-
- English
- Français
- Log In
- Sign Up for Yelp
Ed "SF Travel Examiner" U.'s Profile
Noshing in North Beach (and over Telegraph Hill, too)
See All Lists
1. Bocce Cafe
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 981-2044
Category:
Italian
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Suburbanites looking for a traditional North Beach dining experience need look no further than Bocce Cafe. More than a cafe, it's roomy inside, it has lots of patio seating in the back, and it has a menu rivaled only by the Olive Garden in its…More »
2. 901 Columbus Cafe
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 409-9001
Categories:
Coffee & Tea,
Mediterranean
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Damn, I should have come here for my 901st review!...
Well, I'm glad the owner didn't come up with some misconceived name like the Coffee Hut or Caffeine Express or Jolting Java for this super-casual place. Keeping the address in the name makes me…More »
3. Albona Ristorante Istriano
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 441-1040
Category:
Italian
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Leave it to my erudite friends Jonathan and Syd to find the hidden culinary jewels in this city. After all, they were the ones who introduced me to the charming La Ciccia in outer Noe Valley a few years back, and we went to another out-of-the-way…More »
4. Alimento
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 296-9463
Categories:
Convenience Stores,
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt,
Delis
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Well, here's a long, narrow space in North Beach that is a bit of a deli, a bit of an ice cream parlor and a bit of a 7-Eleven. I'm sure it's been around for a while, but Jamie W. and I stumbled upon it after wolfing down some Philly cheese steaks at…More »
5. Buster's
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 392-2800
Categories:
American (Traditional),
Cheesesteaks
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
If you think pizza and pasta are your only dining options in North Beach or the thought of seeing fries in your sandwich at Giordano's makes you reach for the Pepto, then get your ample butt over to Buster's or at least get mine there. There's a…More »
6. Cafe Maria
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 800-7172
Category:
Italian
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Hey goombah!... Where can I get me some good pasta in North Beach?... I think I know da place now. Just remember keep your friends close but your enemies closer. At least that's what Carlo told me before Vito Corleone came into his ristorante and…More »
7. Caffe Greco
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 397-6261
Categories:
Coffee & Tea,
Desserts,
Sandwiches
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
If you are in need of the world's largest cup of hot chocolate on a cold night, this is the place for you. It probably isn't the world's largest, but I was in Barcelona last week and got used to those teeny-tiny expresso cups of high-octane caffeine.…More »
8. Capp's Corner
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 989-2589
Category:
Italian
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
So sue me. I like this place. Always have. Always will. Why? It's simple. I'm a pig. A gutless pig. I never order a soup, salad or pasta side dish on top of an entree because I fear the patronizing smirk of a server who gives me the once-over as I…More »
9. Caesar's Italian Restaurant
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 989-6000
Category:
Italian
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
If you ever wonder what it was like in your grandpa's lodge, the kind Fred and Barney used to go to get away from Wilma and Betty on "The Flintstones" when they were members of the Royal Order of Water Buffaloes, well, wonder no further. You can live…More »
10. Caffe Trieste Superb Coffees
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 550-1107
Category:
Coffee & Tea
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Hey Goomba!...I'm walkin' here, I'm walkin' here.
If you can get a seat here, well, good for eff-ing you...I never get that kind of luck here because the eccentric regulars park themselves here on a permanent basis, I imagine. I come in here to get a…More »
11. China House Bar & Restaurant
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 362-3838
Category:
Chinese
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
OK, so what were we supposed to do? It was Saturday of Fleet Week, and the Blue Angels finally bid adieu into the wild blue yonder at 4pm. Jamie W. and I kinda got hungry standing on our feet for a couple of hours waiting for those jets to whoosh by.…More »
12. Coit Tower
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-0808
Categories:
Local Flavor,
Landmarks & Historical Buildings
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Did you know Alfred Hitchcock included Coit Tower in key background shots during the filming of "Vertigo" because he viewed the monument as a phallic symbol? I know there are those who feel like it looks like...well, as if someone's been ridin' the…More »
13. Curly's Coffee Shop
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 392-0144
Categories:
Breakfast & Brunch,
Diners,
Japanese
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
I'm surprised I've never heard of this place since it appears to have been in business just for me. It's a greasy spoon with a Japanese-American twang, but then again, I hardly ever walk up Powell from North Beach. Curly's serves dishes like chicken…More »
14. Double Punch
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 399-9785
Categories:
Toy Stores,
Hobby Shops
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
It must be the immaculate presentation of their idiosyncratic merchandise that I like. I have to admit I'm not particularly drawn to the type of adult toys and collectibles sold here, but I admire the quality and the fact that owners Denise and Omar…More »
15. Dupont Thai - CLOSED
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 981-8008
Category:
Thai
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Gee, I thought Dupont was all about the miracles of science like Corian countertops and Teflon... how could we have ever lived without Teflon? Think of all the broken yolks that have been avoided in all those no-stick pans of sunnyside-up eggs thanks…More »
16. Gelateria Naia
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 677-9280
Category:
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Damn, the Brady Bunch just multiplied exponentially and landed in Naia...it's amazing what a combination of fertility drugs and a Wal-Mart discount card can do to produce progeny that falls slightly north of white trash.
