The Bay Bridge from Telegraph Hill, August 2017

I’m not exactly sure why it is that I love San Francisco so much; although my dad was born and grew up in nearby Richmond, I’ve never lived or even spent all that much time in the City. It wasn’t until 2016 that I began exploring San Francisco in my own way, finding my way around the streets and seeing whatever I wanted to see. Combined with my love for books, this fondness for San Francisco recently led me to accidentally acquire a signed first edition of Herb Caen’s 1949 book, Baghdad-By-The-Bay. I’m not sure of the book’s exact value but I think I got a great bargain at $3 (from the Roseville Public Library’s used book sale.)

Inside Coit Tower

I think part of the charm of the place is that history lurks just around the corner, no matter where you might wander. In August 2017 I climbed Coit Tower (for the second time, actually) and spent awhile exploring the streets of North Beach. On Green Street I passed by a restaurant doorway that caught my eye; it was called The Barbary Coast, and although I didn’t go inside, it looked so inviting that I couldn’t resist shooting a couple of pictures from the sidewalk.

It was only just the other day that I finally learned the history of this particular site. Climbing Green Street toward Montgomery, I was walking along city blocks that were devastated in the great fire following the 1906 earthquake; the building housing The Barbary Coast in 2017 was constructed in 1908, and it’s currently designated as San Francisco Landmark #127.

Looking west on Green toward Grant

The reason for its landmark status has nothing to do with the fire, however. The building functioned as a pasta factory from 1912 until 1955, when Frederick Walter Kuh bought it and transformed it into The Old Spaghetti Factory Cafe — a favorite nightly hangout of the bohemian poets and artists of the Beat Generation. Some of those who performed there included Arlo Guthrie, the Kingston Trio, Robin Williams, and flamenco dancer Cruz Luna.

Montgomery Street Steps

Since Frederick Kuh sold the property in 1984, it has changed hands a few times and operated under different names; for several years, it was the Bocce Cafe. In 2015 it became The Barbary Coast, but sometime between May 2019 and December 2020 it changed to American Bites Restaurant and Bar. I haven’t returned to North Beach for a few years, and I may never walk inside to see more of this spot along Green Street, but I’m so glad I stopped to shoot a couple of pictures that day. San Francisco is always evolving, but the history is still right under the surface, if you look deep enough.