4 | Street AU G U ST 31 , 20 0 6 ● Street | T H E SA N D I EG O U N I O N -T R I B U N E SOUNDS LIKE SAN DIEGO ◗ ALMOST FAMOUS ◗ SPOTLIGHT SHOW The Grams Rakim. Rakim Allah. The R. The 18th Letter. One of the greatest ever. The Long Island MC is back out on tour, with another rumored album on the way. He’s at the House of Blues Wednesday night. You should maybe check it out. In case you didn’t know: ◗ SPOT OF THE WEEK Rakim The Grams were recently nominated for a San Diego Music Award for Best Americana. The trio — Chuck Shiele, Elise Ohki and Craig Yerkes — took a moment to answer our questions: Stingaree Q: What is your favorite album of all time and could we tell by listening to your music? A (Shiele): I listen to too much to answer this without being a good sport for the idea. This answer changes from time to time, but I think side two of “Abbey Road” is the masterpiece to beat. You probably couldn’t tell. In case you missed it, Stingaree — the Gaslamp club with all the buzz, and whose detractors whine that it is overhyped and it overcharges even as it packs the rafters weekend after weekend — has a restaurant, too. And like the nightclub, the restaurant also is a must-visit. Diners have a choice of between three- and four-course meals broken into picolo, mezzo and piu grande di mezzo (the fourth course is dessert). For picolo, the royal shellfish bisque is not to be missed — it’s perfection. For mezzo, the duo of foie gras delighted, as did the tortelloni asparagi and • After meeting Queens-based DJ Eric B in 1985, the duo released its debut album “Paid in Full” in 1987, followed by “Follow the Leader” a year later. Both are considered classics of the Golden Age of Hip Hop (1986-1993). the Sicilian shrimp and crab cake. For piu grande di mezzo, the Niman Ranch pork tenderloin and the slow braised Kobe beef bavette are top-notch. The cocktails — among them Get Wet, Get Fresh, Get Burned, Berry Manilow(!), No Tell Motel and Tropical Sting — go down easy and often. Be prepared to party and sing along while dining when the deejays blare their music from the speakers situated throughout the restaurant. I’ve been stung by Stingaree, and it feels good. — DON CHAREUNSY • His rhyme style raised the bar, influenced everyone. Rapid flow, internal rhyme schemes, complex metaphors and an authoritative voice that commanded the beat like none before. — KYLE PROEHL Q: Who would you get to direct your superstar MTV video and why? A (Ohki): Guy Ritchie. Q: If you weren’t a musician, you would ... A (Yerkes): If I was suddenly unable to play music, the creative outlet I would turn to would be music journalism. (Ed.: Best answer ever). DINNER IS SERVED 6 TO 10 P.M. TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. 454 SIXTH AVE., GASLAMP. (619) 544-0867; WWW.STINGSANDIEGO.COM. • Born William Michael Griffin, he took the name Rakim Allah after joining the Nation of Gods and Earths, a black socio-religious movement also known as the Five Percenters and viewed as a radical offshoot of the Nation of Islam. Q: Why do you play music? A (Ohki): Because my parents made me. 5 ◗ ADMIT IT All in a day for cover guy Felipe Escamilla: Beach Music Mafia ATTENTION LOCAL BANDS: Send us your answers to these questions along with a photo to street@uniontrib.com for a chance to be featured in this section. Scott Linnett / Union-Tribune “I videotape and edit the news stories you see every day on the local news. I work daily with reporters and try to tell the stories most important to San Diegans both in English and in Spanish. I operate live trucks and do live shots from all over the county. Stingaree ◗ ADVANCE WARNING Sept. 8 Sept. 9-10 E-40; 4th & B, 345 B St., downtown; $30; (619) 231-4343 “SoCo Music Experience,” featuring The Roots, Flogging Molly, Mudhoney, more; East Village, Seventh and Market, downtown; free; www. southerncomfort.com Sept. 9 Ryan Adams and the Cardinals; House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown; $30; (619) 220-TIXS Megadeth, Lamb of God, Opeth, more; Cox Arena, SDSU, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego; $35; (619) 220-TIXS ◗ DON’T FORGET Demien Farrell, Mitchell Compton and James Brennan, owners of EnDev LLC, the firm whose properties include Stingaree, Sidebar, Witherby and Ciro’s Pizza, have proposed a new 11,000-square-foot restaurant and lounge in Hillcrest to be named Universal. The locale, the former home of a porn shop, is on University Avenue and is flanked by Ono Sushi and the Uptown District that includes Ralphs, Trader Joe’s and condos. If Stingaree and EnDev’s other businesses are any indication, here’s hoping Universal breaks ground very soon. Cat Power (two shows), tonight at Brick by Brick Louis XIV, tomorrow at Del Mar Fairgrounds James Brown, Saturday at 4th & B Sept. 14 Mae, New Amsterdams; House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown; $13; (619) 220-TIXS Gram Rabbit, Saturday at the Casbah Centro-Matic, Monday at the Casbah Sept. 15 The Black Keys; House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., downtown; $20; (619) 220-TIXS On the horizon: Geffen Records Rakim, Kid Capri, Wednesday at House of Blues — DON CHAREUNSY Sean M. Haffey / Union-Tribune WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPOT? Send recommendations to street@uniontrib.com.