San FranciscoAt foot of Powell St./The Embarcadero, Pier 43½. Reservations advised. Parking validated at adjacent lot. The Franciscan restaurant is one of the last legendary fish houses on the Wharf. The mid-century modern exterior dates from 1957 and reminds me of a beached sea-going passenger ship, and the gigantic, open interior brings up thoughts of a shipboard dining room.
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| exterior of The Franciscan in San Francisco, California |
From ground level, a stairway leading upstairs to the dining room is lined with old-time, black-and-white celebrity photos, including legends such as Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. Everyone’s been here! Featuring a 20-foot-high ceiling and staggered tiers of seating--some in cozy half-moon booths, some window side--the dining room gives every diner a fabulous view of Alcatraz and the bay. While here, I enjoyed watching people, seagulls, and ducks galore, as well as a variety of boats on the bay--even a low-flying helicopter!
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| dining room at The Franciscan in San Francisco, California |
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| dining room at The Franciscan in San Francisco, California |
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| binoculars and view at The Franciscan in San Francisco, California |
Cocktails include some playful concoctions as well as several non-alcoholic numbers. Daringly, bread is not San Francisco sourdough but instead Epi bread--a variation of a French baguette--from Acme Bread Company in Berkeley. Starters include crispy Dungeness crab cakes, seafood cocktails, and oysters on the half shell as well as delicious clam chowder with bits of bacon and thyme served in either in either a cup or a Boudin sourdough bread bowl.
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| cioppino at The Franciscan in San Francisco, California |
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| basa fish & chips at The Franciscan in San Francisco, California |
The restaurant is famous for its whole “killer crab” in a secret garlic sauce and for the delicious housemade dressing on its crab Louis salad. This visit I enjoyed a simple, crispy fish & chips of delicate basa while my companion feasted on a richly flavored cioppino. Fish-hating kids have, in addition to fish, a choice of chicken tenders and fettuccine Alfredo. A creamy ice cream sundae provides the cherry on top.
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| ice cream sundae at The Franciscan in San Francisco, California |
operates on the ground floor with both indoor and outdoor seating. If you’re after a more casual, faster, less atmospheric spot to dine, this counter-service spot moves things along. Think sourdough bread bowl clam chowder, fish sandwich, crab cake burger, fish & chips, 40 clove garlic chickenwich, and beignets for dessert.
