Caffe Trieste
Self proclaimed as an International landmark in San Francisco’s North Beach Neighborhood and purportedly the first place for Espresso on the West Coast back in the 50’s my stop at Caffe Trieste was brief but enjoyable; the baristas clever and the prices good. Sure there is the traditional “coffee shop hipster” sort taking up the some of the cracked leather/vinyl furniture but the Americano I ordered was bold yet balanced, steaming hot, and otherwise excellent. Arriving late in the day there were no pastries to be sampled on this visit and the gentleman in the retail shop next door was a bit surly, but all-in-all a good place to grab a quick cup of coffee.
http://www.caffetrieste.com/