POETRY AND JAZZ In the spring of 1957, poetry and jazz co-mingled as an art form in the Cellar, a basement nightclub in North Beach. The Cellar, 576 Green Street, is long gone and... Read More
As readers of the Marina Times will know, I am a voracious diner in North Beach. Not only do I occasionally review restaurants, but also annually write a column, The Ernestos: Best... Read More
I’ve always thought chop suey gets a bum rap. It’s Chinese comfort food — the equivalent of my mother’s Depression-era hobo stew — a little of this, and a lit... Read More
I’m a lover of meatballs, and I suppose I spend an inordinate amount of time checking them out here and there. And perhaps there’s no place better to do this research t... Read More
In a recent column, i got all weepy for the good old days in North Beach and quoted a passage from a Stanton Delaplane San Francisco Chronicle column — his final one before he di... Read More
In a recent column, i attempted to entertain readers by repeating a few lines I picked up while eavesdropping in North Beach. I was probably entertaining only myself, but never min... Read More
Here we go again. welcome to the Fifth Annual Ernesto’s. And welcome back Buster’s! Last year the Ernesto’s dropped Buster’s from the awards — not because... Read More
OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN ACTION If you’re not terminally fatigued by watching our country’s democratic process in action, you may want to turn your attention to North ... Read More
U.S. PATENT NUMBER 139121 Jacob W. Davis, of Reno, Nevada, Assignor to himself and Levi Strauss & Company, of San Francisco, California. Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Opening... Read More
I’m an ardent eavesdropper. One might even say as a columnist I’m a professional eavesdropper. Nothing wrong with eavesdropping as long as you’re open about it. S... Read More
General tso’s chicken is a phony — but it still tastes good to me. And, I assume, to you, too. Yes, there was a Ching Dynasty Chinese general named Tso. He was Tso Tsung-t&... Read More
As i was writing this new year’s Sketches column, I realized I had written more than 50 of these columns since 2012. Who knew? I intend to write at least 50 more. Then I̵... Read More
Back in September, i reported that three comrades from the popular seafood restaurant Sotto Mare on Green Street in North Beach — Hector Chaparro, Betty Pesce, and Louise Taylor ... Read More
As a north beach flaneur, I come across a lot of neighborhood characters who lighten my load. This is especially important during the year-end holidays. Let me tell you about a few... Read More
My father was a retired San Francisco chef. When he was 90, we moved him into our large apartment on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco from his home in Oakland, where he had lived wi... Read More