More on San Francisco restaurants in the Big Event: The first burrito review in Chronicle history, This 1947 Pizza recipe is a culinary travesty, Talk to the Clown: Bay Area fast food in the 1970s. This eatery and its "since 1908" sign has remained at the same location, on Ellis Street between Stockton and Powell, since the beginning. There were, cable cars, neon lights lined up the buildings that glow at night, theaters on every block, and the food was served on the streets, crabs, and lobsters were also served on the streets. You can see our selection of the "true classics" in the above slideshow. 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? 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The one in Salem closed after only nine months while Blums in Portland stayed in business fourteen months. Paoli's at 575 Commercial St in San Francisco, CA (1975) comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment Find San Francisco 1970s stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Its home to the Tommys margarita and the citys best tequila selection, but this Richmond District favorite also puts out solid Yucatecan fare. Doggie Diner: When our school bus drove by the Doggie Diner on the way to a field trip at the San Francisco Zoo, I would look down at my sad bologna sandwich with American cheese and swear Id eat at Doggie Diner someday. San Francisco Chronicle Archives/The Chronicle 1880. Fior dItalia has settled at 2237 Mason St. after several moves during its lifetime including at least two forced by fire. It seems that a new trendy restaurant pops up on almost a daily basis. . Youll never go wrong with a bowl of clam chowder and a fishwich. 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? When a Magic Pan opened in Dallas North Park shopping center in 1974, it was called as delightful a restaurant as one is likely to find in Dallas., Among Magic Pan amenities (beyond moderate prices), reviewers were pleased by fresh flowers on each table, good service, delicious food, pleasant decor, and late hours. The artists and illustrators who contributed drawings included some who would become prominent, such as Maynard Dixon, Xavier Martinez, and Gelett Burgess. He and Piantanida split up, and for a short time Piantanida conducted a restaurant called La Boheme in the space formerly occupied by Coppas. In 1955, Red's was bought by brothers Tom and Mike McGarvey. Its presented as a triumphal success, when really its a boom and bust story sadly common in the restaurant business. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. And one more high angle view of the Cliff House in 1980. ), crepes soon became a favorite lunch, dinner, and late-night supper for college students, dating couples, shoppers, and anyone seeking something different. Along with crepes, menus typically included a few soups, most likely including French onion soup, a spinach-y salad, and perhaps a carafe of wine. This was in the depths of the Depression when few could afford candy and Blums was close to failing. Quaker sold the Magic Pans in 1982 after years of declining profits. Many of our other favorite eateries have been lumped into two other pillars -- the "new classics" and the "only in SF" eateries. Digesting the Madonna Inn Halloween soup Restaurant-ing with John Margolies True confessions Basic fare: pancakes Black waiters in white restaurants Catering to airlines What were they thinking? Over the course of months in 1905 the murals were drawn in chalk crayon by artists who frequented the restaurant on Montgomery Street. SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco - 12 Locations (1) Lombard & Steiner (2) Market & 10th St (3) Geary at 18th Ave (4) Ocean & Junipero Serra (5) 19th & Taraval (6) Powell & Geary In 1970 surplus equipment and furnishings were auctioned at the original Blums on Polk. The few women named are hard to identify since their last names do not appear, but Maisie was freelance writer Mary Edith Griswold and Isabell was allegedly a newspaper writer. Naturally it classed itself as a French restaurant, French cuisine being synonymous with the good life and the only kind that could command a high price then. It burned in 1940. In 1948 the Colony in New York City served Crepes Colony with a seafood filling. By 1947, the business was in good shape, reporting sales of over $3.5M, most of it coming from the Polk Street store, and the rest from sales in department stores and mail orders. Burrito historians claim that the first-ever Mission-style burrito was assembled in 1961 at El Faro, then a grocery store owned by Febronio