When I met my husband, back in 1992, his bachelor china was from a new-to-me company called Heath, located in Sausalito. It turns out that the fact it was new to me meant only that I was ignorant — Edith Heath founded the company in 1948 and, while she experimented with oddities like ceramic modules for house construction, she became known for her stunningly simple and elegant tableware and her exquisite glazes.

A few examples from Heath's "Coupe" line (photo by Heath Ceramics)

The pottery is so beautiful that my parents, who (rightly) distrust all taste but their own, took one look and agreed that Walter had chosen well. We received a massive infusion of Heath pottery as a wedding gift from dear friends, and have been adding (and, sadly, replacing) ever since — but that meant trips to Sausalito (which is no hardship, but it’s a little off the beaten path, even when you’re in S.F.). So I was thrilled to learn that Heath has opened a factory and shop in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood.

I was even more pleased to learn that it’s dog-friendly — and that it shares space with a Blue Bottle coffee shop which is also dog-friendly (and serves magnificent Blue Bottle coffee). Walk with your pup up to the counter to order, and take the results to a spare but comfortable lounge area overlooking the factory workings.

Entrance to Heath/Blue Bottle

View from the lounge area -- Heath factory on the left, and the shop entrance is around the corner

The only downside is that the café does not have wi-fi, so you’ll be forced to spend your morning reading, or writing, the Great American Novel. Heath/Blue Bottle is located on 18th, between Florida and Alabama. It’s in a quiet, backwater part of the Mission, within walking distance of Mission and Valencia, but far from those streets’ hurly-burly.