The Stranger

"It is unseasonable and unwholesome in all months that have not an r in their name to eat an oyster," Dyets Dry Dinner declared back in 1599. Nowadays, you can eat oysters on the half shell all year round, but they taste best when the water is icy and the days are short. They also taste best when they're less expensive and you really should still be at work—so aroint thee to an oyster happy hour. Elliott's: Mon–Fri 3–6 pm, oysters start at 50 cents each and go up a quarter every half hour; Flying Fish: daily 4–6 pm at the bar only, 50 cents each; Anchovies & Olives: Sun–Thurs 5–6 pm and 10 pm–close, $1 each; the Brooklyn: daily 4–6 pm, $1.25 each; Frank's Oyster House: Tues–Sat 5–6:30 pm and 10–11 pm, $1.50 each. (More info at thestranger.com/chow) by Bethany Jean Clement

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San Francisco's Eprom delivers punishing beats, sadistic bass pressure, and the sort of eight-bit onomatopoeia that gives Nintendo-generation kids nostalgia boners. But his music is not all whoomps, booms, and bleeps; he has a keen ear for weird textures and deft sound design that will hold your interest long after your bruises heal. Another L.A. producer building on the rich legacy of J. Dilla's sampledelic tapestries, Take creates lavishly stellar atmospheres that swirl above intricate, loamy rhythms. (Chop Suey, 1325 E Madison St, 324-8005, 9 pm, $10 adv/$12 DOS, 21+) by Dave Segal

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From its heady exploration of the overlap of art-enhancing suffering and psychosis to the brutally effective performances of Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis (both playing stereotypes, brilliantly), Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan is packed with stuff to haunt your dreams. It's a B-movie potboiler rendered with A-level artistry, bristling with mind-fucking suspense, and even though I had to cover my eyes for at least six minutes, I haven't had a better time at the movies all year. (See Movie Times: thestranger.com/film) by David Schmader

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As the Twittering masses lovingly detailed, when President Obama visited Seattle back in August, he stopped in at Grand Central Bakery and ate a turkey-and-chutney sandwich. Grand Central is great stuff, but six other places within a few blocks craft presidential-quality sandwiches, too. Today, you should visit Pioneer Square and find your new favorite sandwich at the Berliner, BuiltBurger (try the potato beignets!), Calozzi's Famous Cheesesteaks, Delicatus, Salumi, or Tat's Delicatessen. Fact: Pioneer Square wins at sandwiches. (More info at thestranger.com/chow) by Paul Constant

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This year's Washington State legislative session, otherwise known as Bloodbath 2011, begins this week. For the next three months, legislators will carve the gristle off the bones of the state budget to close a looming $1.1 billion gap. This means more education cuts, more health care cuts, and death to many social service programs. The session looks bleak, for sure, but nothing numbs bleeding wounds better than sharing strong drinks with like-minded liberals. And if you've never followed a Washington legislative session, this group is more than happy to stick your head in the meat grinder and show you how the sausage is made. (Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Ave E, 726-5968, 8 pm, free) by Cienna Madrid

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Self-described as "A Biography of Cancer," The Emperor of All Maladies traces cancer's "life" from the dawn of medicine in ancient Egypt to today. Siddhartha Mukherjee recognizes that cancer is the necessary evil twin to organic cells, just as adaptable and indomitable as we are. Along the way, we learn about the bizarre methods science has used to try to fight cancer and watch as it consumes the lives of arrogant doctors who believed they could best it once and for all. You'll never read a livelier biography about a more morbid subject. (Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave, 621-2230, 7:30 pm, $15) by Paul Constant

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