Regardless, my friend and I…More »
17. Giordano Bros
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 397-2767
Category:
Sandwiches
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
I think the Giordano Brothers make sandwiches based on a Machiavellian principle. I don't mean to sound high-falutin', but the All-in-One Sandwich does try to prove that the end justifies the means. What I mean is that since we all order fries and…More »
18. Henry's Hunan Restaurant
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 956-7727
Category:
Chinese
Neighbourhoods: North Beach/Telegraph Hill, Embarcadero
Mr. Peabody needs his Wayback Machine back, so I'll keep this brief.
I used to come to this Hunan outlet all the time for lunch umpteen years ago when I was a lowly media planner in an ad agency in the neighborhood. I returned just last week since my…More »
19. Hillstone
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 392-9280
Categories:
American (New),
Steakhouses
Neighbourhood: Embarcadero
Houston's, we have a problem...NOT! (...spoken with Borat's sense of comedy timing)
Yes, yes, I know it's a chain....do you think my epicurean pride would prevent me from chewing like an obsessive carnivore incautious about "mad cow" disease?..."HA!",…More »
20. Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-0536
Categories:
Italian,
Sandwiches,
Bars
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
We're talking about casual eats in a classic setting (see my photos). This place probably represents the third corner of the North Beach triad that includes Caffe Trieste and Victoria's Pastry Company. OK, maybe you have to add Caffe Sport and Steps…More »
21. Mee Mee Bakery
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-3204
Category:
Bakeries
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Mee Mee. No No.
If you have to venture onto the overly congested block of Stockton south of Broadway, you may be tempted like I was to duck into this little bakery. It's probably a bad sign when you see the entire staff on stools slurping their bowls…More »
22. Sam's
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 391-1539
Categories:
American (Traditional),
Burgers,
Pizza
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
So you would think after watching the San Francisco episode of Anthony Bourdain's "The Layover" that I would be running to Swan's Oyster Depot, La Folie or even Mission Chinese Food based on his enthusiastic culinary reactions at those places. But it…More »
23. Souffle Cafe
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 399-1687
Category:
Cafes
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
The young staff here is so nice and conscientious that it's hard for me to state anything disparaging about their business. At the same time, I now realize why no one else has come up with the novel concept of a souffle cafe before. The stakes are…More »
24. Stella Pastry & Cafe
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 986-2914
Categories:
Bakeries,
Coffee & Tea
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."
That's what caporegime Clemenza told his underling Rocco in "The Godfather", which remains the Bible for how we all should approach life...if we all had Tommy guns! Stella Pastry is the kind of North Beach place…More »
25. Tommaso Ristorante Italiano
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-9696
Hey, mambo! Mambo Italiano!
Hey, mambo! Mambo Italiano!
Go, go, go you mixed-up Sicialiano
All you calabraise-a do the mambo like a crazy with a...
Going to Tommaso in North Beach means kickin' it old school for sure. Unless someone physically…More »
26. Tony's Pizza Napoletana
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 835-9888
Thank the Roman gods that Castro Valley has reasonable fire laws because otherwise, owner Tony Gemignani would have never opened his newest pizza place on the best corner in North Beach. Y'see, they wouldn't let him build the wood-burning oven…More »
27. Tuttimelon
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 345-8103
Category:
Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Did you know China and Italy have adjoining borders? Gee, haven't you studied your geography books lately? Yes, China and Italy are right next to each other, and boy, is Marco Polo pissed. It turns out the Silk Road is the width of Broadway in this…More »
28. Victoria Pastry Company
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 781-2015
Category:
Bakeries
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
If you love somebody, set them free. If you can't get your nerve up to do that, buy them a St. Honore cake from this bakery. It's their specialty topped with delicate cream puffs. One bite and they will forgive you anything. They may even overlook…More »
29. Viva Pizza Restaurant
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 989-8482
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano!
Hey mambo! Mambo Italiano!