Ontiveros. After his retirement he took up painting, focusing on portraits of men such as business magnates, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, and poet George Sterling. Mannings Coffee Cafe: This popular diner from the middle of the 20th century had fabulous signage and offered a classic breakfast diner scene that is now lacking in San Francisco. The murals themselves were at some point scrubbed off or painted over by the landlord. Ruth Thomas, co-author of Eating Around San Francisco (1937), reported that she was given a tour of the Music Box and saw Venetian glass chandeliers and life-sized plaster statues of women in a basement storeroom. It soon became a popular place for banquets, one of which is depicted in the 1915 postcard shown above. Pictured: Customers peer in at the fresh Dungeness crab that sits on ice at Alioto's restaurant curbside stand at Fisherman's Wharf. Free shipping for many products! A few years later they opened another Magic Pan in Ghirardelli Square and Laszlo patented a 10-pan crepe-maker capable of turning out 600 perfectly cooked crepes per hour [pictured here]. Not only is Greens a California classic, its a big and beautiful space, with views of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. Taits-at-the-Beach: This lively upscale roadhouse on the Great Highway (where Vicente Street meets the water) was short-lived, but apparently fantastic. This photo, which was taken around 1910, shows, his grandfather at a Sperry Flour meeting in, the interior of the Old Poodle Dog Cafe, was sent courtesy of John Stutz, President of the Sacramento, The Old Poodle Dog Hotel and Restaurant, at its new location, 824 Eddy Street. The first, Owl/Rexall Drugs, was followed by the California-based chain Uncle Johns Pancake House. Exclusive: Stunning photos show Yosemite National Park under 15 feet of California snowpack hits highest level this century for March, could Warriors treating Andrew Wiggins with understandable patience, but his Map shows which parts of California exceeded entire years worth of rain. For this list, some ground rules were established: Each spot must be a full restaurant (no bars or one-item spots like ice cream places or coffee shops), each must have opened before 2000, and each must offer something special (a significant bit of history, a spectacular view, or a standout dish, for example). San Francisco's Levi's Strauss helped popularize high-waisted, flared jeans for women in the 1970s (this is a Levi's model in 1971), and after years of giving way to low-rise jeans, they're back . The Bay Area native, a former Chronicle paperboy, has worked at The Chronicle since 2000. The family still gets Swan Oyster Depots Dungeness crab from two fisherman whose fathers supplied Sal. Fred Harvey revisited Street food: tamales Famous in its day: Blums Women chefs before the 1970s Speed eating Top posts in 2020 Holiday greetings from 11th Heaven Dining with Us Mortals Your favorite restaurant? This is a carousel. Jaseng treatment helps bone and nerves to regenerate, by boosting the self-healing power of the body. And if you really want to pay a tribute to the establishments history, ordering a martini (or three) with your lunch. Looking for san francisco in 1970s? A luxurious Blums opened in 1959 at Wilshire and Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills [shown above]. Famous in its day: Feras Why the parsley garnish? According to the citys Commercial Advertiser in April, 1854, the Winn enterprises by then comprising the main Fountain Head restaurant and a more elegant Branch welcoming women with fancy desserts had attained the pinnacle of success. The menu changes every night and theres only one to choose from. Also, don't forget to check out the video showcasing San Francisco in the magical decade. August 2016. We included tips on what to order as well as fun historical tidbits about many of the establishments, such as the one Janis Joplin lived near or the horrific fate of the original owner of John's Grill. newsletter, 1965 Al Scoma Way, San Francisco, CA 94133, Fort Mason Center, Landmark Building A, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123, 3199 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123, 242 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, 1906 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109, 551 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, 4348 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118, 299 Bayshore Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94124, 13 Phenomenal Vegan Restaurants in San Francisco. Restaurants