North Beach is truly a crossroads of San Francisco culture. Known for authentic Italian food, strip clubs and some of the city’s most infamous historical landmarks, there’s something for everyone in this eclectic neighborhood. Historically a part of the Barbary Coast and later turned into the city’s base for Italian immigrants, it now boasts tree-lined streets, sidewalk cafes and high rents. Whether you’re searching out some old haunts of the beat poets, hankering for some good, homemade pasta, or just looking for a show and a cocktail, you’ll be sure to find it here.

City Lights Booksellers and Publishers and Vesuvio
If you’re looking for a little intellectual stimulation off campus, City Lights bookstore is a great place to start. The infamous San Francisco landmark, founded in 1953 by writer and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti, is a mecca for former beatniks and followers of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac.

The excellent selection of rare and not-so-rare books is sure to satisfy any cerebral craving. Browse through the main room, which boasts a wide array of fiction, magazines and journals, or go up to the extensive Poetry Room on the second level, which often hosts poetry readings and book signings –– probably the best place to sit and lose yourself in a book. If non-fiction is what you’re after, take the short, harrowing trip down the steep stairs to the basement, which groups books by sections with headings such as “Muckraking,” “Class War” and “Stolen Continents.”

Here, you can also view the brick arches of the original building (destroyed in the fire of the 1906 earthquake) as well as some signs painted on the walls that read things such as “Remember Lot’s Wife,” left over from a Christian sect that used the room for prayer before it was a bookstore.

If your eyes start to get strained from all of the literary action, pop next door to the quirky little bar, Vesuvio. This favorite watering hole of the beatnik poets has kept true to its eccentric history, offering drinks named “The Jack Kerouac” (rum, tequila, orange and cranberry juices, and lime) and “Bohemian Coffee” (brandy and amaretto with a twist of lemon). Try out the assortment of eco-friendly organic cocktails; the "Swinging Beat" (a combination of organic vodka, pomegranate liquor and lime) is exceptionally good on a hot day. Go upstairs and enjoy a cocktail by the window, great for observing the thoroughfare of the Columbus and Broadway streets intersection.

City Lights Booksellers and Publishers: 261 Columbus Ave. (415) 362-8193
Vesuvio: 255 Columbus Ave. (415) 362-3370
Cocktails: $4 to $8

Mojito
This little Latin-flavored bar is slightly off the beaten path and tucked away from the bustle of Columbus. Offering a full bar, it’s known for its good, strong mojitos (hence the name). The bouncers are nice and friendly –– a refreshing change –– and the bartenders are generally pretty quick to get your order, even when they’re slammed. The best part about this place is that they often feature some good, live music shows, and the cover is minimal compared to most places in the neighborhood. Last month, for a cover of $10, Mojito hosted jazz greats Bernard Purdy and Grant Green Jr. The show was impressive to say the least, enhanced by the fact that it was held in a small, casual setting, proving that Mojito is much more ideal than the upscale, expensive Pearl’s Jazz Club up the street. Check out their terrific happy hour specials, the happy hour menu is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but the real kicker is the Two Dollar Tuesdays, when they offer $2 appetizers and drinks.

1337 Grant Ave. (at Green) (415) 398-1120
Entrees: $5 to $15
Drinks: $4 to $8

San Francisco Brewing Company
If what you’re looking for is decent beer at a decent price, the San Francisco Brewing Company, at Columbus and Pacific, will probably quench your thirst. Offering a variety of its own brews, from lagers and ales to porters and stouts, the Brewing Company also has a full menu (the French fries are good) and offers informative tours of the brew house. Beware though: you will be charged for tastes of the beers (something I find particularly insulting) and the wait staff is often inattentive and not so friendly. The happy hour drink specials, however, are unbeatable. Everyday from 4 to 6 p.m. and midnight to 1 a.m., you can get a 10-ounce glass for just $1 or a pint for $1.75. They also feature live entertainment (usually jazz quartets and the like) almost every night, which is usually respectable and sometimes even good.

If you’re still craving a good brew and the Brewing Company doesn’t satisfy, wander on down to the opposite end of North Beach to the Rogue Public House at Union and Powell. Here, the staff is friendly and the beers plentiful –– watch out for the “XS” brews, which are all exceptionally high in alcohol content –– and there is no charge for tastes. You can even get a “Rogue ID,” which will get you a small discount every time you flash it at the pub.

San Francisco Brewing Company: 155 Columbus Ave.
(415) 434-3344
Entrees: $4 to $15
Beers: $5

Calzone’s Restaurant
North Beach is the Little Italy of San Francisco, and Calzone’s is the one of the best places to experience the old world. The pizza, sandwiches, calzones, appetizers… everything is good. Sit outside on the sidewalk with a calzone and a mojito –– good, though a Cuban customer said they weren’t strong enough for him –– and enjoy the people watching along the main drag of North Beach. Or opt for the deceptively small interior and take in the modern black-and-white tile. Recommended: the prosciutto, salami and mortadella calzone or the margherita pizza. Also, try any of the flavored mojitos, especially the mango.

430 Columbus Ave. (415) 397-3600
Entrees: $4 to $21
Drinks: $4 to $11