Go, go, Joe, shake like a Giovanno
Hello kess-a-deetch-a you getta happy in the feets a
When you Mambo Italiano
Hey goombah...you-a come to my place in da North Beach, and you-a get-a good meal like my…More »
30. Washington Square Park
You should never knock a park no matter how grungy it can get due to human indifference. It provides the little pastoral element missing in our otherwise limited lives defined by concrete and steel. In fact, Washington Square Park is one such patch…More »
Recently updated lists from Ed U.
Talk to Me of Mendocino (46)"Closing my eyes I hear the sea / Must I wait, must I follow / Won't you say come with me?" ...Ah, I can hear Linda Ronstadt sing that song now. So pretty...and so is this part of California. In navigational order, here are the stops I made along the way to and from Mendocino. |
Over 150 Ways to SoMa-size Me, Baby (154)The good, the bad and the ugly...sometimes you just have to put convenience above anything else. Here are some places within a stone's throw of my home in SoMa...and a few deserve stones... |
A Trail of Fortune Cookie Crumbs Outside of Chinatown (31)There is no law that says you have to go to Chinatown to eat Chinese food. In fact, there may be a law against it if you are seen waiting in line for a table filled with German tourists. Here are some alternatives in our great rainbow city of ours... |
Vegetarian Anyone?...ANYONE? (18)I treat my body like a temple, which is why I must be developing a mold problem. Regardless, I must pay penance for all my carnivorous binges of protein and celebrate healthy eats like tofu and...and... Oh well, here's a list of places I've visited in order to alleviate my guilty, meat-obsessed conscience: |
Go East, Young Man! (125)I'm no SF snob. Honest. I went to Cal and lived in Oakland for umpteen years. That's why I like to venture back periodically across the pond. I just need to find my bulletproof vest... |
A San Franciscan's Guide to His City's Idiosyncracies (57)This above all...San Francisco is perfect. Anyone who makes fun of it has me to deal with...but sometimes you have to plant tongue firmly in cheek, sometimes your own, and call them as you see them. Here are my observations pitched somewhere between hopelessly wiseacre and sincerely adulatory... |
Explore the Roar of the Richmond (45)A jiggity-jiggity jaunt on the 38 Geary can yield both perks and bruises, but the sights and tastes can be enthralling if you navigate with purpose. Let this list be your torch of clarity in the sprawl of the Richmond. |
CASTRObation (55)- n. - 1. the liberating, PG13-rated act of satisfying oneself by visiting the happiest place on earth north of Disneyland. 2. the indecent, NC17-rated act of offending the far right by supporting businesses in what they deem a din of inequity. |
Just Call Me Danish Modern (21)I finally made it to Copenhagen, one of those mythic cities that actually lived up to my expectations. Here are a list of places that put one of my five senses into overdrive while I was there: |
Don't Mess With a Missionary Man! (73)I was born an original sinner. I was borne from original sin. And if I had a free BART pass to 16th Street, there'd be a mountain of salsa piled up to my chin. Hey! Here are the places that have drawn me back there time and again... |
See all 91 lists »
"I'd like to teach the world to Yelp in perfect harmony."
- 2005 Friends
- 2064 Reviews
- 59 Review Updates
- 150 Firsts
- 1155 Tips
- 510 Fans
- 9410 Local Photos
- 50 Events Submitted
- 91 Lists
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
20582 Useful, 17128 Funny, and 18780 Cool
San Francisco, CA
Yelping SinceJuly 2006
Things I LoveLime Calippos, Barcelona, Red Velvet Cake, Burt Bacharach, Prosecco, Stephen Sondheim, Saimin, Rice Pudding, Cava, Modern Family, Kathy Griffin, Morcheeba, Pork Belly, Raul Esparza, David Sedaris, Sade, Barenaked Ladies, Ginger Cake
Find Me InSoMa
My HometownSan Francisco, CA
My Blog Or WebsiteFollow me on Twitter @euyeshima
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm the S.F. Travel Examiner at http://www.examiner.co...
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI yelp...therefore I am
My Second Favourite Website The Last Great Book I ReadThe Four Agreements; To Kill a Mockingbird; Moral Politics
My First ConcertHerb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass at the Cotton Bowl in 19-none-of-your-business
My Favourite MovieOn the Waterfront; Two for the Road; Tokyo Story
My Last Meal On EarthChef's Tasting Menu, French Laundry, Yountville
Don't Tell Anyone Else But... Most Recent DiscoveryPeanut Butter Pie at Homeroom & the Honolulu Hangover at Bluestem