of 1936 Regulars Steakburgers and shakes A famous fake Music in restaurants Co-operative restaurant-ing Dainty Dining, the book Famous in its day: Miss Hullings Cafeteria Celebrating in style 2011 year-end report Famous in its day: Reeves Bakery, Restaurant, Coffee Shop Washing up Taste of a decade: 1910s restaurants Dipping into the finger bowl The Craftsman, a model restaurant Anatomy of a restaurateur: Chin Foin Hot Cha and the Kapok Tree Find of the day: Demos Caf Footnote on roadhouses Spectacular failures: Caf de lOpera Product placement in restaurants Lunch and a beer White restaurants It was a dilly Wayne McAllisters drive-ins in the round Making a restaurant exciting, on the cheap Duncans beefs Anatomy of a restaurateur: Anna de Naucaze The checkered career of the roadhouse Famous in its day: the Aware Inn Waiters games Anatomy of a restaurateur: Harriet Moody Basic fare: salad Image gallery: tally ho Famous in its day: Pign Whistle Confectionery restaurants Etiquette violations: eating off your knife Frenchies, oui, oui Common victualing 1001 unsavorinesses Find of the day: Steubens Taste of a decade: 1850s restaurants Famous in its day: Wolfies Good eaters: me The all-American hamburger Waitress uniforms: bloomers Theme restaurants: Russian! 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? Pictured: Pork Loin being grilled at Chez Panisse on Feb. 11, 2014. It was the era of hippies, bohemians, buskers, bongo-drum players, and jewelry makers. Crepes were regarded as an exotic luxury dish that, by some miracle, was affordable to the average consumer, sometimes costing as little as 60 or 75 cents apiece around 1970. The 10 Restaurants That Changed San Francisco In the Last 5 Years By Jay Barmann Jun 09, 2014 San Francisco has always been a great eating town. Eddy & Mason Sts. Ceilings on display The Automat goes country Maitre ds Added attractions: cocktail lounges Lunching at the drug store Lunch in a bus station, maybe Suffrage tea & lunch rooms Image gallery: have a seat! The original "Falcon" replica, seen here in 2005, was stolen from John's Grill in 2007. Josephs wife, Elizabeth, who had been the dining room manager and cashier, died in 1938. 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. 1982 Having introduced nouvelle cuisine at Ma Maison in Los Angeles, Chef Wolfgang Puck presents "California cuisine" to patrons of his new chic-casual Sunset Strip restaurant, Spago. As Quaker opened Magic Pans, they invariably received a warm welcome in newspaper food pages. Blancos reputation was built upon his pre-fire restaurant, The Poodle Dog, which he re-established a short time after opening Blancos. Swingin at Maxwells Plum Happy holidays, eat well Department store restaurants: Marshall Fields Anatomy of a restaurateur: Don Dickerman Taste of a decade: 1860s restaurants The saga of Alices restaurants The brotherhood of the beefsteak dungeon Famous in its day: Maillards Lets do brunch or not? 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! Pictured: The current incarnation of the Cliff House after its 2003 restoration. It had been partially modernized. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. The skyline was unmarked by the hideous new buildings. That's when I realized picking the most "San Francisco" restaurant, with no other parameters, is not an easy task. Cliff House. This is not necessarily about the places that are extremely trendy, tourist traps or overhyped. You can also have food delivered for a flat $3 charge, no matter the order size. Almost immediately after that, Winns wife Eliza took advantage of a California law that allowed women to run businesses independently, declaring that she would carry on the Fountainhead Confectionery and Steam Candy Manufactory in her name. In 1932, Nunzio Alioto Sr.'sAlioto fish stand became a counter, selling crab and shrimp cocktails. Health code violations prompted the spots closure for nearly a year back in 2012, and when it reopened with a freshened-up facade and dining room, its lengthy lines returned as well. Yes, that's a toucan flying around Walnut Creek. To grow up in San Francisco in this prismatic era was. Some of these places have been around for more than 100 years and are instant portals to the. Crepes enjoyed a mystique, offering a link to European culture and a break from the meat and potatoes that dominated most restaurant menus in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 1906, view east. Explore the stories behind classic front pages, Will Bay Bridge go dark forever? Two of Blancos managers had previously been at Delmonicos restaurant in San Francisco, another victim of the fire. The McGarvey brothers renamed the tiny waterfront spot Reds Java House. How close we are to bringing lights back. Itis especially known for affordable food and an impressive selection of beers. