You are about to land at the right site. Prime Rib. In October 1935 the restaurant reopened as The Music Box, a supper club under the direction of stripper and fan dancer Sally Rand. Pictured: Customers peer in at the fresh Dungeness crab that sits on ice at Alioto's restaurant curbside stand at Fisherman's Wharf. Here's a photo from the film of Humphrey Bogart in his role as Sam Spade with the original statue. Zuni Cafe began in 1979 as a Southwestern-themed restaurant, but became a Cal-cuisine icon under the leadership of the late Judy Rodgers, who entered its kitchen in 1987. 1, which opened on Chestnut and Fillmore in 1939, as well as Marin Joes and Little Joes (some had a more direct affiliation than others). Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. Many of the Magic Pans stayed open as late as midnight as did many independent crepe restaurants. But before crepes achieved popularity, they were almost unknown in the U.S. Maybe restless, disappointed by candy sales, or lured by gold, he took off for San Francisco in 1849, age 34, after leaving Albany where his wife and children remained for another couple of years. Many credit him with making House of Prime Rib the SF institution it is today, catering to high-profile regulars as well as a healthy mix of locals and tourists. The Bay Area native, a former Chronicle paperboy, has worked at The Chronicle since 2000. Red's was sold in 1990 and again in 2009 to SF native TiffanyPisoni. ], -- Trash, garbage, and waste Americas literary chef The smrgsbord saga Meals along the way Dinner in Miami, Dec. 25, 1936 An early restaurateurs rise & fall Runaway menu prices Thanks so much! Two of Blancos managers had previously been at Delmonicos restaurant in San Francisco, another victim of the fire. Through the years, his children were always helping with the restaurant and today, Sals sons and grandsons now run the spot. The result of our research (which mostly involved polling our colleagues, looking at various SF restaurant rankings on the Internet and re-visiting Chronicle archives) is a series of stories breaking down the most "San Francisco" restaurants into three categories. The grill opened in 1979 drawing inspiration from more established SF classics like Tadich. San Francisco is home to an impressive number of Burmese restaurants but the first and, therefore, oldest is Mandalay, the Richmond District institution that opened in 1984. Between courses: mystery food Ode to franchises of yesteryear Chuck wagon-ing Taste of a decade: 1940s restaurants Just cause it looks bad doesnt mean its good The other Delmonicos Between courses: Beard at Lucky Pierres Basic fare: spaghetti Famous in its day: The Maramor Between courses: wheres my butter? Castro He may have briefly tried to make a comeback at his original address, but in 1859 the Fountain Head on Commercial Street and a confectionery run by Eliza Winn were put up for sale. It was a grand adventure for a high school or college French class or club to visit a creperie, watch crepe-making demonstrations, and have lunch. The original Poodle Dog died after Prohibition arrived in 1922, and an attempt at a comeback was lackluster. The two-story Cantonese restaurantcomplete with a dumbwaiterwas famously home to "San Francisco's Worst Waiter" before closing and moving to a new location on Clay Street back in 2015. People passing by the Tadich Grill on California St. in San Francisco, Calif. on Tues. October 27, 2015. This was in the depths of the Depression when few could afford candy and Blums was close to failing. . Today the building still stands and is in use as the Great American Music Hall. Poodle Dog Restaurant, Flood Bldg., Emporium. With honest help, he claimed, I would have been worth a half a million of dollars., But the Winns western odyssey wasnt over after leaving San Francisco. Famous in its day: Feras Why the parsley garnish? To grow up in San Francisco in this prismatic era was. Zim'swas the largest independent, non-franchised restaurant chain in San Francisco for nearly 50years. Good-bye to good old times. somehow Busy bees Eat and run, please! And one more high angle view of the Cliff House in 1980. 