Caffe Trieste   

North Beach tourists wandering into Trieste can be forgiven for thinking the neighborhood's Italian/beatnik history is still alive. The tiny, brightly colored, slightly ramshackle cafe -- the first espresso joint on the West Coast -- was a favorite of the beat writers, and would-be poets and caffeine-fueled philosophers still make pilgrimages. On Saturday afternoon, those tourists are regaled by the Giotta family singing opera, cabaret and show tunes, usually accompanied by at least one accordion. Locals know Trieste is a legacy of bygone times: Some bypass it in favor of less-crowded cafes, but some adore its living-legend status and Italian owners. Trieste simmers down enough for a quiet cup of very good coffee (the proprietors roast their own beans next door) on weekday afternoons. Try the mocha made with Guittard chocolate and just-whipped cream. You can get much better food in the neighborhood, though it's a retro kick to wash down a focaccia pizza with what seems like the same cheap red wine the beats drank. And be sure to bring cash -- that's all Trieste accepts.