Herb Gold is one of our favorite people in North Beach.  Aside from being a wildly successful author (dozens of books published, published in Playboy in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, personal friends with Hef) one of Herb's greatest claims to fame is the 1957 review he wrote for Nation Magazine "slamming" On The Road!  A sample of Herb's review:

"They care too much, and they care aloud. 'I'm hungry, I'm starving, let's eat right now!' That they care mostly for themselves is a sign of adolescence, but at least they care for something, and it's a beginning."

The irony is Herb went to Columbia where he actually knew Kerouac back in the 1940's.  Some might say they were rivals.  Herb spent much time with Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti and every time David Amram comes to San Francisco he make sure he stops by to say hello to Herb Gold,

Take Herb to lunch.  You're gonna love his stories.  He'll also be sharing his stories of Neal Cassady at Our Birthday Bash on Friday night at 7pm.