Nightlife in Davis

Swathed in red décor and open until 3 a.m., Red 88 Noodle Bar forges a unique menu that highlights the humble noodle's role in soups, Asian entrees, and eclectic fusion fare. Owner and executive chef Ketmoree, fondly nicknamed "Mama," prepares the roasted duck noodle dish ($9) by resting sliced duck and chinese broccoli atop egg noodles freshly hatched from a sheet of hen-shaped pasta. Inside the thai boat noodle soup, tender slices of beef float alongside broccoli, bean sprouts, and noodles in a thai-style broth ($8), and thai barbeque pork nestles into a pile of steamed white rice coated in sweet chili sauce ($6.95). Fusion options cross cultures with entrees such as the lamb spaghetti ($9), which confuses customs officials by stir-frying ground lamb, spaghetti, snow peas, and bell peppers together into a globe-trekking gastronomic feat. The eatery also caters to vegan and vegetarian diners by whipping up meat-free options and accommodating substitutions.

• For $8, you get $16 worth of country-style Thai dinner. • For $6, you get $12 worth of country-style Thai lunch.

Sudwerk Brewing Co. is passionate about its pours. The craft brewery has been making award-winning, German-style lagers for more than 21 years. To sample the brewers' spectrum of libations, visitors head to the tasting room, a simple setup right on the brewery's loading dock. Its menu of four brews rotates regularly, rewarding frequent visitors with seasonal beers. Meanwhile, tours of the whole facility teach visitors how beer is made, packaged, and distributed. After visiting the facility, patrons can fill up a growler with their favorite beer to take home, drink, and bring back to Sudwerk Brewing Co. for refills.

The Davis Graduate stimulates clientele with a delectable assortment of bar fare, a plentitude of brews, and a line-up of nightly entertainment. Oven-baked sandwiches come out steamy on sweet French rolls, and turkey or 100% premium ground beef burgers come with a side of signature Grad fries and pair with the bar's array of amber, Belgian, brown, and imperial ales. Daily sporting events shine down from the bar's TVs, supplemented by a lineup of national touring acts and regional kazoo choirs passing through. Sunday night pub quizzes grant winning guests small cash prizes, Tuesday salsa nights commence with dance lessons before inviting all participants to the floor, and country nights dominate The Davis Graduate four nights a week with twangy tunes and festive boogying.

The Davis Musical Theatre Company, one of the longest running nonprofit amateur musical-theater companies in California, embarks on its 27th season with a winning calendar of notable Broadway favorites. This season's lineup boasts a bevy of sing-along classics brimming with comedy, romance, and dialogue spoken in falsetto. Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I (September 9—October 2) spins a timeless tale of romance and internal romantic struggles, strung with a songbook that eternally leases the ears. Bye Bye Birdie (November 4–27) lovingly skewers the golden salad days of rock 'n' roll in an Elvis-haunted musical tribute to sock hops and bomb shelters made out of red meat. The New Year brings a flock of warmth to the season, with the fiery runs of Chicago (January 6–29) and Faust-tinged Damn Yankees(February 24–March 18). Rounding out the season is the unsinkable drama of the Tony winning Titanic – The Musical (April 13–May 6), followed by the scale-tipping comic shindigs of Hairspray(June 22–July 15). The intimacy of the Performing Arts Center's 238 seats allows musical-theater fans of all hat sizes to absorb the roaming melodies without the obstruction of a cartwheeling Nathan Lane.

Streets of London Pub harks back to traditional London pubs with ice-cold pints and ample coverage of rugby and soccer. On the menu of hearty English fare, fries in the witness-protection program call themselves "chips" and lay low under toppings such as gravy, cheese and beans, or cheese and bacon, or pair up with fish in a platter of classic fish 'n' chips. The bangers-and-mash meal allows thick, juicy sausages to snuggle up on a hill of mashed potatoes. Along with food, the pub dishes out events; diners can throw back Guinnesses during weekly pub quizzes, compete for everlasting fame during monthly bingo tournaments, or stop in for Pint Night to enjoy pints on the outdoor patio.

The aptly named Preserve Public House seems to preserve a simpler time beneath its open-beam ceiling, among its rustic pieces of furniture, and within its exposed-brick walls. Using local ingredients whenever possible, Preserve’s chefs celebrate the artistry of cuisine with sandwiches such as the slow-smoked brisket sandwich with garlic aioli, barbecue sauce, and caramelized onions on an acme bun. Like the Easter Bunny’s bathtub, the eatery’s taps flow with a rotating sample of 21 microbrews and keg wines from breweries such as Lagunitas, Rogue Brewery, and Stone Brewing Company. Preserve Public House also hosts regular events such as local crop swaps, and beer celebrations in their bread-truck-turned-beer-garden.