In case you haven’t noticed, I love writing about food. I love eating it, too. This column is about debunking the bunk about food and dining. For some time now I’ve been keepi... Read More
Editors’ note: This is Ernie Beyl’s last column, submitted before his passing on April 12, the day following his 90th birthday. Ernie was a treasured contributor to The Marina ... Read More
This month, April 11, I’m celebrating my 90th birthday. I hope you agree I’m getting younger all the time. Remember the Bob Dylan line from “My Back Pages”? “Ah, but I wa... Read More
Who would have imagined it? The Ernesto’s — six years! These annual Best of North Beach awards have taken on a life of their own. When I started the Ernesto’s, I was just loo... Read More
Readers of these sketches columns may remember I’m bullish on San Francisco — optimistic about its future. And, while I acknowledge the city has problems, I believe they are so... Read More
Well, here it is February, and I’m still grappling with Christmas — Christmas presents that is. I received a lot of gifts this year. The older you get, the more presents you re... Read More
Well, soon it will be Valentine’s Day, or St. Valentine’s Day as it appears on liturgical calendars. And I will be out buying a two-pound box of See’s chocolates for Joan, my... Read More
“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” — Sophia Loren Isn’t that a great quote? I suppose one could say the same about me. My fondest teenage memories include times ... Read More
I’ll be frank here. I seldom dine at San Francisco Michelin-starred restaurants. Nor do I frequent the San Francisco Chronicle’s top-rated selections. Why? It’s because I’... Read More
Yes, our city is changing. but not all the changes are good. Not all the changes are bad, either. And, here in North Beach — one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods — change i... Read More
COIT TOWER IS FILLED WITH PHO I used to entertain the not too far-fetched idea that Lillie Hitchcock Coit’s wonderful tower on Telegraph Hill was filled with red sauce piped down... Read More
THE ORIGINAL BULL SHOT Recently I had a yen for a Bull Shot, so I got myself over to Original Joe’s and consulted with bartender Michael Fraser. While preparing one for me — vo... Read More
I admit reluctantly i prefer to hear small jazz groups — trios, quartets, sextets — in what we once called smoky nightclubs. That’s the way Stan Getz and the Modern Jazz Quar... Read More
It was my intention in this sketches column to give readers some positive news on the Piazza St. Francis-Poet’s Plaza, Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s visionary plan to turn a short se... Read More