Stories
Reported pieces, kitchen Q&As, and field notes on the businesses that make San Francisco. Every story attaches to a profile in the directory.
Simply Pleasurable
the best coffee shop in the Richmond
The Croissant That Put Arguello on the National Map
Armando Lacayo left finance for laminated dough. A decade later, the Inner Richmond still queues for it.
The Windows That Made Twin Peaks a Landmark
In 1972 two lesbians took the paper off the glass. The city later made covering it again illegal.
City Lights at Seventy-Something
A pocket bookstore that beat an obscenity trial, published Howl, and still sells paperbacks on Columbus.
How Rich Table Made the Porcini Doughnut a City Institution
Thirteen years in, the snack that started as a one-off is still the first thing regulars order. A story about consistency, Hayes Valley, and the long life of a good idea.
The Tomato Martini, Explained
How a savory cocktail became Hayes Valley's most-ordered drink.
Eight New Rooms Worth Knowing This Month
From a Valencia Street wine bar to a Richmond bakery.
Twenty Years Behind the Counter at Scoma's
The wharf's last pier-to-plate kitchen on staying put.