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Wed love to see a return of Fosters and Clintons Cafeteria as well. Sam's Grill was founded in 1867. The candy bars as well as a second brand of lower-priced boxed candy sold in Rexall drugstores under the name Candy Artists. The Irish Coffee at Buena Vista has been made the same way since 1952. Even though new creperies continued to open here and there Baton Rouge got its first one in 1983 there were signs as early as 1980 that the crepe craze was fading. Does he want somewhere historic with classic old-school San Francisco vibes? . It closed in 2003, but it left a lasting legacy: With its large bar area and eclectic menu from chef-owner Gordon Drysdale (featuring fried chicken, Brussels sprout salad and pepperoni pizza) it. The hotel soon relocated to another city in Nevada and he lost his investment. 8 Haunted Bay Area Restaurants and the Ghost Stories Behind Them. Menus were expanded to include heartier meat and pasta dishes. Select from premium San Francisco 1970s of the highest quality. I find this more convincing since Coppa himself was a painter. Picture Information. Hey Friend, Before You Go.. The city was at the forefront of fashion, music, and the counterculture movement. Out of the destruction, came one of the city's best outdoor patios, which still exists today. Every man I employed was a thief, he said, singling out his secretary, cashier, and cook. 1. Revolving restaurants II: the Merry-Go-Round Basic fare: shrimp We never close Tablecloths checkered past Famous in its day: Tip Top Inn Find of the day: J.B.G.s French restaurant Dont play with the candles Interview: whos cooking? Photos by Momo Chang. Very few vegetarian restaurants in San Francisco were around until Carlos Santana's wife, Deborah Santana, and her sister Kitsaun, opened Dipti . Prime Rib. It was known worldwide for hippies and radicals. Jessica is a member of the Gate's homepage team and has a nerdy obsession with poring over the site's real-time analytics. Soon the downward slide began. Few San Franciscans would have failed to realize the significance of this infraction, even if they did not recall Blancos scandal of 1912. In 1851 he opened his principal restaurant on Long Wharf, calling it Winns Fountain Head. 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. 18 Cozy Places to Eat and Drink Outside in San Francisco. James Wiseman, leadership genius? . By the way, La Taq is also the only taqueria to have made The Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants list - from 1996 to 2008. 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. 1970s, 1980s, Italian American Cafe, San Francisco Little Italy from the Kinolibrary Archive Film Collections. Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in North Berkeley more than 40 years ago, in August 1971. Despite economic woes (recession and inflation), the energy crisis, urban decline, crime, and escalating restaurant prices, restaurant-going continued to rise. Johns Grill (1908): A relative newcomer compared with the other restaurants on this list, Johns Grill takes the most pains to retain its old-school flavor and noir-ish early 20th century vibe. The legend goes that the restaurants namesake and original owner was struck and killed by a cable car in 1908. The crepes craze, which began in the 1960s, became intense in the 1970s. Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. The popular and tiny oyster bar has been at its Nob Hill location since 1912. Sal grew up in North Beach, a descendant of Sicilian fisherman. Another exotic touch employed by quite a few creperies was to use the French circumflex mark in crpes (which I have not done in this blogpost). The cafs first chef came from The Poodle Dog, while the dining room manager had earned his exalted reputation at Taits and the St. Francis Hotel. The most San Francisco restaurants: The true classics, The most 'San Francisco' restaurants: The new classics, These San Francisco restaurants are so 'Only in SF'. Red's was sold in 1990 and again in 2009 to SF native TiffanyPisoni. Taste of a decade: 1930s restaurants Anatomy of a restaurateur: H. M. Kinsley Sweet and sour Polynesian Bar-B-Q, barbecue, barbeque Taste of a decade: 1920s restaurants Never lose your meal ticket Beans and beaneries Basic fare: hamburgers Famous in its day: Tafts Eating healthy Mary