Cafe Trieste - Jack Hirschman - Poet Laureate. Photograph by Christopher Michel Photography

Cafe Trieste ~ San Francisco, California – Over a half a century ago, Giovanni Giotta brought his family to America, and in 1956 “Pappa Gianni” brought his “old world” techniques and gave the west coast its first cup of espresso at his Cafe Trieste.

Cafe Trieste immediately became popular with the Italian residents of San Francisco’s North Beach.  However, it also became a very popular hangout for 1950s beatniks like Lawrence Ferlinghetti , Alan Watts, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Brautigan, Bob Kaufman, Gregory Corso, Michael McClure, Kenneth Rexroth and Neeli Cherkovski.

Jack Hirschman (pictured above), Poet Laureate of San Francisco, is still reported to be a regular patron of Cafe Trieste.

Further, it is told that Francis Ford Coppola wrote much of the screenplay for The Godfather while sitting in the Cafe Trieste.

I can’t report that we had any famous beatnik sightings, but I can tell you that we enjoyed a marvelous cup of espresso, and the massive wall of photographs showing famous patrons over the years was a real walk down memory lane.

If you happen to be in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, you really should come sample the espresso and bath in the history of Cafe Trieste.

Here is a link to more Cafe Trieste photography from Christopher Michel.