Hello from San Francisco: An Evening at Fisherman’s
Wharf &
Seafood Delights at Neptune’s Palace
After my extensive tour of the Victorian era Queen
Anne Hotel we were ready to start exploring the city. At least
as far as the weather was concerned, our adventure in San Francisco
had not had an auspicious start. It had been raining and drizzling
the whole day, and grey skies were hanging over the city. But the
weather had started to clear up a little, so we hopped on the number
47 bus on Van Ness to get to San Francisco's northern waterfront
and got off at Bay Street, close to Fort Mason Center.
Finally the rain had cleared up: San Francisco's northern waterfront
The rain had finally stopped, so we ventured out to the shoreline
from where we had a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the
north side of San Francisco Bay, as well as Alcatraz Island. Even
with the dark clouds on the horizon, San Francisco’s shoreline
was still a stunning sight to behold, and we looked back towards
the city where the big red “Ghirardelli” sign caught
our attention. We started strolling on the paved walkway beside
the bay that makes up the San Francisco Maritime National Historic
Park. An entire fleet of historic vessels that includes the Balclutha,
a rigged sailing ship built in 1886, is moored at the Hyde Street
Pier.
A view towards Ghirardelli Square
From here we made our way east to famous Ghirardelli Square which
has become one of San Francisco’s prime tourist attractions.
In fact, the square is anchored by the former headquarters of the
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, which was founded by Italian immigrant
Domingo Ghirardelli in 1852. Today this square is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places, and more than 40 restaurants
and retail shops have found new homes in the red brick industrial
heritage buildings. There is still a retail store here that sells
Ghirardelli chocolate which is now manufactured in San Leandro in
Alameda County, California.
Famous Ghirardelli Square
We continued our stroll past the Cannery, a former fruit-canning
plant built in 1909 that has been turned into a shopping centre
with various passages and courtyards. On the south side of Jefferson
Street we walked by a number of galleries that featured very unique
art. San Francisco is definitely a great destination for art and
gallery lovers. Further east we came across a variety of souvenir
shops that were selling t-shirts and fleece jackets at extremely
low prices. The shop owners were getting ready to close, but they
still approached us to let us know about their special offers.
San Francisco: a mecca for art lovers
The sights along Jefferson Avenue continued; it houses the famous
historic trolley lines that feature heritage streetcars from cities
all over the United States. One of San Francisco’s signature
products is its famous sourdough bread, and the Boudin Bakery has
been famous for decades for producing this San Francisco delicacy.
The company’s history goes as far back as 1849 when Isidore
Boudin, a master baker who immigrated from France started to supply
bread to the miners that had come to San Francisco to capitalize
on the 1849 Gold Rush. Today there is a modern retail store with
a café, and through the big glass windows we could watch
how the bread was being made. The bakers enjoyed the attention of
the many onlookers and smiled frequently as they were making all
different types of bread, some of it shaped in the form of lobsters,
crabs and teddybears.
All sorts of creatures at the Boudin Bakery
Shortly after we reached the famous “Fisherman’s Wharf”
sign which was now illuminated since it was already dark. Some sources
say that Fisherman’s
Wharf is probably the second most frequented tourist destination
in the United States, second only to the Disney attractions. The
area got started when Italian fisherman arrived from Genoa and Sicily
in the 19th century. Pier 45 holds a chapel that commemorates the
“Lost Fishermen” of San Francisco and Northern California.
Even today, fishing boats still set out from the harbour early each
morning. But tourism has definitely become the number one draw to
this area.
These crabs are real
Apart from a variety of retail shops, the south side of Jefferson
Street, the main street in Fisherman’s Wharf, also features
sights such as the Wax Museum where more than 300 wax figures bring
to life scenes such as the ancient tomb of Eygptian King Tutankamun,
a tableau of the Last Supper and a three-dimensional Mona Lisa.
Just steps away is Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum, a popular
spot that houses all sorts of curiosities and oddities.
