Ciao Caesar’s

Ciao Caesar’s

It’s the end of a North Beach era. After 56 years as a destination for locals, Caesar’s Restaurant near Fisherman’s Wharf, closed yesterday. The family-owned restaurant is a victim of changing San Francisco and North Beach demographics, changed tastes at the table, and a sour 

Victoria Pastry Moving & Steps of Rome Closed

Victoria Pastry Moving & Steps of Rome Closed

North Beach’s Victoria Pastry on the corner of Stockton & Vallejo makes some of my favorite cakes and pastries. They’ve only been doing it since 1914! Victoria’s St. Honore rum-soaked sponge cake with vanilla pastry cream and their domed chocholate Fedora cake are two of the best. For 

Starbucks in North Beach?

Starbucks in North Beach?

Chain stores are not welcome in North Beach. Over the last 2 decades Walgreens and other chains that wanted to open here were blocked by neighborhood protest. Since 2005 chain stores with more than 11 outposts have been banned by the San Francisco ordinance designed 

North Beach First Friday Festivities

North Beach First Friday Festivities

  Columbus & Coit from the Transamerica building. Click to expand. Enjoy a beautiful night in North Beach tomorrow. Celebrate the first day of June with your friends and neighbors. Wander the Village Streets and check out what 18 particpating galleries, shops, restaurants and bars have 

Deep-Dish Pizza on My Mind

Deep-Dish Pizza on My Mind

Sausage Deep-Dish Pizza Chicago Style Chicago-style pizza has been on my mind lately and luckily in my mouth too. I had one when I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. I love the classic pie with sausage but I lost the vote and we 

Open and Closed in North Beach

Open and Closed in North Beach

I’m back in the Village after a week out of town and was pleased to see the Capos sign was up. Capos is Tony Gemignani’s new place on Vallejo (between Stockton and Columbus). As Tony promised the vintage National cash register sits proudly on top 

Making the Same Pizza in North Beach for 77 Years

Making the Same Pizza in North Beach for 77 Years

North Beach’s Tommaso’s opened in 1935. The Crotti family bought it in 1973 and they’re still serving the original menu from 77 years ago. Agostino Crotti boasts that Tommaso’s was the first to have a wood-burning oven on the West Coast . “That’s written in the books.” 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Roma

Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Roma

A Roman friend’s son Luca shot a video of Claudio, the chef/owner of Osteria Dar Bruttone making spaghetti alla carbonara, a classic Roman pasta dish. I had to share it with you. Claudio is passionate about Roma and about its food. His osteria in the 

A Peek Inside Capos on Vallejo

A Peek Inside Capos on Vallejo

Tony Gemignani’s Capos in the former Pucinella Pizzeria space on North Beach’s Vallejo Street is taking shape. The brick facade on the front of the building is in place. Soon a big black awning will hang out over the sidewalk. A beautiful custom-built wood Art 

North Beach Walking Tour Saturday!

North Beach Walking Tour Saturday!

Fans who took my tour a few months ago called to see if I would do a tour of North Beach for out-of-town guests this Saturday, April 28 at 11:00 a.m. Do you want to join us? Get to know my my favorite restaurants, bakeries, food shops, art galleries 

SF Seder From The Roman Ghetto

SF Seder From The Roman Ghetto

I’m jazzed. San Francisco’s own world-famous Italian cook, teacher and author Joyce Goldstein is preparing a Seder at Perbacco on April 10. The roots of this meal are in Square One, Goldstein’s sorely missed Jackson Square restaurant. She first served a Seder meal there in 

Grandma’s in the Kitchen

Grandma’s in the Kitchen

Not mine and maybe not yours but if you’re on Staten Island you can savor the cooking of a real nonna (grandmother) born in Italia at local restaurant Enoteca Maria. No chefs here. Every night one of a stable of 9 grandmothers is in the 

Battle of the Chefs in North Beach

Battle of the Chefs in North Beach

My friend Viola Buitoni hails from Perugia in the region of Umbria. Viola is a wonderful cook and Italian culinary teacher and she’s hosting Battaglia dei Cuochi, the Battle of the Chefs, this Monday March 19 at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club on Stockton overlooking 

Pizza Championship In Vegas Next Week

Pizza Championship In Vegas Next Week

Do you have what it takes to be a World Pizza Champion? I just may have to fly to Vegas for the World Pizza Championship & Games on March 13 to find out. Everyone in the pizza biz will be there. There are 5 events in the 

A Permanent Pop-Up In North Beach?

A Permanent Pop-Up In North Beach?

Permanent Pop-Up. That’s an oxymoron isn’t it? Pop-up food purveyors pop up for a short while and then go away to pop-up somewhere else, right? Well that’s not the case with Chubby Noodle, the permanent pop-up restaurant at the Green Street bar Amante. This is the