Okay, to be fair, it’s not exactly “exact,” and it’s pretty much just Fisherman’s Wharf. But it’s still hella weird, especially for a San Franciscan. Bottom line though: they kinda nailed it.

There’s an imitation San Francisco in Japan, so of course it’s at a theme park. It’s at the awesome Universal Studios in Osaka — infamously under-built for the amount of crowds it attracts — with rides often posting 5+ hour wait times. But no such issues await in its bizarrely authentic-looking San Francisco area, since there are no rides here, just a few overpriced eateries, a candy shop, and freakishly uncanny reproductions of places like Ghirardelli, the Buena Vista, and of course, the iconic Fisherman’s Wharf sign.

Read the latest by Adriana Roberts

More from The Bold Italic

PHOTOS: San Francisco’s queer prom era

Going to prom is a simple rite of passage for many. But queer teens factor in tensions with parents at home, being bullied at school, and coming to terms with an adult life where they’ll likely stand out from many in their cohort. This traditional rite of passage becomes a lot to bite off at age 17.

Two nonprofits aimed to ease that struggle in recent weeks: the SF LGBT Center threw a soirée for the queer youth of today, and Impulse SF hosted one for adults, many who came to do it right the second time around. We captured it all in photos, and it was beautiful.

See the latest captured by several talented photographers

A pizza master opens her first place in Berkeley

My Sicilian side can tend to dominate. That intense passion for the things I love, bordering on an obsessive impulse to research, study and dig deep, includes food. This was only fueled by home-cooked pastas and sauces from my Italian mama and grandfather growing up on both coasts.

Here, I dig into two spots: Pizzeria da Laura opened March 2023 in a split-level space in downtown Berkeley. I’ve appreciated chef Laura Meyer’s pizza mastery for years at San Francisco’s Chicago and Detroit pizza haven, Capo’s.

Read the latest by Virginia Miller

What we’re doing this week

Resting. Pride month took it out of us. We are also doing TBI’s first event since it became part of GrowSF. Our streetcar happy hour is sold out! So this is a reminder to come if you got your ticket. Here are some other things to do:

Friday happy hour with dirty cello

WHEN: Friday, June 30th for two sets — one begins 4:30 p.m., the other 6 p.m.
WHERE: The Golden Gate Park Bandshell

San Francisco based band Dirty Cello brings a high energy and unique spin on blues, rock, and Americana. Led by cross-over cellist Rebecca Roudman. Part of the free “Illuminate” concert series in Golden Gate Park. It’s so much fun to just be walking along and happen on these performances.

High Spots in a Low Dive: Doris Fish home movies 1981 to 1991 

Phillip R. Ford, director of the cult film classic Vegas in Space (1991) and “honorary straight man” in the legendary San Francisco drag troupe Sluts A-Go-Go, presents a “stand up lecture with moving pictures” from his extensive “home movie” collection of performance documentation (& behind the scenes), including many scenes at the Tenderloin’s legendary Club 181.

WHEN: Thursday, June 29. 5:30 PM 7:30 PM
WHERE: Tenderloin Museum
398 Eddy Street

Museum admission for adults is $10. More event details here.

What’s on our mind

We keep content mostly fun and light at The Bold Italic, but the future of the Bay Area interests us, too. Here’s what we are thinking about in local government. Brought to you by GrowSF.

Rising violence and crime in the Mission leave residents worried

After enduring years of declining safety, rising crime, never-ending graffiti, and finally several recent outbreaks of gun violence, injuring many, Mission residents are fed up. Nora Mishanec writes in the SF Chronicle that “residents interviewed by The Chronicle in the aftermath of the mass shooting that injured nine people Friday night said a cloud of unease has settled on the neighborhood, leaving some feeling unsafe, especially after dark.”

The Bold Italic is brought to you by GrowSF and edited by Saul Sugarman. Send us a pitch, a question, comment, or advertise with us: [email protected]

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