MAD About Chocolate

O.K., so during our recent visit to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, I talked about two of the wharf's four core staples, seafood and bread (I must admit, I neglected--this time -- to talk about Anchor Steam Brewing Co beer). Now it's time for the fourth and final part of what makes the Wharf so special from a food standpoint: chocolate! And chocolate and Fisherman's wharf means a visit to Ghirardelli Square, home of the Ghirardelli Chocolate company, which has been making chocolate in San Fran since 1852. Of course they have scores of types of chocolate...along with the other candy "goodies" such as taffy, etc.

Anyway, this was/is Mad's favorite part of Fisherman's Wharf. Enjoy!

Rows of Goodness

Laffy Taffy

Decisions, Decisions

That's All, Folks

Ghirardelli Square

Ghirardelli Chocolate

900 North Point Street, San Francisco 94109

Tel: 415-775-5500

Sourdough Heaven

So where did we eat at Fisherman's Wharf during our recent visit there? We went old-school (surprise, surprise!) and camped out at the Boudin Cafe, which is part of the Boudin Bakery empire, where we dined on that San Francisco classic: clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Man, I love how the bread bowl soaks up the chowder...and the clams...and the potatoes. Awesome.

And then with about an hour to kill before our run to SFO, and with it beginning to rain, we decided to head upstairs and visit the Boudin Museum and Bakery Tour. It was very cool. Not only did we get to watch the baker's doing their thing, we learned some interesting facts and history about both Boudin and San Francisco. For example:

~ Boudin began in 1849, and is the oldest continuously operating business in San Fran

~ The bakery began by a French family who came to serve the miners looking for gold

~ There is a specific reason why San Francisco sourdough can only be made in San Francisco (I won't spoil the surprise, in case you visit the museum someday)

~ During the 1906 earthquake, "Grandma" Boudin saved the company by rescuing some of the "mother dough" used as a starter to create all the other bread dough

Teddy Bears

At Work

View from Above
Anyway, we all thought it was cool, the ticket doubles as a bookmark, and finally, I took a quick online test and learned that my personality type matches that of an "Olive Bread":

Too cool for school, huh? The next time you're at the wharf, a visit to the Boudin Museum and Bakery Tour is, in my opinion, a must. And if you can't make it to the wharf anytime soon and are getting a hunkering for some chowder (or chili, or crab bisque, or potato corn chowder, or...) in a bread bowl, check out their web site for info on their Bread Bowl Club. San Francisco sourdough, an original...since 1849. (Hmmmm...tradition and passion: maybe there IS something to that Olive Bread personality thing!)

Boudin Cafe, Museum, and Bakery Tour

160 Jefferson Street, at Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco, CA 94133

Tel: (415) 351-5561

Fisherman's Wharf: Food Extravaganza

Our 100th post. Thanks for visiting!

As I mentioned in my previous post, we had a ton of fun at Fisherman's Wharf this past Monday. It's a mecca for seafood, of course, but also all kinds of other goodies, as these pics show. Enjoy!

A next-time "must"--garlic pizza!


Classic Crab


Bread and Bread


Authentic Kitsch

Now THAT'S a Seafood Platter!

Following our day at Point Reyes National Seashore with T. and H. (visiting us from Texas), on MLK day we decided to hit San Francisco. And no matter how many times I've been there now, I still love Fisherman's Wharf. A big reason, of course, is the seafood--fresh and plentiful. But fun as well: all the sights and sounds and smells. We spent a few delightful hours shopping, snacking, and eating! Enjoy a few of the pics I took...

Now THAT'S a Seafood Platter!

Controlled chaos:

Cannonball!

A typical menu: