The Seafood Dish I Always Tell Tourists To Eat In San Francisco (It's Not Chowder)

Every time people visit San Francisco on holiday, they always have a few things on their bucket list to conquer: take a picture in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, buy some chocolate in Ghirardelli Square, jaunt the Ferry Building on a bustling Saturday morning, and, most importantly, if you're a foodie, grab a bowl of chowder at Fisherman's Wharf. However, what if I told you that SF natives are reaching for another dish that's far more flavorful and culturally significant to the city than chowder?

Let me introduce you to cioppino — a hearty, Italian American tomato-based seafood stew that originated in The Golden City in the late 1800s. This satisfying, heartwarming stew features a rich broth made with white wine, tomato paste, herbs, fennel, and garlic that's studded with chunks of fresh Dungeness crab, clams, whole shrimps, mussels, and fish. It's almost always served alongside a thick slice of toasted San Francisco-style sourdough to soak up the scrumptious broth and with a bowl of sliced lemons to cut through the richness.

Similar to other Mediterranean fish-based stews, it's believed the stew is a successor of the Ligurian dish called ciuppin, where Genovese fisherman mashed unsold fish into a flavorful, tomato-based broth. When these fishermen emigrated from the rocky coastline of Liguria to the vibrant neighborhood of North Beach, they carried their culinary traditions with them, taking their daily catch of crab, clams, and fish into a stew that tasted home.

In the City by the Bay, there are hundreds of different places to try this classic California dish; however, there are a few restaurants that locals swear by. I personally like heading over to the Castro and grabbing a bowl at Anchor Oyster Bar, where the cioppino is overflowing with Dungeness crab legs, mussels, and fish. The restaurant adds a good helping of minced Gilroy garlic, onions, and peppers into the mix, giving it an irresistible savory flavor that will surely make any mouth water.

If you want to be a purist and enjoy a bowl in its birthplace, you can head to Sotto Mare in North Beach, where this low-key spot is regarded for its generously portioned cioppino that can easily feed two people. Sotto Mare's cioppino is well known for its large portion of crab meat and its controversial inclusion of pasta — FYI, you can opt for sourdough bread instead.

Want to enjoy your cioppino with a view of the Bay? I recommend heading to Scoma's in Fisherman's Wharf to try their "lazy man's" cioppino, where the crab is already pulled out of its shell, requiring no cracking, picking, or getting your hands dirty. All of their seafood is sourced directly from local fishermen, operating on what they call a "pier to plate" concept, accepting daily catches directly from boats. Wherever you decide to dine, just know that by opting for this Italian-American dish instead of chowder, you're eating like a true San Franciscan.