Some readers may recall my occasional pieces in this journal called “Unlikely Heroes (and Heroines) in the Gastronomic Trenches”— short profiles of writers on foo... Read More
Who are the real movers and shakers in North Beach? Let’s see if we can run down a few of them for you. And I believe it’s important to realize that not all movers are ... Read More
OK, so what do Ernest Hemingway, Marlon Brando, and Pablo Picasso have in common? Yes, all were highly creative, outsized personalities and internationally famous, but that’s not... Read More
Well, never say never, as politicians frequently utter self-servingly. In my case, last April I released my first, and as I wrote then, “probably my last,” Ernestos: Best of N... Read More
North Beach has always had an abundance of fine restaurants, at least as far back as I can remember, and I have a memory that goes back to the time when Fior d’Italia was on Broa... Read More
Diego Rivera, the internationally renowned and controversial Mexican artist, had warm associations with San Francisco. He found it to be a fascinating bohemian city and a source fo... Read More
This is a column about saloons — where they are, who frequents them, and why. The philosophical question that occupies us here is this: Are the saloons that we have come to know ... Read More
The nineteen sixties — if your personal history allows you to remember back that far — gave us the golden age of Broadway, that southern boundary of North Beach. At least that&... Read More
The other day in North Beach, I put my head on shuffle and wandered around aimlessly — a flaneur, if you will. No set destination or mission, nothing on my mind. And I had one of... Read More
It’s good to live in a city whose foremost citizens include a bartender. We refer to Michael McCourt, the Irish superstar behind the plank at Original Joe’s in North Beach, who... Read More
The bare bones outline for the life story of Saul Zaentz, who died in January at 92, could be a plot for one of the many movies he made during his lifetime. And therein lies a stor... Read More
Being a columnist — even for such an august publication as the Marina Times — has its ups and downs. When the going is good and the words flow along in proper order, being a co... Read More
“The Horse that Swam the Golden Gate.” I love that headline. Even before my friend Jimmy Schein told me about Blackie — the horse we’re talking about here — I... Read More
The other day I was invited to a tea party. Now, I don’t usually go to tea parties — not my cup of tea, I am emboldened to add. As you may know, I’m more of a salooni... Read More
Because the year-end holidays are approaching, I want to make a few gift suggestions from North Beach. So here is Ernesto’s Gift Guide — a sketchy compilation of esoteric, ... Read More