I'm mooning over our October vacation and looking up odds and ends. One of the things on our must-do list is return to the Tadich Grill. I'm not sure if it's considered Embarcadero or Financial District. Reading about the history now makes it even more special.

We happened upon it while walking around and I'm so glad we did. I was ravenous and couldn't care less at this point what kind of food they served. We walked in and were told immediately to stand against the wall and wait, which we did because we're good little tourists and knew we were on to something. Eventually someone pointed at us and ordered us to sit at the counter, which we did because we didn't dare do otherwise.

We loved watching the going's-on of the wait staff, the old-farts that looked like they had been there since the beginning (150+ years ago), the one girl (young woman, still a girl) that seemed to be one tough cookie to hold her own with these crustaceans, and the clientele that were as fabulous to watch as the employees.

We had beautiful food, and the funny thing that I remember was the butter sauce over the broccoli was magical. I couldn't figure it out but it had a mushroom taste to it and I couldn't get enough of it. My husband has a better memory of the entire meal and remembers having the best seafood experience of his life.

Sigh. Don't we love to travel for these moments? I'm going back and without reservations that I won't be able to recreate that experience but with the belief that I'll have another beautiful meal with another different, interesting and hopefully beautiful experience.

Love Tadich Grill and the counter is a must..
Glad you had a great time!

It was on our must do list the first time, we also experienced the wait against the wall and jumped at the chance to sit at the counter. March 2008.

Feb 2009, Tadich is only 1 of 3 restaurants we did a repeat visit to on our second trip to San Francisco. {Zuni Cafe and Chez Panisse were the others]. This time we sat at a table and it was excellent but we missed the fun of sitting at the counter. The same waiters were there and the banter was the same. We had the same dishes - cioppino for DH and Sand Dabs for me.

Deb

We stopped in there for lunch on a Saturday as it was the only place we could find open in the Financial district. I had eaten there years and years ago while in college---sitting at the counter. This time we (husband, son, and I) got a table. While we were poring over the menu, my husband looked up and said "Here comes Bill Cosby." Right.

Well, turns out it WAS Bill Cosby. He made his way to a table in one of the private booths, smiling and shaking hands all the way, and then joined his family for a private celebration of some sort.

I had the cioppino and managed to finish it all (much to the disappointment of my husband). It was a memorable lunch.

My visits to Tadich Grill date back 25 years when I was a young whippersnapper and I'd come into the City to go to lunch with my dad. I always had the sand dabs for some reason.

What IS a sand dab?

It is a flat fish, kind of like sole or flounder. Very mild, almost sweet. They are pretty small, so an order usually has 3 of them. I love them lightly breaded and sauteed.

Deb

pdx - we had a very nice lunch last September on a Saturday - just walked in and got a table. Beginner's luck? The food was delicious!

Thanks DebitNM. I was picturing some sort of shellfish, and trying to think if those little critters we used to dig up for bait in Santa Barbara were called sand dabs. But they were so little I can't imagine them being a dish for Tadich's.

Cpg- that's almost spooky in a way. The travel gods don't like it when things go so smoothly!

The other place we plan on returning to is the italian restaurant in the alley in the Financial District. Someone figured it out for me some time ago on another thread and I can't find it now. Via the internet search I'm thinking it's Cafe Tiramisu? There were four of us and the table was almost reverentially silent because we were all engrossed in our food. I had the most beautiful ravioli. Don't even remember what it was filled with because it was the pasta that was so gorgeous, smooth and delicate.

Hello pdx..Cafe Tiramisu is in Belden Place, 28 Belden. Ph # is 415.7044. Here is their website.


http://www.belden-place.com/cafetiramisu/

Hello to you, LoveItaly , and thank you.
Now that I'm looking at this website I'm not sure which italian restaurant it was. I suppose either one will be great. Maybe we can eat at both.....hmmm...

Could it have been Mocca in Maiden Lane? They don't have a website as far as I could tell from a quick google but there are some photos on yelp.

Eat at both, that would work for me pdx! And if you love mussels eat at Plouf's which is also in Belden Place. Most of all have fun!

I'll look into it mlgb. We went with friends and I didn't pay any attention to the location. I know it was a blocked off alleyway with about 5 restaurants.

If the ordering process reminded you a bit of the "Soup Nazi" in Seinfeld, it might have been Mocca.

Ha! I don't remember it being quite that stern, but really, all I remember is that ravioli.
My hubby is the Seinfeld geek. He'll get a kick out of this post.

The blocked off alley with multiple restaurants is definitely Belden Alley (Maiden Lane is a pedestrian street, but is mostly shops, not restaurants)