Little Vine Specialty Foods Arrive in North Beach Next Week

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Those who live or dabble in North Beach from time to time will have a new option for specialty food items, sandwiches, coffee (and weekend bagels!) when Little Vine opens next Tuesday on Grant Ave. The new Europe-inspired shop is owned by Melissa Gugni and Jay Esopenko, the same husband-and-wife duo that founded Drink Cocktail Catering 10 years ago. The Little Vine interior's signature design feature appears to be the rolling ladder shown above, which will glide around the room allowing staffers to access every single item on the floor-to-ceiling shelves. Stocked therein will be local cheeses, hand-made salumi, organic meats, seasonal produce and even cocktail supplies like artisan bitters and tinctures.

Gugni tells us lots of Cowgirl Creamery cheese will be offered, along with Mission-based Bicycle Coffee. Grab-and-go sandwiches built on Artisan bread will be made in house daily. Selections from local New York bagel doppelgänger Spot Bagels and pastries from Oakland's Starter Bakery will be available on weekends only at the start. They're also working on e-commerce and a "small and select" wine stash to be released as soon as the ABC follows through. Hours are Tues-Fri: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sat-Sun: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. As always, your on-site observations and feedback are more than welcome in the tip jar.

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