Kitty Margolis Official Site

Kitty's Gourmet, Sightseeing and Retail Therapy Tour of Her San Francisco North Beach Neighborhood (and a bit beyond)

Graffeo Coffee best coffee beans (Columbus Ave.)
Tony's Pizza owner is a world-class pizzaiolo. Richard behind the bar makes a great Negroni. (Stockton at Union)
Specs 12 Adler Museum and Bar the coolest bar in town. Try to meet Specs, the unofficial mayor or North Beach (Saroyan Alley off of Columbus)
City Lights Bookstore an institution for the intelligentsia founded by still-active poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Columbus Ave.)
Vesuvio Cafe Historic Beat hangout still attracts an artsy crowd. Sit upstairs in the John Wilkes Memorial booth (Columbus Ave)
Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store go for a cappuccino, aperitivo or a focaccia sandwich (Columbus @ Union)
Abitare unique gifts and tchochkes (Columbus Ave)
Liguria Bakery world’s best focaccia since 1911 (Stockton on Washington Square)
The Beat Museum a taste of Kerouac lore and other Beat ephemera (Broadway & Columbus)
L'Osteria del Forno down home, authentic Italian hole in the wall run by women (Columbus Ave.)
Knitz and Leathers beautiful handmade things (Upper Grant Ave.)
Café Jacqueline: Romantic, candlelit restaurant serving only soufflés. Peek into the tiny kitchen to say hello to Chef Jacqueline herself. (Upper Grant Ave.)
Al's Custom Originals: Tailor Al Ribaya sells only his own designs. (Upper Grant Ave.)
Molinari’s Delicatessen classic Italian deli goodies (Columbus Ave.)
Biordi Imports artisanal hand-painted Majolica from Deruta (Columbus Ave.)
Filbert Steps: views, lush gardens & home to The WIld Parrots (Telegraph Hill)
Tony Nik's intimate watering hole for pre-dinner cocktails (Stockton St.)
North Beach Records used vinyl galore plus oddball instruments (one on Upper Grant & one on Green)
Washington Square Park locals walking their dogs, Chinese elders practicing Tai Chi and tourists resting their tired feet. (Btw. Powell, Stockton, Union and Filbert)
Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market: a bit of a walk to the waterfront but worth it to taste the best of California organic & artisanal products (Embarcadero at Ferry Bldg.)
Imperial Tea Court oasis of civilized calm with top of the line Chinese teas (in Ferry Bldg.)
Slanted Door excellent new Vietnamese and original cocktails with a Bay view (in (In Ferry Bldg.)
Hog Island Oyster Company Best local bivalves and destination Cowgirl Creamery grilled cheese sandwich (in Ferry Bldg.)
Ferry Plaza Wines great selection and tasting small pours while you snack on your market goodies (in Ferry Bldg.)
McEvoy Oil small shop selling California's best organic olive oil and select produce from McEvoy Ranch (in Ferry Bldg.)
Tosca old school bar with a down-at-its-heels glamourous patina - good spot for Bay Area star sightings. (Columbus below Broadway)
Coi chef Daniel Patterson has created a very special upscale date destination for the serious foodie (Broadway)
Columbus Cutlery chefs from all over the Bay Area get their knives sharpened here (358 Columbus)
Stella Pasticceria famous for Sacripantina,incredible cake made of thin layers of sponge cake filled with zabaione (Columbus Ave.)
Robert Domergue & Co. finest French & continental antiques (Jackson and Columbus)
Bimbo's 365 Club: live music ranging from the Temptations to Jewel to indie rock bands. Check out the retro ladies room and girl in the fishbowl (Columbus Ave.)
Gelato Classico as good as the stuff in Italy...a little won't hurt you! (Union near Stockton)
Aria offbeat one-of-a-kind antiques from all over (Upper Grant)
Caffe Trieste bohemian spirit & live Italian music on Sat. afternoons (Vallejo at Upper Grant)
Yone this funky bead shop has been here since the Beats (878 Union)
The Saloon this funky blues joint is oldest bar in the City open since 1861...don't let the regulars scare you. (Vallejo at Upper Grant)
Golden Flower best Pho (Jackson St. in Chinatown)
Grant & Green Jazz jam every Monday night

...And keep your eyes and ears open for the Green St. Mortuary Marching Band on Saturdays as they lead the Chinese funeral processions down Stockton St.

