I love it when my readers start one of their own businesses! Couple Melissa Gugni and Jay Esopenko just opened their artisan food shop, LITTLE VINE in North Beach (today is their grand opening). They were inspired by their travels in Europe, and their shop will offer an extensive selection of cheeses, salumi, organic beef from Marin Sun Farms, pasture-raised poultry, Soul Food Farm eggs, and seasonal produce. The floor-to-ceiling shelves are filled with items from the couple’s favorite small producers, and lucky you, you can pick up croissants, kouign amann, tarts, cookies, muffins, and scones from Starter Bakery. There will also be SPOT bagels, Full Belly Farms produce, and Three Twins Ice Cream, plus organic, fair-trade, individual pour-over coffee from San Francisco’s Bicycle Coffee Company. I am getting fat just reading that list.
For those on the go, you can grab a pre-made sandwich—or for those with more time to kill, you can borrow one of Little Vine’s vintage picnic baskets for a picnic in nearby Washington Square Park. They are hoping to get a permit to sell wine soon, but for now, their excellent array of cheeses are sure to keep people happy. Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 10am-7pm, and Sun 11am-5pm. 1541 Grant Ave. at Union, 415-272-7567.
Little Vine owners Jay Esopenko and Melissa Gugni; photo by Aaron Kohr.
