It occurred to me the other day how many things from the past always seem to come back. Mostly bad things — T.B. …yellow fever … Tom DeLay. Some things remain incurable. But it’s not all bad. I’ve noticed how polka dots are back in style. They seem to be... Read More
If the chilly winter temperatures have you craving a trip to Mexico, take heart. Now you can sample fresh tastes from south of the border right in Cow Hollow. Stop by brand-new Sabrosa on the corner of Fillmore and Greenwich, and cure your winter doldrums with a signature cocktai... Read More
Because the year-end holidays are approaching, I want to make a few gift suggestions from North Beach. So here is Ernesto’s Gift Guide — a sketchy compilation of esoteric, off-the-wall gifts for you to give yourself or your best friend. PET COLUMBARIUM Consider booking a ... Read More
It’s December and that means the holiday rush is upon us. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is the tradition, and the one I look forward to every year is receiving holiday cards from all over the world. It’s the one time of the year I’m actually exc... Read More
Whatever holidays you celebrate, I think we all look forward to being in our home with friends, family, and loved ones. Throughout history, there have been countless songs, poems, and expressions written about home, going home, love of home, and home and family. A big part of the... Read More
HOLIDAY UNION STREET TREATS In some climes, December holidays are a time for snowmen and snow forts — snow being the operative element. But in San Francisco’s Northside, we’re spared the cold fluffy stuff and instead highlight Christmas and other end-of-year holiday... Read More
The hysteria surrounding the recent IPO of today’s social media darling Twitter sent chills through my Silicon Valley born-and-bred bones. I worked at Apple through college and full time for several years. At the risk of dating myself, it was still called Apple Computer the... Read More
Big news on Nob Hill: It looks like this will be the last holiday season we’ll be able to spend in the Big 4 (1075 California Street, 415-771-1140) as we know it. The new owners of The Huntington Hotel, Grace International (a Singapore-based company) have announced they wil... Read More
When I adopted Skylar Grey from San Francisco Animal Care and Control, she was 2 months old, 19 pounds, and, we think, had been living in a car with a kid who fed her French fries from the Dollar Menu at McDonald’s. A lot has changed in little over a year: Skylar is now 14 ... Read More
Are you a recent transplant to San Francisco trying to get your sea legs in the city by the bay and thinking about buying a home? Are you a first-time home buyer? Are you a buyer who has owned a home for many years and is thinking about downsizing? Even if you have read about the... Read More
So as another year ends , I’m shocked we’ve lived here three years already! It’s either street physics that the older we get, the more quickly time passes, because we’ve relatively little of it left (remember, as kids, how summer seemed to stretch on forev... Read More
I know readers of my “Sketches from a North Beach Journal” column are eager for an update of the very public squabble between that pugnacious, would-be Mother Superior of Vallejo Street — Angela Alioto — and the good Fathers of the Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi ... Read More
Attention holiday shoppers! It’s that time of year. You’re pouring over gift catalogs and swarming the malls. What to buy for whom? The catalogs tell you they’re offering the sure-to-please, the unexpected, gifts for every life style — all the gifts givable. N... Read More
A Larry Rivers painting, drag queens using a phone booth as a changing room, and an animated group of partygoers emerging from the lobby elevator: These are some of the memories that Victoria Cohen shares in her new book of photographs, Hotel Chelsea (Pointed Leaf Press, $95). Co... Read More
Ben and Ruhan want a house in San Francisco. Not just any home — a house, with a yard, good neighborhood, multiple bathrooms, off-street parking, and the usual wishlist of incidentals. Their budget doesn’t agree. Ben and Ruhan currently rent, but as they have watched thei... Read More
The holidays can be a tempting time in terms of eating and drinking. All too often, we pay for our choices in the New Year when we step on the scale or find a favorite outfit a bit snug. By maintaining a balanced regimen, you can still enjoy the holiday festivities, avoid the aft... Read More
With Dungeness crab season kicking off last month and people looking for places to take out-of-town holiday guests to enjoy one of our great local treasures, I decided to share five of my favorite classic preparations around the Northside. I love crab piled on a Louis salad, simm... Read More
