Jul

5

One can’t leave San Francisco without posting some comments on the two restaurants there that have been in continuous operation and under relatively the same ownership since the gold rush days, 1850 in Tadich’s case, and 1865 for Sam's Grill on Bush Street.

Both restaurants prove that supplying goods to a growing business is a very profitable way of prospering, as they were able to provide a small item to all who came in the gold rush days without being caught up in the speculative frenzy of the day. I first ate at these restaurants 45 years ago, and it was good to see that they were both going strong without any changes of consequence over the years.

A 1943 menu is posted for Sam's and almost all items are the same on both menus. The prices then for appetizers and main courses and desserts are about 10 times today what they were 65 years ago, with a petrale being about 10 dollars today and 1 dollar in 1943, a shoestring potatoes being four dollars today versus forty cents yesterday, and a Coke being 2.50 versus 0.15. The two exceptions are that a whole chicken is 10 dollars today versus 1.25 in 1943 and abalone is 50.00 today versus 75 cents in 1943.

Abalone today is farm raised around Monterey and loses much in comparison to the fresh product that was available before unintended consequences from environmental regulation depleted the supply. The prices illustrate that stocks which had gone up by some 150-fold during this period have realized about a 10 to 15-fold increase over labor and food costs during this period, and also provides indirect evidence concerning the vast improvement in standard of living during the period.

Both restaurants are still packed for lunch and dinner every day, and their longevity illustrates that a formula for great prosperity is to give the average person a superb product and value, and stick to your knitting, and if you do it better than anyone else you will prosper. Both restaurants are famous for concentrating on superb product and not caring that much about personal service. Indeed, the waiters at both places are known for their reticence and lack of glad handing their customers.

I found the Sand Dabs and Petrale, and the Oyster bellies at Sam's far superior to any fish dinner I have had at any other restaurant, with the exception of some turbot from the North Sea, about 18 inches in diameter, that I had in Venice, the Four Seasons, and Circo. The potato dishes at both places which presumably have evolved to perfection over 150 years were also highly superior and great values at three dollars each for the 10 varieties they offered. And I am told by Mr. Gibbs, of the food bus Gibbs McComick, and a 75-year customer whom I met there, whose in laws met there 100 years ago, that the Veal Chop, and Sam's other meat dishes are equally meritorious. He assures me nothing has changed at Sam's in 100 years.

He was not as high on Tadich’s saying that the service there was so bad that he felt they were resting on the laurels. I tend to agree with him, although I found the Oysters Rockefeller at Tadich’s a most superior concoction to most I have had elsewhere. Too many of the dishes at Tadich’s had succumbed to popular taste and were combo fish and turf, and fish medleys and bouillabaisses, and in my case tasteless turbot wrapped around listless shrimp in a turbot wraparound.

The cost in both establishments is about fifty dollars a head, and both restaurants apparently have three times as much lunch business as dinner business. Sam’s will always have a deep place in my heart as it was my custom to celebrate all my fine Berkeley student grad papers there with a dinner, and John Mcquown of Wells Fargo, introduced me to it some 50 years ago. Its been my favorite fish restaurant since then, and I expect it to remain so. I can highly recommend Sams' as one of life’s best dining experiences. 

The decor at Sam's and Tadich’s consist of wood paneling, white table cloths on wooden tables in booths, and the general look of an old-fashioned bus station. The waiters are knowledgeable and the service is fast. The entrees are grilled simply without any sauces except for the celery Victor and oyster stew at Sam's and the Oyster's Rockefeler at Tadich, which I found to be one of the best recipes and tasting versions I have sampled.

My favorite dish at Sam’s was the pancakes Anisette which I still remember with pleasure from 40 years ago. It gains much from a just flambéed presentation, which I had on two of three occasions I sampled it at Sam's on this trip. The price of a good dinner is $60-75 at Sam’s and $50 at Tadiches, great bargains in this day and age for perfect fish and meat dinners.

Alan Millhone writes: 

In 1972 the Army brought me back to Oakland, Ca. to be discharged. A buddy of mine learned in finance that we had two to three days before our names were called. We put our money together and decided to head to Frisco and see the City. We stayed in a round hotel called the Villa Roma. We beat around the city and I told him some day I would like to return.

In the late 90s I took Vickie and we booked a hotel on the waterfront called the Cable Car Inn for a week. We settled in and had a great time riding the cable cars, visiting China Town and dining there on several occasions, visited an old brewery near Height/Asbury and a turn-of-the-century bar. We took a side trip one day to Muir Woods and enjoyed the redwoods and the fresh air there.

We took a trip over to 'the rock' and a trip to wine country one day and savored the wines at each stop that day, and had supper one night near Pier 54. I was amazed at all the different oysters they offered. I decided to have a large platter with a varied selection and deliciously prepared fish for supper and enjoyed some Dungeness crab and the sour dough bread.

I brought back good family memories. The saddest part of our trip was our visit to the SF Zoo. It was pitiful to see, and I hope over the years the conditions there have improved. I remember a lady working there told us they were severely under funded for operating.

Your account brought back good memories of my visit and I enjoyed reading your account. 


Comments

Name

Email

Website

Speak your mind

Archives

Resources & Links

Search