Golden Gate Bakery

A Chinatown alley the width of a hallway where two women fold cookies off a hot press by hand. Two minutes, a sample, and worth the detour.

The North Beach bookshop with creaky stairs and a children's shelf upstairs.

A popular breakfast and brunch spot.

Two floors of Beat-era manuscripts and photographs above a North Beach shop, reading-heavy and suited to teenagers.

Georgian acharuli khachapuri, the bread boat full of melted cheese the place is named for, plus khinkali dumplings.

A Chinatown plaza playground, closed for a major rebuild expected to finish in 2028.