Mix-and-Match Dinner on the Opening Night.

In a new twist on an old concept, AAN members who register for AAN West (Jan. 28-29) will have an opportunity to spend the opening night of the conference dining with their peers from other alternative papers. Registrants will have three restaurants to choose from at this San Francisco version of the traditional mix-and-match dinner. If you don’t mind spending $30 for dinner, the world-renowned California Culinary Academy will fulfill all your gustatorial fantasies. If $25 a head sounds more appealing, the folks at Peruvian restaurant Fina Estampa will take care of you. And if you prefer to dine at a place without tablecloths, head toward the sui generis Tommy’s Joynt for a satisfying $10 meal. All three restaurants are within walking distance of the Cathedral Hill Hotel, the site of this year’s AAN West conference. You can dine with your own kind at AAN West by identifying one of the restaurants on the registration forms that were mailed last week, or by registering online. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Debra Silvestrin at (202) 822-1955 or debra@aan.org.