The famous sign at Fisherman's Wharf
Walking further east we got enchanted by one of Fisherman’s
Wharf’s most popular attractions: the sea lions that congregate
on wooden platforms in the water just west of Pier 39. Even at close
to 9 pm these creatures were still awake and livening up the area
with their characteristic barks. The story behind this interesting
colony of marine mammals is also fascinating: a few dozen specimens
moved in shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and today
as many as 900 sea lions take over the wooden docks in front of
Pier 39.
A giant crab sculpture at Pier 39
We would have liked to spend more time there, but the evening was
now definitely clammy and cold, so we decided to head inside to
have our dinner. We went into Neptune’s
Palace, a well-known seafood restaurant at the tip of Pier 39.
The restaurant features huge panorama windows that showcase a 180
degree northerly view of San Francisco Bay, including Alcatraz.
Unfortunately it was dark and foggy, but we imagined that the view
must be absolutely stunning from there.
One of the typical vintage street cars at Fisherman's Wharf
Now chilled to the bone from this foggy and cool February night,
we enjoyed the warm atmosphere in this spacious restaurant. We had
a look at the extensive menu, and I decided to order some crab cakes
and a vegetarian risotto, and my travel partner Leslie decided to
try the coconut fried prawns followed by the hazelnut crusted sea
bass. My usual inquisitiveness drove me to find out more about the
restaurant and I located Mark Allen, the assistant manager, who
gave me a tour of the establishment.
Inside Neptune's Palace
We started off with the Carousel Lounge which overlooks Pier 39’s
historic carousel, a popular attraction for families who travel
here. Although it was pitch dark outside, I could also see the illuminated
Coit Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid through the Panorama window.
Past the full-service bar we entered the main dining room area which
features wall-to-wall panorama windows. Mark informed me that the
view here includes Ghirardelli Square, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel
Island and Alcatraz. I truly regretted coming here at night and
thought that I should have visited in the daytime to catch this
phenomenal view. On the left hand side of the restaurant Mark took
me into the Garden Room, a large room with skylights and picture
windows that is often used for large parties. Not surprisingly,
Neptune’s
Palace is very popular, given the view and its cuisine.
A tasty appetizer: crab cakes
Mark informed me that fresh fish is brought in on a daily basis,
and Dungeness crabs are currently in season which starts in November.
Neptune’s Palace has a number of signature dishes: very popular
are the Mixed Seafood Grill and Baby Lobster, as well as the “Cioppino”
which is a medley of crab, scallop, clam, mussel, rock shrimp fresh
fish and penne pasta in a spicy broth. Patrons also really enjoy
the Fisherman’s Stew which is served with a bib and a hot
towel. Frequently requested fish dishes include the Seared Thai
Salmon and the Marinated Ahi Tuna, and of course, the old stand-by
– Fish & Chips.
My main dish: vegetarian risotto
We chatted a bit about the restaurant in general, and Mark mentioned
that while the customers are very international at all times of
the year, there is a noticeably greater number of Japanese visitors
in the winter. Neptune’s
Palace is a favourite place for proposals, first dates, anniversaries
and other personal celebrations. Valentine’s Day is a definite
favourite. Many guests come with their families, and kids get special
attention at Neptune’s Palace. Business customers include
participants of the many international conventions that are held
in San Francisco.
Neptune's palace - perfect for fish and seafood lovers
After the tour we settled in and started to enjoy our dinner. I
am not usually a big seafood eater, but I definitely enjoyed my
crab cakes, and the vegetarian risotto delighted my taste buds.
Leslie enjoyed her seafood combination as well, and we started to
relax after a very packed day. After a delicious dinner we headed
back along Jefferson and up to North Point Street from where we
could catch the 47 bus again to a well-deserved rest at the Queen
Anne Hotel.
Despite the less than optimal weather, our first day in San Francisco
had been a real success. We were already curious what Day 2 would
hold which would include a culinary
tour of Little Italy and a bike
ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. More excitement was awaiting
us…