Elizabeths, a New York institution Fast food: one-arm joints The family restaurant trade Taste of a decade: restaurants, 1800-1810 Early chains: Vienna Model Bakery & Caf When ladies lunched: Schraffts Taste of a decade: 1960s restaurants Department store restaurants: Wanamakers Women as culinary professionals Basic fare: fried chicken Chain restaurants: beans and bible verses Eating kosher Restaurateurs: Alice Foote MacDougall Drinking rum, eating Cantonese Lunching in the Bird Cage Cabarets and lobster palaces Fried chicken blues Rats and other unwanted guests Dining with Duncan Basic fare: toast Department store restaurants Roadside restaurants: tea shops Tipping in restaurants Rewriting restaurant history Basic fare: ham sandwiches Americas first restaurant Joels bohemian refreshery. Before long he was running the business solo and had added bakery goods and simple meals to his offerings. Wonder how many are still on the road? There's nothing quite like a burger and a beer at this outdoor spot on the Embarcadero (since 1955), preferably consumed before heading over to the ballpark for a Giants game. Since the beginning the restaurants had a long history of women leaders including founding chef Deborah Madison, Annie Somerville, and current executive chef Katie Reicher, who continues the legacy of showcasing seasonal vegetables grown on nearby farms. Nice shot. A friend visiting San Francisco from Seattle recently had a request that initially sounded simple. Order up some petrale sole, chicken Jerusalem, or the Sam Spade special (chops, baked potato, sliced tomato) and soak it all in. 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). Golden Gate Park was where many hippies congregated and hung out and there was a lot of nudity as well. The restaurant, which was founded in 1861, has now fallen into the same hands that own North Beachs Mona Lisa restaurant and theyve smartly left the classic alone, for the most part, keeping all of the familiar favorites on the menu. ), completed 1974. But no burrito-maker has garnered more praise than La Taqueria, where they have a slight variation from traditional Mission style with the exclusion of rice. Also in 1949 a Blums Confectaurant opened in San Franciscos Fairmont Hotel [shown above]. Fish, obviously. A few more San Francisco classics, still serving: The Old Clam House (1861); Sam's Grill & Seafood Restaurant (1867); Fly Trap (1883); Schroeder's (1893); Swan Oyster Depot (1906); Liguria. San Francisco's Newest Restaurant Openings, Now on Resy Rintaro Returns In All Its Glory After Devastating Flood Now on Resy: Snail Bar, Trick Dog, Izzy's, and More Local Favorites Chinatown USA Chinatown USA As Chinatowns have been devastated by the pandemic, it has become essential to share reminders of how much these places matter to all of us. Its also one of the citys fanciest, as diners are required to remove their shoes before theyre led to low, hand-carved tables. The 1970s San Francisco was beautiful, flamboyant, and alive. The California hofbrau may soon be a lost tradition but for now, Tommys Joynt carries the torch on the corner of Van Ness and Geary. We didn't include this one in this "classics" slideshow when we first ran it, but quite a few readers reminded us it's one that we couldn't omit. Sliced-to-order pastrami sandwiches and buffalo stew (pictured). Blancos was also a favorite after-theater spot for men and women who enjoyed a cold bot and hot bird as a light supper of champagne and quail was referred to in those days. Here's a photo of the exterior, circa 1984. He died the next year, but his widow and three children took over the business and opened the restaurant at Fishermans Wharf stall 8 in 1938. The exception was Crepes Suzette, thin, delicate pancakes with an orange-butter sauce and liqueurs that were often dramatically lit aflame at the diners table. The San Francisco restaurant Coppas became legendary in the early 20th century as a gathering spot for bohemian artists and writers, especially after they decorated its walls with curious and intriguing murals. On Christmas Day, 1894, a fire destroyed the building. Here it is served with creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, baked potato and topped with au jus. It spawned a variety of Joes outposts in the Bay Area, including Original Joes No. Winn was a dedicated temperance advocate, always emphasizing the cause in his frequent, wordy newspaper advertisements that often contained sermons on the evils of drink. The Fountain Head was not fancy. Expansion began in October 1953 with the opening of an outlet in the Stonestown Mall.