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www.truesake.com) in Hayes Valley sells nearly a hundred varieties of the good stuff.
Claiming to be the first sake-dedicated store outside of Japan, they give sake the
respect that a Frenchman might give a cabernet.
HOMEWARES
If I were shopping for nifty stuff for my own mantelpiece, I might start on Hayes
Street in Hayes Valley, where there are lots of smart shops. And if those places
didn't make me smile, I'd head down to Chestnut or Union in Cow Hollow/the
Marina, where there are more shops selling one-of-a-kind housewares, though not
usually for low prices.
Biordi Art Imports 5 (412 Columbus Ave.; % 415/392-8096; www.biordi.com;
closed Sun) capitalizes on the Italian heritage of its North Beach location by
importing fine painted ceramic Maiolica pottery, a long tradition from the Boot.
The store has been in business since the 1940s, and in its current hands (of owner
Gianfranco Savio) since 1977. Every piece of pottery is distinct, unique, and hand-
painted—some in a rustic style, and some according to the whims of the individ-
ual artist—and prices are as good as, if not better than, what you'd pay in
Italy—only without the shipping costs. You'll pay about $70 for a countertop stor-
age pot for your kitchen.
Guess what the material of choice is at Alabaster (597 Hayes St., at Laguna;
% 415/558-0482; www.alabastersf.com; closed Mon)? Not just the translucent
mineral, of course, but also housewares, furniture, and pretty things to hang on the
wall. Like Paxton Gate, it sells dead bugs, but in this case, they're artfully framed
rainforest butterflies. The store, whose design ethic is modern American but using
an antique vernacular, also designs its own lighting, also for sale. There are some
really cool vintage pieces, too, especially in furniture, transferwear, and pressed glass.
Fans of Asian cuisine, and people who would like to get into cooking it at
home, might find something worth bringing back to their kitchens at The Wok
Shop (718 Grant Ave., at Sacramento; % 415/989-3797; www.wokshop.com), in
Chinatown. Wares include crockery, woks, steamers, teapot sets, and even sushi
kits. Its staff is generally eager to help visitors understand the tools of the trade
and to match-make them with items they might need for any cuisine they plan to
undertake.
TOYS & CHILDREN'S CLOTHES
Where else can you find a shop devoted to kites but in a windy, seaside location
like San Francisco? The tiny, adorable Chinatown Kite Shop 5 (717 Grant Ave.,
at Sacramento; % 415/989-5182; www.chinatownkite.com) is small, but as you
can imagine, as a specialist, it has kites of every type imaginable, from pirate ships
to more complicated geometric shapes it would take a village to operate.
Lynne Gallagher, onetime designer for the rock 'n' roll set, runs the adorable Wee
Scotty (1807 Divisadero St., at Bush; % 415/345-9200; www.weescotty.com), a
vibrant kids' clothes boutique that doubles as a training ground for young would-
be fashionistas. The clothes for sale are cute and well made, and might be enough
to satisfy someone wanting to dress her kids, but it also organizes intermittent
“Project Junior Runway” events in which kids design, fabricate, and present their
own fashions.
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