Carol Doda: North Beach’s Most Famous Daughter In June of 1964, San Francisco was a play between acts. The Summer of Love had yet to descend upon our fair city; Kerouac, Ginsberg and the beats had already departed. Something was in the air, an unease deepened by … Read the rest
10 Things To Eat at Ferry Plaza Right Now As the preeminent culinary destination in America’s #1 food city, San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza sits at the center of the food universe. Essentially an upscale food mall, it has gone from an abandoned relic to some of the most expensive … Read the rest
Brick And Mortar History – The Bars Of North Beach, Part 1 As any seasoned traveler will tell you, San Francisco’s North Beach is one of America’s quintessential drinking neighborhoods. Sure, there’s some steep competition out there: The French Quarter of New Orleans, Key West, Williamsburg….the list goes tipsily on. But North … Read the rest
10 Things To Eat In North Beach Right Now Located at the bustling nexus of Chinatown, the Financial District and Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood has long been a food destination. As our city’s designated Little Italy, North Beach is a magnet for sightseers, and that foot … Read the rest
Living on $2 a Day – The Impact of Microfinance Microfinance gets a lot of press these days, for good reason. It is a powerful tool that puts financial resources in the hands of the poorest, and the impact of microfinance has been shown to transform impoverished communities. It is … Read the rest
On the Loss of a North Beach Regular This past Sunday brought the very sad news of a friend’s sudden death. Randy Hernandez was a spirited, generous and kind soul. A talented musician and dedicated surfer, he seemed to know everyone in my adopted North Beach neighborhood, and … Read the rest
Batali, Bourdain to Open Atop San Francisco’s Fairmont San Francisco, CA – Almost 30 years after leaving California to apprentice in Italy, Mario Batali has penned the lease on Animale, a 250-seat restaurant and enoteca planned for the top of Nob Hill’s historic Fairmont Hotel. Batali, host … Read the rest
Bernie Sanders’ Easter Sweep And The Real Upset Senator Bernie Sanders had a heck of an Easter weekend. Dealing a serious blow to Hillary Clinton’s delegate lead, Sanders swept all three primaries, taking Washington, Alaska and Hawaii – all by landslide margins. This late surge has a lot … Read the rest
Vagabonds, Lunatics and Scoundrels in San Francisco History, Part 1 One morning in the Spring of 1841, Pennsylvania businessman Paul Geddes was on his way to the bank to deposit $7,000 for his employers. Geddes must have been feeling lucky that day; he decided to stop and play a few … Read the rest
Party Politics: Will of the Voters Be Damned This week we read in the news that 2012 presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has filed paperwork in preparation for a 2016 presidential run, with Paul Ryan listed as his running mate. Coming in the wake of a string of primary … Read the rest