Quiet Riot

High on a hill, self-contained Presidio Heights is home to chic shops and low-key restaurants.

To some people, Presidio Heights equals the stroller set and the boutiques they patronize (see “Baby & Me,” p. 137, for some examples); others picture carriage-trade design stores. While these stretches of Sacramento and California streets south of the Presidio are indeed full of toddlers plus social types in the throes of redecorating, two big institutions are the real anchors of the neighborhood: California Pacific Medical Center and the Laurel Heights campus of UCSF. That’s why you’ll find the city’s only 24-hour sit-down Starbucks here, where students, doctors, nurses and SF cops sip into the wee hours. And Sacramento Street’s not called “couch alley” because of all the home furnishings stores; it’s in reference to the strip’s scores of psychotherapists’ offices. Over in the sleepy mid-century shopping center of Laurel Village, stores have been turning over with fervor in the past few years: Café lo Cubano and Rigolo came in, Viking Home Chef came and went (the bank next door is expanding into that space—yawn) and Asqew Grill has recently taken over the old Napa Ranch storefront. Meanwhile, residents still await the opening of Spruce, from the owners of Woodside’s famed Village Pub—the current ETA is spring ’07.

Button Down features glamorous weekend wear from Italian designers such as Luciano Barbera and Etro. The men’s selection is especially praiseworthy—note the dozens upon dozens of cuff links. For a religious experience both above and below the ankles, head over to Divine Girls, where chunky-heeled pumps by Bettye Muller and slinky pieces by Narciso Rodriguez and Alberta Ferretti will have you singing the praises of store owner Maria Muzio. If you’re in the mood to dig for designer wear, Goodbyes Consignment Shop stocks secondhand threads ranging from vintage kitsch to haute couture. They also have a location across the street for accessories and jewelry. Beau may not be the place to meet your next suitor, but you’ll certainly find a good date outfit here. The store’s stark design—rough-hewn white walls livened up by colorful paintings—provides a modern backdrop for designer jeans and hip frocks. Sarah Shaw showcases American designers exclusively: Flirty, feminine pieces from the likes of Chaiken and Robert Rodriguez are enough to make us abandon blue jeans forever. Year-old Choisis carries what owner Ken Vais calls “Parisian couture” such as Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix. His second store, Choisis Aussi, opened last month a block west and features “quieter, more Zen-like” silhouettes from European and Japanese designers like Ken Okada. Don’t let the Grocery Store’s name fool you; there’s no food here, but you can stock up on cashmere sweaters in a rainbow of fruit flavors. Seasonal favorites include Richard Grand’s line, which features the famous mugs of JFK, Bob Marley and Marilyn Monroe. Also in high demand: Miu Miu’s studded heels and flats.

Embrace your inner expatriate with an evening of traditional Italian fare at Osteria. Loyalists of this no-frills standby swear by the gnocchi al pomodoro, loaded with fresh tomatoes and basil. Pascal Rigo—of Boulangerie Bay Bread, Chez Nous and Cortez fame—has staked his claim on the Laurel Village strip with Rigolo, where pizzas, deliciously fresh salads and staples like pan-seared salmon and roast chicken are ordered at the counter. There’s no corkage fee if you BYOB from Wine Impression next door, where the knowledgeable folks can recommend a pairing based on your menu choices. At the corner, Café lo Cubano does coffee the old-school way. Trade in your usual nonfat, iced-Venti-whatever for the mix of Cuban espresso and milk known as a cortadito. Order a Cuban sandwich with ham and braised pork, settle on one of the comfy couches and check out the list of book-club and poetry-night gatherings. Pastrami on the brain? Step into the JCC’s California Street Delicatessen & Café, brought to you by the owners of neighboring (415) Asian Restaurant & Lounge and Presidio Avenue’s Garibaldis. Here you can count on hearty sandwiches, pickled herring, potato latkes and braised brisket. Ella’s serves the kind of home cooking you wish you got at home. Go for comfort with chicken pot pie or explore your more sophisticated tastes with a horseradish-crusted salmon. The weekend brunch crowd starts lining up before the door even opens at 8:30. For a leisurely afternoon repast or a dinner under the stars in the heated garden courtyard, Sociale is a romantic Italian bistro with atmosphere to spare.