1. Or perhaps, instead, we should go for something very unique and zany, with that weird "Only in SF" vibe. 1906, view east. 16th Street at Church, 1973 Eric Fischer/Flickr San Francisco in the 1970s was a global hub of culture. In 1956, in addition to Blum's four San Francisco locations (Polk St., Fairmont Hotel, Stonestown, and Union Square), there were stores in Carmel, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Westwood, and San Mateo and three more planned to open soon in Palo Alto, San Rafael, and San Jose. Jessica is a member of the Gate's homepage team and has a nerdy obsession with poring over the site's real-time analytics. This eatery and its "since 1908" sign has remained at the same location, on Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell, since the beginning. The cioppino is highly regarded. Click through this slideshow to find out. In 1916 Joseph returned to a bohemian theme with The Red Paint, a short-lived restaurant on Washington Street that went out of business at the start of Prohibition, stopping the flow of red paint, i.e., wine. African-American tea rooms Romantic dinners Flaming swords Theme restaurants: castles Know thy customer Menue [sic] mistakes Waiter, telephone please! Conference-ing Top posts in 2010 Variations on the word restaurant Famous in its day: Buschs Grove Between courses: a Thanksgiving toast Basic fare: French fries Linens and things part II Linens and things part I Menu art Dining in shadows Spotlight on NYC restaurants Laddition: on tipping Taste of a decade: 1870s restaurants He-man menus That glass of water Famous in its day: Tony Fausts Theme restaurants: prisons Laddition: French on the menu, drat it Anatomy of a restaurateur: Romany Marie Between courses: only one? Some of these places have been around for more than 100 years and are instant portals to the city's past. It has had four owners, but current owner John Konstin and his family have been at the helm for 40 years. . Though mostly (and justly) known for its Irish coffees, the Buena Vista Cafe also has a decent breakfast and lunch offering, with views of the Bay. Though San Francisco is a city focused on the next big new thing, it's also a place that clings tight to its history, packing its longest-standing restaurants even as buzzier, hotter places come and go. A golden era for hippies.. there was a lot lot of nudity in the 60s and 70s, which im missing here. Cliff House (1863): Five days after the 1906 Earthquake, The Chronicle reported that San Francisco residents were shocked it didnt plunge into the ocean. In 1921 its manager was arrested for not keeping a register of transient guests at Blancos Annex, the hotel next door which the restaurant had constructed in 1908 and opened the next year. Fires were frequent occurrences in San Francisco and he was burned out at both of his initial locations in less than a year. The chandeliers and some of the murals were restored, possibly during the late sixties when the building was occupied by the Charles Restaurant. To order the clip clean and high res for your . Pictured: Pork Loin being grilled at Chez Panisse on Feb. 11, 2014. 1853 menu, an order of roast beef, veal, or corned beef and cabbage cost 25c, while most vegetables were 12c. The one in Salem closed after only nine months while Blums in Portland stayed in business fourteen months. The gold-lettered double doors swung back open in mid 2021 after two years of pandemic-era closures, meaning SF residents and tourists can once again belly up to the bar for a house cappuccino (no coffee involved) and a plate of pasta with a side of house made focaccia. But if you go to eat, Bauer was especially impressed with the sole during his visit a few years ago. In 1917 a plan to add two stories to the restaurant was abandoned, perhaps because of the looming nationwide ban on the sale of alcohol. The McGarvey brothers renamed the tiny waterfront spot Reds Java House. Explore the stories behind classic front pages, Will Bay Bridge go dark forever? Yes, that's a toucan flying around Walnut Creek. (My second choice in the at-the-Beach category is Roberts-at-the-Beach, down the road from Taits.). Pie in the skies revolving restaurants Way out coffeehouses Taste of a decade: 1890s restaurants Sweet treats and teddy bears Its not all glamor, is it Mr. Krinkle? An alternative explanation is that Coppa asked the artists to draw on the walls and that he chose red as a good backdrop. CREATIVE. See all favourite Restaurant in San Francisco Bay Area. Getty Images offers exclusive