North Beach

You won't find any "beach" in North Beach - it has long been buried by landfill. Standing in the heart of what was once called the Barbary Coast, this eclectic neighborhood, located between Russian and Telegraph hills, is a favorite among tourists and locals alike. You will find a little bit of everything in North Beach, from sidewalk cafés to fancy restaurants, from Italian delicatessens to French bakeries, and from jazz clubs to strip joints.

North Beach has long been an immigrant gateway in San Francisco. Pioneer immigrants were drawn to the area's sunny weather, low rents and close proximity to downtown. The area has been home to Chilean, Irish, Italian and Chinese newcomers. Though today the neighborhood's population is ethnically mixed, it still holds a decidedly Italian flavor and is a colorful focus of the Italian-American community.

North Beach Cuisine
You can smell the pungent aromas of garlic, freshly baked sourdough bread and espresso coffee wafting through the streets of North Beach. This is definitely a gastronomical heaven. You can nosh on 20-clove (of garlic) chicken at The Stinking Rose (325 Columbus Avenue, 415-781-7673); slurp seafood pasta at Caffé Sport (574 Green Street, 415-981-1251); or gobble slices of pepperoni pizza at Tommaso's (1042 Kearny Street, 415-398-9696).

Try some truly scrumptious focaccia (flatbread with toppings) at Liguria Bakery (1700 Stockton Street, 415-421-3786). This little bakery has been at the same corner of Stockton and Filbert streets since its founding in 1911. George Soracco, son of one of the founders, still turns out pizza, raisin, onion and plain focaccia out of the original brick oven. George and his son, Michael, and daughter, Mary, can be found working at the bakery at the wee hours of the morning. Liguria Bakery is opened from 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday; 7 AM to 4 PM on Saturdays; and 7 AM to noon on Sundays. It closes early once they sell out of focaccia, which is not uncommon on the weekends.

Sights and Sounds
To go along with the rich cuisine, North Beach is home to a vibrant music scene. You will find three of San Francisco's hottest blues and R & B clubs along upper Grant Avenue at The Grant & Green Blues Club (1371 Grant Avenue, 415-693-9565), The Lost & Found Saloon (1353 Grant Avenue, 415-392-9126) and The Saloon (1232 Grant Avenue, 415-989-7666). You'll also find some cool jazz at Pearl's (256 Columbus Avenue, 415-291-8255), Enrico's (504 Broadway, 415-982-6223), Moose's (1652 Stockton Street, 415-989-7800), Gathering Caffé (1326 Grant Avenue, 415-433-4247) and the San Francisco Brewing Company (155 Columbus Avenue, 415-434-3344).

For uproariously funny entertainment, go to Club Fugazi (678 Green Street) and catch Beach Blanket Babylon. This cabaret-style show is best known for its outlandish, humongous hats and outrageous parodies of pop-culture icons. Reservations are needed. Call 415-421-4222 for ticket information and show times.

North Beach's bohemian culture is best illustrated by the Beat era which spawned in the 1950s. San Francisco's two most famous beat hangouts, City Lights Bookstore and Vesuvio Café, still flourish on Columbus Avenue. Opened in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, City Lights (261 Columbus Avenue, 415-362-8193) was originally launched to subsidize a literary magazine. The bookstore carries an eclectic assortment of works on social, political, cultural and artistic subjects. Be sure to check out the "poetry" room upstairs, which is well-stocked with an extensive selection of poetry and literature from the Beat era. Across the alley from City Lights, on Jack Kerouac Street, Vesuvio Café (255 Columbus Avenue, 415-362-3370) was a popular gathering place during the Beat generation. With its great views overlooking Columbus Avenue and arty, bohemian atmosphere, this cozy pub has inspired locals and visitors since 1949.

The nearby Strip on Broadway, with its strip joints and porno shows, harking back to the bawdiness of yesteryear's old Barbary Coast. Although stripper Carol Doda's Condor nightclub (now the Condor Bistro), at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Broadway, now serves up cappuccinos and espresso instead of go-go girls, you will still see scantily-clad women beckoning to passersby into the handful of strip joints that remain.

A Place to Relax
If all this action is sensory overload for you, go to Washington Square to relax in an urban oasis. Surrounded by the beautiful twin-spired St. Peter and Paul Church, excellent cafés and fine restaurants, this park is the perfect place to people-watch, engage in morning exercise of tai chi with the locals or sunbathe. Grab a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream at the Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop (543 Columbus Avenue, 415-249-4684) or a double latté at Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store (566 Columbus Avenue, 415-362-0536) and plop down on a park bench and take in the scene -- you won't be disappointed.

by Sherri Eng