Haute Home caters to fans of the high thread count. Beautifully hand-embroidered linens, tiny monogrammed baby sweaters (you’ll be tempted even if you’re without child) and delicate decorative cake plates are all perfect additions to your hope chest. Isgro & Company’s menagerie of sconces, lamps and torchères—both antique and contemporary—mingle nicely with its vintage furniture and garden accents. You’ll feel like Marie Antoinette herself (without that splitting headache) when you chance upon Urban Chateau. The owner has been collecting French and Italian antiques for more than three decades and it shows—right down to the bodiced dress draped appropriately over a fainting chaise. Gilded mirrors, letterpress note cards by Carrot & Stick Press and embroidered silk pillows are just some of the unique items available at Threshold. Owned by interior designer Kendall Wilkinson, the boutique and design studio—specializing in mostly 18th- and 19th-century French antiques—offers custom-made furniture, hand-painted ceramic dinnerware and modern glass table lamps. Newcomer Bae should be your first stop for housewarming gifts. Charming ceramic napkin rings by Rae Dunn that proclaim “Dine,” “Eat” and “Savor” will surely have the recipient saying “Thanks.” The store also carries glass art, candles and home fragrances. Design connoisseurs flock to Sue Fisher King to gawk at Venetian silk, velvet bed coverings by Mirella Spinella and delicate Fortuny lamps.

The Vogue Theater is one half of the dinner-and-a-movie equation, done right. The single-screen cinema, which seats 250, features classic movie-house art deco details. Colorful skeins of thread line the walls of the tiny Elaine Magnin Needlepoint, which offers everything you need to get started, right down to “how-to” classes for beginners. Diamonds be damned at Margie Rogerson’s goldberry. Though she would never forsake the status gem, her jewelry salon doesn’t discriminate: Rogerson works Colombian emeralds, Burmese rubies and Ceylon sapphires in a range of colors into classic platinum settings. Locals swear by Bryan’s Meats, a mecca for fresh meat and fish where you’ll get old-fashioned butcher-shop service.

To some people, Presidio Heights equals the stroller set and the boutiques they patronize (see “Baby & Me,” p. 137, for some examples); others picture carriage-trade design stores. While these stretches of Sacramento and California streets south of the Presidio are indeed full of toddlers plus social types in the throes of redecorating, two big institutions are the real anchors of the neighborhood: California Pacific Medical Center and the Laurel Heights campus of UCSF. That’s why you’ll find the city’s only 24-hour sit-down Starbucks here, where students, doctors, nurses and SF cops sip into the wee hours. And Sacramento Street’s not called “couch alley” because of all the home furnishings stores; it’s in reference to the strip’s scores of psychotherapists’ offices. Over in the sleepy mid-century shopping center of Laurel Village, stores have been turning over with fervor in the past few years: Café lo Cubano and Rigolo came in, Viking Home Chef came and went (the bank next door is expanding into that space—yawn) and Asqew Grill has recently taken over the old Napa Ranch storefront. Meanwhile, residents still await the opening of Spruce, from the owners of Woodside’s famed Village Pub—the current ETA is spring ’07.

Button Down features glamorous weekend wear from Italian designers such as Luciano Barbera and Etro. The men’s selection is especially praiseworthy—note the dozens upon dozens of cuff links. For a religious experience both above and below the ankles, head over to Divine Girls, where chunky-heeled pumps by Bettye Muller and slinky pieces by Narciso Rodriguez and Alberta Ferretti will have you singing the praises of store owner Maria Muzio. If you’re in the mood to dig for designer wear, Goodbyes Consignment Shop stocks secondhand threads ranging from vintage kitsch to haute couture. They also have a location across the street for accessories and jewelry. Beau may not be the place to meet your next suitor, but you’ll certainly find a good date outfit here. The store’s stark design—rough-hewn white walls livened up by colorful paintings—provides a modern backdrop for designer jeans and hip frocks. Sarah Shaw showcases American designers exclusively: Flirty, feminine pieces from the likes of Chaiken and Robert Rodriguez are enough to make us abandon blue jeans forever. Year-old Choisis carries what owner Ken Vais calls “Parisian couture” such as Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix. His second store, Choisis Aussi, opened last month a block west and features “quieter, more Zen-like” silhouettes from European and Japanese designers like Ken Okada. Don’t let the Grocery Store’s name fool you; there’s no food here, but you can stock up on cashmere sweaters in a rainbow of fruit flavors. Seasonal favorites include Richard Grand’s line, which features the famous mugs of JFK, Bob Marley and Marilyn Monroe. Also in high demand: Miu Miu’s studded heels and flats.

