San Francisco Bookstores — Christopher's Books, Potrero Hill, The Land That Tourists Forgot

This is the sixth in a series of short articles on independent San Francisco bookstores. While their numbers are dwindling, there are still many colorful, one-of-a-kind bookstores in various colorful, one-of-a-kind San Francisco neighborhoods.

Look down the hill from 18^th, the neighborhood’s main street, and you’ll have a striking view of San Francisco’s skyline. It’s as if Potrero Hill isn’t in the city, but above it and that the “City by the Bay” is another place altogether. In a way it is. If you were a resident, you might want to leave the Hill from time to time. But you wouldn’t need to. The neighborhood is self-sustaining.

It’s also an unlikely place for tourists, which is a good thing only because many of the great places on Potrero are small, very small. It’s “supersizing” in reverse. You will not go to Baked for a warm welcome, but this tiny bakery delivers the goods. Try the Ricotta cake. Chez Maman may be one of the smallest restaurants in the city, but also one of the best — a glorious hamburger is just one reason to dine there.

Certainly, Christopher’s Books falls into this “good things come in a small packages” category. They have a carefully cultivated, high-quality selection of books, just right for a beautiful neighborhood that also has other great small places — a wine shop, coffee shops and more than their fair share of excellent restaurants, grocers and bakeries. It has a bar that looks like it just emerged from an old PI movie (with a second-story window that reads “Golden Gun Investigations”) and a great renovated public library with million dollar views.

Have a drink, have lunch, grab a dessert and buy a book.

1400 18^th Street, (415) 255-8802, www.christophersbooks.com

San Francisco Bookstores — Browser Books, Cozy Spot on Upper Fillmore

This is the fifth in a series of short articles on independent San Francisco bookstores. While their numbers are dwindling, there are still many colorful, one-of-a-kind bookstores in various colorful, one-of-a-kind San Francisco neighborhoods.

I remember slipping into Browser Books on foggy nights in the late ‘70s. In the early ‘80s, the Elite Café was born. Between the bookstore and the sour cream pecan pie at the café, there was good reason to visit this stretch of Fillmore. Both the restaurant and the bookstore are still there. The pie, unfortunately, is nowhere to be found.

Pie or no pie, it’s still a great neighborhood. Restaurants of all varieties have blossomed — fine Indian, Italian, French, Vietnamese, Japanese and Mediterranean among them. There are plenty of stores that cater to the style-oriented, whether that’s to freshen your image or spice up your living room. The street hosts bakeries, a legendary hat shop and a wonderful, kindly place up the street to adopt a pet.

There is also, of course, Browser Books. Don’t let the size of the store fool you. While they carry books in all the standard categories, what you’ll find here is a selection that focuses on the quality of the books rather than the quantity. Plenty of great fiction here as well, books that range from contemporary and classic literary works to a big selection of retro pulp Hard Case Crime paperbacks. However, Browser Books has an especially expansive collection of books that appeal to our spiritual nature — a large number of books related to Buddhism, for example.

The next time you’re on Fillmore to catch a movie at the Clay, stop in at Browser Books. You will be surprised by all you can find in this compact, neighborhood bookstore.

2195 Fillmore Street, (415) 242-6194, www.browserbooks.indiebound.com