rights-ready and premium royalty-free analog, HD, and 4K video of the highest quality. These are the San Francisco establishments long-known for their greasy fare or classic martinis. Michael . Roast chicken for two. Here's an interior shot of the Tadich Grill in the Financial District in 1974. In hindsight its apparent that creperies responded to Americans aspirations to broaden their experiences and enjoy what a wider world had to offer. The New York Blums stayed in business only about six years, and two Oregon units opened in 1967 and 1968 fared even worse. Pizza with Duck Sausage wins quick stardom. The Irish Coffee at Buena Vista has been made the same way since 1952. Ham & eggs by any other name Good eaters: Josephine Hull Name trouble: Aunt Jemimas Reflections on a name: Plantation Dining on a roof Restaurant-ing on wheels Dinner to go Drive-up windows Dining during an epidemic: San Francisco Good eaters: bohemians Dining during an epidemic Fish on Fridays Image gallery: breaded things Lunching in a laboratory Women drinking in restaurants The puzzling St. Paul sandwich New Years Eve at the Latin Quarter Chinese for Christmas Turkeyburgers Themes: bordellos Finds of the day Early bird specials Franchising: Heap Big Beef Bostons automats Coffee and cake saloons Women chefs not wanted Entree from side dish to main dish Anatomy of a restaurateur: Woo Yee Sing Lobster stew at the White Rabbit Restaurants in the family: Doris Day Almost like flying Eye appeal Writing food memoirs Anatomy of a restaurateur: Ruby Foo Soul food restaurants Effects of war on restaurant-ing Behind the scenes at the Splendide Take your Valentine to dinner Lunching at the dime store Square meals Tea rooms for students Christmas dinner in the desert Green Book restaurants Dirty by design Clown themes Basic fare: meat & potatoes Dining with Chiang Yee in Boston Slumming Picturing restaurant food Find of the day: the Double R Coffee House Delicatessing at the Delirama Restaurant design and decoration Dining on a dime Anatomy of a restaurateur: George Rector Catering Dining in a garden Sawdust on the floor Learning to eat (in restaurants) Childrens menus Taste of a decade: the 1830s Check your hat How Americans learned to tip Image gallery: eating in a hat The up-and-down life of a restaurant owner Dressing the female server The Lunch Box, a memoir Crazy for crepes Famous in its day: The Pyramid Dining & wining on New Years Eve High-volume restaurants: Hilltop Steak House Famous in its day: the Public Natatorium Turkey on the menu Getting closer to your food Between courses: secret recipes Find of the day: Aladdin Studio Tiffin Room Americans in Paris: The Chinese Umbrella No smoking! Reds Java House is not to be confused with the similar, equally historic Java House, which is also worth a visit. Thankfully, some of our classic dining establishments like House of Prime Rib, Swan's Oyster Depot, Tadich Grill and a handful of others survive and thrive. The popular and tiny oyster bar has been at its Nob Hill location since 1912. Bartenders line the bar with glasses and concoct the drink in batches. Just get a cheeseburger and fries, which were added to the menu in 2001 and were the first significant menu addition in 40 years. Youll never go wrong with a bowl of clam chowder and a fishwich. Photos by Momo Chang. We all remember when La Taquerias carnitas super burrito, dorado style, was named the best burrito in the country by FiveThirtyEight. Courtesy of OpenSFHistory.org. This is a carousel. Ohio + Tahiti = Kahiki Find of the day: the Redwood Room Behind the kitchen door Before Horn & Hardart: European automats Distinguished dining awards Restaurant as fun house: Shambargers Dressing for dinner Dining on the border: Tijuana Postscript: beefsteak dinners Three hours for lunch Light-fingered diners Mind your manners: restaurant etiquette Celebrity restaurateurs: Pat Boone Diary of an unhappy restaurateur Basic fare: bread Busboys Greek-American restaurants Roadside attractions: Totos Zeppelin 2012, a recap Christmas dinner in a restaurant, again? Open since 1949, the House of Prime Rib stretches across five rooms and 148 seats, and serves more than 500 diners a night. Why Pistons are praising Warriors' Last chance to see: Bay Bridge lights turn off on Sunday, Map shows stunning improvement in California drought, A $200M bike bridge tantalized