Embrace your inner expatriate with an evening of traditional Italian fare at Osteria. Loyalists of this no-frills standby swear by the gnocchi al pomodoro, loaded with fresh tomatoes and basil. Pascal Rigo—of Boulangerie Bay Bread, Chez Nous and Cortez fame—has staked his claim on the Laurel Village strip with Rigolo, where pizzas, deliciously fresh salads and staples like pan-seared salmon and roast chicken are ordered at the counter. There’s no corkage fee if you BYOB from Wine Impression next door, where the knowledgeable folks can recommend a pairing based on your menu choices. At the corner, Café lo Cubano does coffee the old-school way. Trade in your usual nonfat, iced-Venti-whatever for the mix of Cuban espresso and milk known as a cortadito. Order a Cuban sandwich with ham and braised pork, settle on one of the comfy couches and check out the list of book-club and poetry-night gatherings. Pastrami on the brain? Step into the JCC’s California Street Delicatessen & Café, brought to you by the owners of neighboring (415) Asian Restaurant & Lounge and Presidio Avenue’s Garibaldis. Here you can count on hearty sandwiches, pickled herring, potato latkes and braised brisket. Ella’s serves the kind of home cooking you wish you got at home. Go for comfort with chicken pot pie or explore your more sophisticated tastes with a horseradish-crusted salmon. The weekend brunch crowd starts lining up before the door even opens at 8:30. For a leisurely afternoon repast or a dinner under the stars in the heated garden courtyard, Sociale is a romantic Italian bistro with atmosphere to spare.

Haute Home caters to fans of the high thread count. Beautifully hand-embroidered linens, tiny monogrammed baby sweaters (you’ll be tempted even if you’re without child) and delicate decorative cake plates are all perfect additions to your hope chest. Isgro & Company’s menagerie of sconces, lamps and torchères—both antique and contemporary—mingle nicely with its vintage furniture and garden accents. You’ll feel like Marie Antoinette herself (without that splitting headache) when you chance upon Urban Chateau. The owner has been collecting French and Italian antiques for more than three decades and it shows—right down to the bodiced dress draped appropriately over a fainting chaise. Gilded mirrors, letterpress note cards by Carrot & Stick Press and embroidered silk pillows are just some of the unique items available at Threshold. Owned by interior designer Kendall Wilkinson, the boutique and design studio—specializing in mostly 18th- and 19th-century French antiques—offers custom-made furniture, hand-painted ceramic dinnerware and modern glass table lamps. Newcomer Bae should be your first stop for housewarming gifts. Charming ceramic napkin rings by Rae Dunn that proclaim “Dine,” “Eat” and “Savor” will surely have the recipient saying “Thanks.” The store also carries glass art, candles and home fragrances. Design connoisseurs flock to Sue Fisher King to gawk at Venetian silk, velvet bed coverings by Mirella Spinella and delicate Fortuny lamps.

The Vogue Theater is one half of the dinner-and-a-movie equation, done right. The single-screen cinema, which seats 250, features classic movie-house art deco details. Colorful skeins of thread line the walls of the tiny Elaine Magnin Needlepoint, which offers everything you need to get started, right down to “how-to” classes for beginners. Diamonds be damned at Margie Rogerson’s goldberry. Though she would never forsake the status gem, her jewelry salon doesn’t discriminate: Rogerson works Colombian emeralds, Burmese rubies and Ceylon sapphires in a range of colors into classic platinum settings. Locals swear by Bryan’s Meats, a mecca for fresh meat and fish where you’ll get old-fashioned butcher-shop service.

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