At Vesuvio

by Joanna Blanche Lioce

Verbatim interactions between a bartender and patrons at the legendary bar North Beach in San Francisco.

172 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Sean]

Funny, beautiful, and smart snippets from a day in the life of Joanna Lioce, a bartender at one of the greatest spots in America.

[Qiana]

Bought this book on a whim at City Lights next door to Vesuvio because I found myself standing in the bookstore turning page after page, smiling under my mask the whole time. I found myself gravitating towards it over the next couple of days even though I said I would spread it out and read only a few pages at a time since it’s so short. I highly enjoyed it and laughed the whole way through, and even read the second half to my partner (who laughed even harder than I did) because I couldn’t keep it to myself! The author perfectly presents the weird and funny things you might hear in San Francisco’s bar scene.

[Austin Straussner]

It’s like a like a shot of Malort. Odd, a little off putting, but endearing nonetheless.

[Frances]

I picked up this book in City Lights Bookstore, started reading it, purchased it, and walked next door to Vesuvio to read it while sitting at the bar with an Anchor Steam. We laughed out loud reading some of the vignettes. Absolutely perfect.

[Julian]

I always visit City Lights and Vesuvio when I’m in San Francisco, so when I saw it on the shelf I immediately picked it up to buy it. I just finished dinner in Il Casaro across the street, having first stopped in Vesuvio for a pint of Anchor Steam, and have read this lovely book. After a tough year this has been a rare escape. Simple snippets of daily life of a bar tender in this wonderful establishment.

[Reader]

The author of this book obviously is mean spirited with no real sense of humor. Most of the notes just seem to be obvious misunderstandings or her playing the victim for no reason. It also just seems like a cash grab, half of it is just blank space. There are a couple of sweet stories but they are far outweighed by seemingly mundane sentences.

[Devin]

Jake & I read this at a wine bar - we laughed and we cried and it was so cute. The bartenders saw us looking at it on the internet and pulled it out from his book shelf and handed it to us and yeah I love Jake

[Parker Sterni]

Fun little read that any bartender can relate it, I laughed Audibly at most of it.

[Karen]

A quick and hilarious read, definitely a book made better by having actually visited said Cafe Vesuvio on some weekend night.

[Jamie]

Read it out loud to your lady in a public place. Let the world bear witness.

[Reader]

Dude…what? Seems like the bartender genuinely hates her job and finds it to be a chore. The few redeeming moments are barely as entertaining as a couple tweets. Waste.

[Garnette Maxine]

Cute snippets from life at Vesuvio. Made me smile. And made me want to stop by Vesuvio this weekend.

[Niambi]

Very quick very funny very accurate very relatable loved it

[Allison Hemingway]

What a fun little collection of stories. Brought me right back to San Francisco and one of the best bars I’ve ever been to

[Tzarina]

if you're a bartender, you'll enjoy reading through as it's so relatable and genuinely funny. i had a coworker who recommended it to me and I finished it within the first hour of receiving it. a few months later, i had a family member visit me and on their list of things to do in the city was stop at bookstores and of course, I took them to the city lights. i wasn't planning on getting anything until I walked out and remembered vesuvio is quite literally next to the store. i walked back in and asked if they had any left and I managed to score the last one they had in stock and with a bonus, signed! i took my family member back to the airport that same day and once I got home, I had to read it all over again because it's just one of those reads that leaves you smiling