Extra-Adorbs Cheese And Meat Shop Opens In North Beach Today

As more proof that North Bay is about to blow through the roof thanks to a recent influx of awesome eateries and shops, the ‘hood will say hello to Little Vine, a super-cute new market, when it throws open its doors for the first time today. Inspired by charming corner shops in Europe, the darling new space is the brainchild of business (and personal) partners Jay and Melissa Gugni, who renovated the 300-square-foot space in an utterly inspiring manner. "I wanted to create a feeling of Old North Beach,” explains Jay of the sleek gray-walled space, accented with black shelves, chalkboards, and a sliding ladder. “I’ve always loved the look of the old-school general stores with items packed floor to ceiling, so that's where I started. From there, it just took roaming around places like Urban Ore in Berkeley for old building materials that I could turn back into something useful and beautiful." As for the location, it was a no-brainer. “Jay and I have lived in North Beach for the past four years,” says Melissa. “And we saw there was a need for a more artisan and locally focused food shop. We love to eat, drink, and cook, and we know lots of our neighbors do, too. We set out to create a place where we would want to shop. And Upper Grant is such a beautiful street with an incredible history. Little Vine was actually a communist bookstore at one time!” And now, it’s home to more than 50 artisan cheeses, fine meats, upgraded corner-shop goods, and even picnic baskets for rent! Take a spin through the amazing (and tiny!) space in our slideshow after the jump and be sure to head there in person, stat!