On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call — to his assistant in the adjoining room — uttering the immortal words, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” On May 13, 1897, Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio transmission across s... Read More
You know the lyrics. You can’t escape the song in December. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Sure it is — unless you harbor thoughts of suicide, a state of mind that’s apparently on the docket for all too many during the winter holiday s... Read More
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During the holidays and winter ski months, many San Francisco residents take to the road to hit the ski slopes. Veteran Tahoe travelers know that tire chains, or more accurately, tire cables or traction devices, are sometimes necessary when crossing the mountains in winter. In No... Read More
Ski season is here and those in the know will head to beautiful Squaw Valley for its excellent terrain, alpine charm and après fun. The lofty monuments that mark both the entrance to the valley and its Olympic legacy lend only a hint of the splendor hidden beyond. Nestled at the... Read More
ROASTED MILK TEA AT COOL TEA BAR 728 Pacific Avenue (near Grant) in the Miriwa Center, 415-781-8312 This is really a not-to-miss drink rather than a dish, but it’s so good I had to mention it. Boba teashops originated in Taiwan and are popping up all over the City. There ar... Read More
The crimes below are a small snapshot of what the officers of Northern Station are doing. For a more comprehensive list, visit www.sf-police.org; under Compstat, there is a link to CrimeMAPS. THE LIMITS OF SOVEREIGNTY Friday, Sept. 20, 9:15 p.m. Fulton and Gough Streets In respon... Read More
A year ago, as San Francisco headed into 2013, its residential real estate market was firing on all cylinders and — sticking with the auto metaphor — there were no brakes. There were a few predictions of a crash, but those worries would not be realized. Instead, 2013 turned o... Read More
A day never went by that my mother didn’t remind me of how fortunate we were to have our health, a home, each other, and food to eat. She got me into volunteering and donating at a young age: visiting home-bound seniors without family; collecting food and treats for local a... Read More
Books Inc. best-seller list The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown Dear Life: Stories, by Alice Munro Tender Bar: A Memoir, by J. R. Moehringer Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck, Book 8, by Jeff Kinney Goodbye Year, by Toni Piccinini The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt Allegiant (D... Read More
The other day I was invited to a tea party. Now, I don’t usually go to tea parties — not my cup of tea, I am emboldened to add. As you may know, I’m more of a saloonist than a teapartyist. But because this particular tea party was going to be at the Top of the Mark,... Read More
It’s difficult to believe that the New Year is almost upon us. For this month’s article, I want to provide a “Year in Review” of the major legislative actions and projects that our office prioritized in 2013. CPMC REBUILD After a failed attempt to approve ... Read More
On a June day in 2009, I called Steve. "Come over and meet my foster puppies," I said. "It's gorgeous out. We can sit in the garden and have cocktails." When Steve arrived, there was a pitcher of martinis and three four-month-old pit bull mix sisters.... Read More
As the holidays blow into town, so does the frantic holiday rush, starting right after Halloween and not ending until the last pieces of confetti have been swept from the floor on New Year’s Day. It’s certain that in January, we’ll look back and wonder: Where di... Read More
When 2012 was coming to a close, you might not have been able to predict what was going to happen in 2013. But you would have been safe if you expected the new year’s events to unravel according to San Francisco Code. As we near the end of 2013, a lot of events made our cit... Read More
The ceremonial burning of a log on winter solstice (the year’s darkest day) or, for Christians, on Christmas Eve, is an ancient French tradition purported to date back to Viking times. The log was gargantuan and aged in a way that allowed it to burn through the 12 days of C... Read More
Whether your family passes Pillsbury crescents or brown-and-serve rolls, the bready part of a holiday dinner is often woefully neglected. For some reason, people think making cravable favorites like popovers and Yorkshire pudding is more difficult than cooking a roast or a turkey... Read More
Christmas movies are part of the fabric of Western culture. And no matter how much you hope the season will be about “peace on Earth and good films to all men (and women),” it doesn’t always play out that way. Some holiday movies will genuinely touch your heart.... Read More
