Oaklanders love a good party: block parties, bike parties, and First Fridays - our monthly excuse to drink heavily in Uptown Oakland for the sake of local art. When you want the party experience, but in restaurant form, head to Farmhouse Kitchen in Jack London. Yes, it’s one of the city’s more recent additions, and, yes, the original is in San Francisco - but the Thai food is that delicious, and no one wants to sit in 20 hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic crossing the Bay Bridge anyway. At Farmhouse Kitchen, servers frequently sing the Happy Birthday song while banging loudly on gongs and drums, cocktails look like tropical desserts, and plates of rice, curries, and noodles are garnished with flowers and served on banana leaves. This is the colorful dinner party you want.