Seafood

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2009 EDITOR'S PICK: Best New Restaurant

The team behind Town Hall and Salt House has done it again, this time converting a former auto-body shop downtown into an East Coast–inspired seafood shack with a NorCal twist. The big space is softened by distressed wood, antique light fixtures and lengths of nautical rope—the overall effect is more chic than kitsch.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>If it’s fried fish you’re looking for, or creamy chowder studded with white corn and littleneck clams, or a lobster roll bursting with chunks of meat, then Anchor &amp; Hope is the place. In addition to raw bar offerings (shrimp cocktail, crab claws and oysters) and all of the above, the kitchen also turns out a superior monkfish-and-mussel stew—with tiny chorizo meatballs, kale, roasted peppers and slices of potato—and some turf options, such as roasted, stuffed breast of guinea hen and the ubiquitous steak.</p> <p>MUST ORDER: Angels on Horseback</p>

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2009 EDITOR'S PICK: Best New Restaurant

One half of Pat Kuleto’s megaproject on the Bay, Waterbar has floor-to-ceiling windows that take full advantage of the gorgeous view of the water and the Bay Bridge beyond. The restaurant’s design centers on two 19-foot-tall aquariums (stocked with fish found in our local waters) and a raw bar.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Naturally, the focus of the menu is on seafood—both raw and cooked. The kitchen, headed by Farallon alum Parke Ulrich, has a knack for restraint. Shell-on prawns are simply roasted in the wood oven and accompanied by lemon wedges; petrale sole is set on a bed of shredded brussels sprouts. Even those richer, more elaborate dishes—such as bone marrow topped with Dungeness crab, black truffle and cream—aren’t overwrought. Desserts, such as the pineapple tart (pineapple custard in a buttery pastry shell), are homey and satisfying.</p>

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Expect a booming “Buon giorno!” when you enter this Italian-owned seafood restaurant decked out with plastic game fish, glass buoys and model ships. A seat at the marble counter affords views of the cooks firing up orders in the open kitchen. If elbow room is scarce, sit at one of the tables against the wall and check out the photos of the owner posing with local celebs, dating back to North Beach of the ‘60s.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>At a buck apiece, fresh oysters on the half shell are a steal. If you like your bivalves boozy, opt for a shooter with clam-tomato juice and soju. Clam chowder is made New England-style with smoky bacon, lots of clams and just enough cream. Cracked crab, Louis salads and seafood cocktails keep with the traditional seafood-bar theme, while linguine with clams and grilled sand dabs round out the menu.</p>

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Few SF restaurants are as spacious as this grand, 294-seat waterfront establishment that’s reminiscent of a cruise ship. Best of all, panoramic bay views afford diners abundant eye candy thanks to 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows and water-facing red leather banquettes.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>While most SF residents avoid this stretch of Fisherman’s Wharf, the creamy homemade burrata drizzled in olive oil and black sea salt, hand-carved artisanal salumi and whole roasted Dungeness crab are reason enough to venture out to this touristy neighborhood.</p>

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Part seafood store, part restaurant, this Ferry Building spot caters to both FiDi types and out-of-towners who sit at the Italian-marble counter, which offers captivating sea-and-sky views out to Treasure Island. However, when the line’s long, think about sitting outside, where a dozen or so tables, warmed by strategically placed heat lamps, offer decent views too. 

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Start with a steaming bowl of clam chowder (Manhattan or New England) to warm up. The Louie salad, featuring a generous crown of Dungeness crab, shrimp or a crab-shrimp combo atop a fresh bed of organic spring mix, is a tasty way to incorporate some greens. Of course, the crab sandwich is designed to go down easy with a pint of Anchor Steam.</p>

The stained white-birch picnic tables and walls lined with distressed nautical maps of coastal Maine give this North Beach spot (from the duo that brought Old Port Lobster Shack to Redwood City) a slightly contrived fish-shack vibe, but it delivers a true taste of the East Coast to SF. Eats:What's on your menu.: The food here will inspire a certain nostalgia amongst displaced New Englanders, who will sigh contentedly at the sight of the top-loading buns used for the superlative lobster rolls (which can be order “naked” or “Maine-style”), the bowls of steamers and the selection of ales from Shipyard Brewing Company.

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With a name like Weird Fish, this new Mission spot would, you’d expect, have a wacky interior and an even wackier menu. Instead, the cozy restaurant is surprisingly tame: A mermaid beckons from the door, and the narrow, dimly lit dining room is decked out with mirrors in heavy frames, chandeliers and a dark wooden bench that runs along one side.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Think New England. There’s clam chowder, as well as mini cocktails of Dungeness crab to start. For entrées, look to the fryer: Chunks of beer-battered tilapia are served in a newspaper-lined bowl along with thick sweet-potato and regular fries. The more adventurous can give themselves over to a mystery fish entrée, which is the day's fresh catch sent out with the chef's choice of vegetable sides. Don't hesitate to order the fried pickles. Weird, yes, but delicious.</p>

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Woodhouse resembles a quintessential Cape Cod seafood shack, and that’s no accident: Owner Dylan MacNiven traveled throughout Massachusetts to get the look down pat. The casual-but-playful interior sports cherry-red banquettes, white tiles and handmade posters in the windows that scream “Fresh Oysters” and the like in big block letters. It draws a lively mix of young hipsters and passersby who drop in for a plate of fish-and-chips.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>MacNiven, whose family owns the legendary venture-capitalist hangout Buck’s of Woodside, dishes up straightforward New England classics. There are cups of thick clam chowder, lobster rolls and platters of fried oysters and french fries. The only nod to Northern California is a grilled, split Pescadero artichoke that’s stuffed with prawns on one side and Dungeness crab meat on the other, and served with lemony mayo and tangy tartar sauce. Wash it all down with a make-your-own lemonade.</p>

It’s easy to guess where this SF institution is located: smack-dab in the middle of the Embarcadero. It’s not surprising, then, that the Bay views from the classic dining room and outdoor patio are fantastic. It’s a great spot to grab drinks after work with clients or coworkers. Eats:What's on your menu.: The menu looks to the sea, with such classic appetizers as oysters on the half shell with Champagne mignonette. Mesquite-grilled wild salmon with basil sauce and Hawaiian escolar with a lemon nage are just two exmaples of the simply prepared but refined entrées. Landlubbers shouldn’t fret: There are a few beef and chicken options, too. A short list of desserts will satisfy any sweet cravings.

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This raw-bar-cum-wine bar-cum-seafood-restaurant is often described as a hidden gem. Depending on the night, the clientele ranges from first-date couples to visiting parents dining with their adult children. Thanks to heat lamps, Yabbies’ outside seating is regularly an option, but most diners opt for a table in the white-brick-walled main room, with views of the raw bar and the blackboard with the day’s specials.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Regulars swear by the spicy tuna poke, which might be some of the best served outside of Hawaii. Seafood platters loaded with oysters, littleneck clams, cracked lobster and crab can be found on nearly every table, but the kitchen also turns out satisfying cooked food—grilled salmon, roasted trout, cioppino and a traditional lobster-and-steak surf and turf, for example. The extensive wine list includes wine flights and carafe options.</p>