I’ve got my cappuccino, my laptop and a perfect view of the street. Sometimes I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of the city. Three old guys behind me are arguing about the state of politics in Italy, no wait, now it’s something about a soccer match. I open my eyes and readjust to the bright sunlight and to the reality. I’m not in Italy, I’m in North Beach, San Francisco’s Italian neighborhood.
Columbus Avenue stretches from Broadway to Fisherman’s Wharf. Italian flags are painted on the lampposts further adding to the illusion (or delusion, in my case). I come here often for my Italian “fix”. It’s not a cure for what ails me but it provides temporary relief. North Beach is a unique place full of history, weird characters and Italians – lots and lots of Italians. Here are my 7 favorite tastes of Italy…
Taste No. 1: Caffe’ Trieste 
In 1956 (years before Starbucks was a twinkle in Jerry Baldwin’s eye), Giovanni Giotta opened Caffe’ Trieste. “Papa Gianni” is credited with bringing espresso to the West Coast and starting what has become today’s coffee craze. Trieste was a meeting place for famous authors, artists and hipsters like Beat Generation writers Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Francis Ford Coppola wrote The Godfather screenplay and Luciano Pavarotti performed arias from this little coffee house on the corner of Vallejo Street and Grant Avenue. Not bad for an immigrant from Rovigno, Italy.
http://www.caffetrieste.com; 609 Vallejo Street, SF 94133 (415)982-2605
Taste No. 2: The National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi
On the steps outside the entrance are the words of the city’s namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, “Voglio Tutti in Paradiso” (“I want all in Heaven”). Here on the corner of Vallejo Street and Columbus Avenue sits a replica of “Porziuncola” the small chapel where Saint Francis found his vocation and rejected all his worldly possessions. La Porziuncola Nuova was dedicated in 2008 and declared as the Fifth Holy Site of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI.
624 Vallejo Street, SF 94133; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMxDdB2ElB8
Taste No. 3: Biordi Art Imports
Exit the gate of the Shrine and hang a right, but don’t blink or you might pass it. You have arrived at another institution of North Beach (Est. in 1946), Biordi Art Imports. Gianfranco Savio was 33 years old when he arrived from Firenze, Italy and speaking French, Italian (naturally) but not much English, he landed a job at Holy Names as an Italian teacher. In 1977 he went to work for Emilio Biordi who at the time was 75 years of age. The store back then sold mostly Italian cookware (Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma fame bought pots from Biordi). Talk about being at the right place at the right time. When Emilio decided to retire Gianfranco was ready to make him an offer. 
Seeing an opportunity to explore the artistic range of majolica ceramics, “Gian” was on the cutting-edge and the first to import Italian ceramics to the U.S. The “Made in Italy” movement in America was launched! The exquisite pottery by artisans from all over Italy have been featured on cooking shows such as Jacques Pepin and The Frugal Gourmet as well as donning the covers of hundreds of books and magazines. His daughter Sonia has worked in the store since the age of 7 and is now a photographer and the creator of Biordi’s website and annual catalog.
http://www.biordi.com/; 412 Columbus Avenue, SF 94133 (415)392-8096
Taste No. 4: Saints Peter and Paul Church (Ss. Pietro e Paolo)
For Italians this Roman Catholic Church is sometimes referred to as La cattedrale d’Italia ovest (The Italian Cathedral of the West). It’s located on Filbert Street across from Washington Square Park. Generally considered the geographical center of North Beach, its steeples can be seen for miles. In 1999 Joe DiMaggio‘s funeral was held here, but ironically although his wedding photo with Marilyn Monroe was taken on the church’s steps, their marriage was performed civilly (the Catholic Church wouldn’t grant DiMaggio an annulment from his first wife). Dirty Harry, The Ten Commandments and Sister Act 2 were all filmed on location here.
666 Filbert Street, SF 94133
Taste No. 5: Molinari Delicatessen
Molinari homemade Salami is legendary and their made-to-order sandwiches are the best in the City. This delicatessen is a cornucopia of smells and tastes – a feast for your eyes as well as your stomach. You can find products at Molinari you can’t find anywhere else in the City, the U.S. or even sometimes Italy! A delicatessen quintessentially classic North Beach.
http://www.molinarisalame.com/; 373 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco (415)421-2337
Taste No. 6: Ristorante Ideale 
There are two kinds of Roman trattorias. One has mean or indifferent waiters who fling plates of pasta at you before you’ve finished your appetizer. Ideale is the other kind. Owner and Chef Maurizio Bruschi created an authentic Roman experience just off the beaten track on Grant Avenue. Beautiful Italian waiters greet you and flirt shamelessly (who doesn’t like that)? The mouth-watering pastas and thin-crust pizzas are prepared simply and with fresh ingredients. The sleek and contemporary styling of its interior (featuring paintings by Maurizio’s wife Shanna), make Ideale a jewel of a place to wine and dine.
http://www.idealerestaurant.com/; 1315 Grant Ave, SF 94133 (415)391-4129
Taste No. 7: Caffe’ Greco
Modeled after the historic coffee bar near the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, 
this Caffe’ Greco’s espresso and cappuccinos are almost as delicious (and half the price). Keats and Shelly were regulars of the Rome establishment, so I wonder which of the computer-pounding, Facebook-using blogger sitting in the San Francisco version will one day become a famous novelist or poet? It could happen.
http://www.caffegreco.com/; 423Columbus Ave, SF 94133 (415)397-6261
Una Fetta della Vita
I not only love this neighborhood, I need this neighborhood. North Beach is my “Vatican City” – a sovereign state-of-mind, a pseudo-surrogate country encompassed within a 6 square mile radius. For those who built this neighborhood as a home-away-from-home, I doubt they ever imagined it would become a sanctuary for a very appreciative Italian American woman looking for a “little slice of Italy” in her own backyard.
by Toni DeBella
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Shortly after arriving in Italy, I accepted an invitation to a book signing and reading event in Rome. When I learned of the book’s subject matter (a thirty-something woman who finds love with an Italian and moves to Rome) I thought, “Oh, no, not another fairy tale about coming to Italy, having an affair with Marcello Mastroianni and living happily ever after!” Needless to say I was skeptical. Seriously, is there anyone out there who could bring freshness to this tired and overly-saturated genre of storybook fantasies alla Three Coins in a Fountain, Under the Tuscan Sun and Eat, Pray, Love? I know I sound jaded – my expectations were low.
After a brief introduction, author Estelle Jobson sat down on a cushion in the courtyard of The Beehive Hotel, opened her book, Finding Rome on the Map of Love, and began to read. As I listened to her recount the stories, I noticed the corners of my mouth began to spontaneously turn upward. Her elegant and proper South African accent was in sharp contrast to the wry, sardonic, and sassy repartee. Hey, this girl gets it! When she finished I was a bit sad, but fortunately I’d purchased my very own autographed copy of the book and immediately cracked it open on the train back to Orvieto.
Estelle Jobson is a talented writer who has a true gift for observation; describing things as an expatriate I’d experienced but was never able to fully articulate. I think what I appreciated the most about Estelle’s storytelling is that she doesn’t laugh at Italians, she laughs with them. Her book is filled with intelligent humor, compassion, and edgy insight. She is sarcastic without being mean; clever without being pretentious; and emotional without being too sentimental. Estelle sees Italians the way they really are and reconfirms, at least for me, why I love living among them.
