Claws celebre for the kids Claws celebre for the kids (June 08, 2001)

Get your fix of crab at some old Wharf stand-bys

by Laura Reiley

Starting with the oldest player on the Wharf, Alioto's (No. 8 Fisherman's Wharf; 415/673-0183) is a good place to get your bearings and eat some crab.

A gallery of historic Fisherman's Wharf photos tells the tale of the whole San Francisco fishing fleet. The restaurant dates back to 1925, starting as a sidewalk stand with a severely limited menu -- crab or shrimp cocktails, served with a flourish in a paper cup. These days the restaurant is a fairly fancy affair, but the more casual "oysteria" will give you a quick crab fix.

Winning the "San Francisco Chronicle's" top pick at the Wharf, A Sabella's (2766 Taylor at Jefferson Street, 3rd Floor; 415/771-6775) has a similarly long history. Begun by three Sicilian fishermen, the restaurant has seen four generations of the Sabella family, getting progressively fancier with each successive generation. These days, the eatery occupies a third floor with unrivalled views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and all of San Francisco Bay. A 1,000-gallon crab tank entertains the young ones and makes the kitchen's focus clear: It's seafood, front and center.

And any kid worth his salt will find his way to Scoma's Restaurant (Pier 47; 415/771-4383), the best spot from which to get a view of the fishing boats. Scoma's "fish-receiving station" is the perfect place to observe the fleet of boats offloading their sweet cargo. This paydirt is immediately transformed into Scoma's crab Louis, a shellfish omelet, or the pasta Diplomatica chockfull of lobster, prawns and baby clams.

In the style of many of the Wharf oldtimers, the Crab House at Pier 39 (203C, Second Level, West Side of Pier 39; 415/434-2722) and McCormick & Kuleto's Seafood Restaurant (Wurster Building, Ghirardelli Square; 415/929-1730) take their crack at the local Dungeness, the former with whole roasted Dungeness crab, crab enchilada and crab benedict; the latter with crab cakes dabbed with spicy rouille or a wicked seafood stew. The Crab House has the added allure of being within earshot of the Wharf's most popular attraction -- the voluble sunbathing California sea lions along Pier 39's K-dock.