Nothing Fancy, Just the Best of The Old-Time Delis

I loved reading Carl Nolte's San Francisco Chronicle column a few weeks back about the old Italian delis of San Francisco but it made me sad. It's true: there aren't many left, particularly in North Beach, where Molinari is the last of the old-timers. The atmosphere there in the narrow little store on Columbus near Vallejo remains the same as it has for more than a century: worn wooden floors, crates and boxes of canned tomatoes and tuna piled high, glass cases full of cold meats (still one of the best selections in the city), shelves packed with well-priced imported goodies from Italy, the long, housemade salamis hanging from above and the cheery camaraderie of the counter guys. It's all as comforting and familiar as a bowl of mom's minestrone.
When I lived in North Beach in the 1980s, there were several decades-old delis in operation: my family's favorite was Florence, which made good ravioli and had some of the best prices. Iacopi up on Grant was the place for sausages, however. A friend told me yesterday her Italian grandmother took the 5-Fulton MUNI a few times a week from Cole Valley, changed to the 30-Stockton to make her way to Florence or Molinari to pick up groceries. Her family still shops at either Molinari or Lucca in the Mission, but now those trips are reserved for special occasions -- Christmas holidays and Easter week -- when the deli counters are three-deep with a steady stream of customers picking up panettone (for Christmas) and colombe (for Easter) . It's not surprising that few of the old delis survive: 20-30 years ago it was difficult to find Italian specialties outside Italian communities. Today, all kinds of gourmet supermarkets carry Italian imports.
I poked around North Beach on a sunny, warm morning last week doing research on my next travel app and found Molinari as busy as ever. Their salami and sausages still are the best in the Bay Area. What fun shopping there. You just don't get that kind of earthy, old-deli smell -- think of the thousands of salamis that have been hung here over the last century, the dried mushrooms and the marinated vegetables -- at places like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

Five Favorite Free Things in San Francisco

With the holidays over you might be looking at your bank account and thinking that it's time for some frugality. Luckily, there's a lot you can do in San Francisco without spending much money. Here are five of my favorite free things in the city. There are many more that I can think of but these were the first that came to mind. What are your favorite free -- or relatively cheap -- things to do in San Francisco?

*The San Francisco Botanical Garden. In 20009, there was a bit of a panic when city officials floated the idea of charging an entrance fee here, but the move was quashed by a group of passionate garden supporters. This corner of Golden Gate Park, which houses 7,000 plants from all over the world, is one of the loveliest and most peaceful places in San Francisco. Free guided walks start at the bookstore each day at 1:30 p.m.
*San Francisco's Public Libraries. When I first moved to San Francisco I was charmed by the neighborhood libraries, some of which are little architectural gems. I'm lucky to live just a couple of blocks from one of them, the Richmond library, an Andrew Carnegie-funded facility from the early 1900s which completed a beautiful renovation just last year as part of the city's neighborhood library improvement plan. Check out the Friends of the Library site for talks, presentations and book club events at the libraries -- and also the Book Bay, the Friends' bookstore at Fort Mason, where there are good deals on books.
*San Francisco City Guides. I've taken more than a dozen walking tours with this local nonprofit organization and am always amazed by how the volunteer guides can turn what seems like the most mundane of city blocks into something fascinating. But San Francisco's history is like that. My favorite is the Sutro Park tour (Saturdays at 2 p.m.) which describes the life of Adolph Sutro, the San Francisco mayor who built the huge cliffside swimming facility and the private steam train that carried thousands from downtown to the edge of the Pacific (the Land's End walking trail is the former railroad grade).
*Amoeba Records. Okay, maybe in the era of iTunes and Netflix, there's no need for an actual physical music and DVD store. Maybe. But spend an hour in Amoeba and you'll discover albums and movies you'd never find online. The store, at 1855 Haight Street, also hosts free concerts.
*Crissy Field. The best free activities in San Francisco usually involve simply walking and taking in the scenery. There's no better place than Crissy Field, 100 acres of shoreline with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bay and Marin headlands and the downtown skyline. You'll see a variety of birds in the lagoon, a parade of joggers and walkers, and windsurfers skimming the waters of the bay. The new visitor center on the east end at the parking lot is set to open any day now and, like a bookend on the walking path a mile or so to the west, you'll find the cozy Warming Hut and bookstore/gift shop.