perverts and pimps looking to take advantage of people. Instead opt for the place that costs twenty dollars to enter. It may seem like a lot at the time but the experience is worth it. Think of it as the admission cost for grown-up Disneyland.

The good thing about Sundance is that there is always a better party just down the street so I head to Tao to meet some other friends just in time to see Nelly perform as Lance Bass, Akon, Tara Ried and Mathew Lillard get the place Hot in Herre.