A lot of people have covered the "food" aspect of your request, so I shall talk about the drinks :)
California is pretty much the craft beer capital of the world, and almost every place has a wide variety of brews on tap. A lot of great IPAs and DIPAs. Even the bottled ones are great. Lagunitas is my staple when I'm there, widely available and never disappointing. Some of my favourite places for beer include - - OG (Original Gravity) in San Jose downtown - Magnolia at Haight and Masonic in San Francisco. One of the few places that regularly has gruit ale on tap. There's also a very nice rare records and books store right opposite. - Good Karma in San Jose downtown. It's a vegan cafe, and probably the last place you'd expect great beer. But they always have one of the best selections on tap anywhere in the Bay Area. If you like the buzz of places with big crowds and much beer, try places like Tied House, Steins (both Mountain View), Rock Bottom (Campbell), Faultline (Sunnyvale), 21st Amendment (San Francisco). Gordon Biersch and BJ's are also crowded, but exude a lot of big-chain vibes. Sunnyvale also has an excellent meadery, neatly hidden in an old industrial area. Rabbit's Foot. Apart from some excellent mead, he also has a few honey-flavoured beer on tap. Of course, do visit a Napa winery too. I wouldn't suggest winery-hopping as some people do. Just pick one, and spend a lot of time there. Skip Robert Mondavi and the likes as they are likely to be overflowing with tourists. Try O'Brien Estate.