this Bay Area city. In addition to endless varieties of chocolate candies, Blums also specialized in ice cream, including its fresh spinach flavor, ice cream desserts, baked goods such as Koffee Krunch cake, fruit and vegetable salads, Blumburgers, and triple decker sandwiches. Mob restaurants As the restaurant world turned, July 17 Dining in summer Dining by gaslight Anatomy of a restaurateur: Charles Sarris Womens restaurants Restaurant history day Charge it! Heres where California reservoir levels stand after this weeks rains. You can also e-mail her at jmullins@sfchronicle.com. Making an appeal to men was also new for Blums, which had customarily located in shopping areas where women abounded. Heres who has offered big bucks so far. It has won a James Beard Award and is not only a SF classic but is considered an American Classic. People regularly wait in line for one of the counters 18 stools. Dining underground on Long Island My blogging anniversary Underground dining Odors and aromas Digging for dinner Restaurant as community center The Mister chains Celebrity restaurants: Heres Johnnys Pizza by any other name Womens lunch clubs The long life of El Fenix Pausing to reflect Sugar on the table Famous in its day: Le Pavillon Native American restaurants Restaurant ware An early French restaurant chain Biblical restaurants Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel Dinner and a movie Restaurant murals Dining at the Centennial Restaurant-ing in 1966 Romanian restaurants Nans Kitchens Fish & chips & alligator steaks Appetizer: words, concepts, contents French fried onion rings Hash house lingo The golden age of sandwiches Black Tulsas restaurants They delivered Americas finest restaurant, revisited Tableside theater Bicycling to lunch and dinner Anatomy of a chef: John Dingle Sunny side up? Here you'll find all collections you've created before. That closed in December 1939, marking the end of Joe Coppas long culinary career. Together, the story reported, the two places served 3,000 patrons daily, taking in $57,000 a month, and paying out monthly as much as $1,600 for advertising, $8,000 for meat, $4,000 for milk, $3,000 for potatoes, and $2,000 for ice. Find San Francisco 1970s stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Since 1965, Tommys Mexican Restaurant has been owned by the Bermejo family, who are always quick with a warm welcome. (There was a Mannings at Fifth and Market streets in the 1950s and 1960s, a block from The Chronicle building.) This inspired the SFGATE staff to determine what establishments we think are worthy of being called "the most San Francisco.". The same image was used on the cover of the restaurants menu at its final location, 241 Pine. After Uncle Johns came General Host Corp., then National Environment in 1968, shortly thereafter renamed Envirofood. At Bush and Belden in the Financial District this is another one of the city's oldest restaurants. The first Original Joes opened on Taylor Street in 1937 by Tony Rodin, who was grandfather of current owner John Duggan. Although few Americans had ever eaten Crepes Suzette, its likely that the fame of this prized dish helped pave the way for the creperie craze, with restaurants primarily featuring crepes. No San Francisco carnivore has truly lived before eating a juicy slice of prime rib off the cart in this '50s throwback, where the cocktails come with their own shakers, the salad is spun tableside, and the baked potatoes are always at least 50 percent sour cream. Josephs wife, Elizabeth, who had been the dining room manager and cashier, died in 1938. Over the course of months in 1905 the murals were drawn in chalk crayon by artists who frequented the restaurant on Montgomery Street. What are some of San Francisco's truly classic restaurants? It. From the days of cioppino and hangtown fry to the advent of California Cuisine in the 1970s and 80s, no one can deny that this is one of the nation's premiere food cities. Yet, despite all, Blancos carried on and was recommended in San Francisco guide books of the 1920s. Balboa Caf This quintessential San Francisco haunt has been serving American classics since first opening its doors more than 100 years ago. The artists and illustrators who contributed drawings included some who would become prominent, such as Maynard Dixon, Xavier Martinez, and Gelett Burgess.