Kitty's Favorite Things I Kitty's Links

Kitty's Favorite Things
Heavy Rotation
Steely Dan- Everything Must Go
Mark Ribot y Los Cubanos Positivos
Vinicius Cantuaria- Tucuma
Miles Davis- In Person at the Blackhawk
Miles Davis- The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel
Madeline Eastman- Speed of Life
Eurhythmics- Peace
Marc Johnson- Sounds of Summer Running
John Scofield- Hand Jive
Angie Stone- Black Diamond
Taj Mahal /Tumani Diabate- Kulanjan
Joe Zawinul- My People
Pino Daniele- Yes I Know My Way
Oumu Sangare- Worotan
John Scofield- Quiet Now
John Coltrane- Ballads
Joni Mitchell- Travelogue
Todd Rundgren- With a Twist
Robson Banda- Greatest Hits
Ann Dyer- When I Close My Eyes
Olu Dara- In the World
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli- Plays Debussy
Sonny Rollins- Saxophone Colossus
Virginia Rodrigues- Sol Negro
Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny- Under the Missouri Sky
Paul Simon- Graceland
Walter Becker- 11 Tracks of Whack
Eliane Elias- Kissed by Nature
Antonio Carlos Jobim- Stoneflower
Herbie Hancock- Empyrean Isles
Les McCann & Eddie Harris- Swiss Movement
Rokia Traore- Wanita
Jan Akkerman- Acoustic

Small Screen
Pole to Pole with Michael Palin
Evolution PBS Series
The Sopranos
Lost in Translation
Six Feet Under
Joni Mitchell-Shadows and Light
The Africans Series with Henry Louis Gates
Flirting with Disaster
La Femme Nikita (French movie version)
When We Were Kings
Millenium Series
The Making of Aja -Steely Dan

Favorite Restaurants
San Francisco: Delfina, Piperade, Boulevard, Kokkari, R & G Lounge, Swan Oyster Depot
New York: Babbo, Grand Central Oyster Bar (sit at the counter) Po, Caffe Gnocco, Osteria del Sole
Milan: Tagiura
Amsterdam: Tempo Doeloe, Christophe
Rome: Ditirambo, Le Colline Emiliane
Florence: Cibreo, Il Latini, Da Homero, Cafe Rivoire, sandwich stand in the Mercato Centrale
Jerusalem: Eucalyptus
Santa Fe: Geronimo
Sydney: Rockpool, Bistro Lulu, Bill's
Venice: Locanda Cipriani, Vini da Gigio
Zihuatanejo: La Casa Que Canta, La Perla
Paris: Chez George, Benoit, Le Grand Vefour, Brasserie Lipp, Gaya, Le Pamphlet
New Orleans: Bayona, Acme Oyster Bar, Mr. B's, Casamento's

On Kitty's Bookshelf
A Short History of the World- Geoffrey Blaney
California Dish -Jeremiah Tower
Woman - Natalie Angier
1,000 Places to See Before You Die -Patricia Schultz
Creators On Creating- Alfonso Montuori
Tao Te Ching (A New English Version) - Stephen Mitchell
Awakening Intuition- Mona Lisa Schultz
Reinventing Medicine -Larry Dossey
The Art of Travel - Alain de Botton
Songwriters on Songwriting -Paul Zollo
Inner Peace For Busy People - Joan Borysenko
Don't the Moon Look Lonesome - Stanley Crouch
The Flaneur - Edmund White
Synchronicity -C.G.Jung
World Music - Phillip Botton
The Collected Traveler (Central Italy & Paris) -Barrie Keeper
Anti-Intellectualism in American Life -Richard Hofstader