San Francisco cioppino is one of San Francisco’s most famous seafood dishes. In fact, both tourists and residents consider the dish to be a delicacy! Did you know that cioppino was invented right here in Fisherman’s Wharf? Read on to learn more.
The best place to taste the classic San Francisco cioppino is at Pier 39 restaurants. Fog Harbor Fish House serves the best and most authentic cioppino in the city.
What is San Francisco Cioppino?
Cioppino (pronounced chuh-pea-no) is a stew that was traditionally prepared with whatever seafood was leftover from the Italian fishermen’s catch on the Wharf that day. This usually included shrimp, Dungeness crab, clams, and fish, which they cooked with olive oil, onions, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and wine.
Today, San Francisco’s signature dish is best served as a rich, tomato broth with notes of white wine and fennel. The most important ingredient is fresh seafood–the freshest you can get. This will ensure the best flavors. Soak up the delicious seafood broth with freshly baked sourdough bread on the side–another classic San Francisco fare.
At Fog Harbor Fish House, we source only the freshest seafood available, and we do it sustainably, too. We also bake our sourdough bread in-house, which means it arrives warm to every table.
The dish is very flavorful. It is savory and rich from the aromatics and both acidic and sweet from the tomatoes. San Francisco cioppino is a must-taste dish for anyone visiting the Bay Area.
Origin of Cioppino
In the late 1800s, Italian fishermen from Genoa who fished along San Francisco’s North Beach created what is known today as cioppino. The story goes that when a fisherman was unable to catch his dinner, he would walk around the wharf with a pot asking for other fishermen to chip in what they could spare. A little Dungeness crab here, a little fish there.
There are two origin stories for the name “cioppino.” The first is that by asking other fishermen to “chip in!”, the word cioppino was born. This story is evocative of San Francisco cioppino’s history as a true community effort to keep each other fed.
The second story is that the word cioppino originates from the Italian ciuppin which means “little soup” in Genoese. Ciuppin was a similar tomato-based seafood stew composed of leftover fish and pureed vegetables.
While the true origin of San Francisco cioppino is not certain, we can confidently say that Genoese Italian Frank Bazzurro popularized the dish. Bazzurro came to San Francisco in 1852 and purchased an abandoned ship in the Bay which became his restaurant. There, he served cioppino to his guests using the plentiful Dungeness crab.
Today, every seafood restaurant along Fishermen’s Wharf, particularly at PIER 39 restaurants like Fog Harbor Fish House and Pier Market Seafood Restaurant, serves cioppino.
More than a Stew
San Francisco cioppino is more than a stew. It represents San Francisco’s Italian heritage. And, it represents San Francisco’s care for community.
Waves of Italian immigrants came to San Francisco in the late 1800s, and their impact on this city is still apparent. These immigrants worked hard as fishermen and then as restauranteurs, feeding San Franciscans seafood delicacies still prepared today.
Cioppino is a dish you won’t want to miss when you are in the area. Not only for it’s delicious flavors, but also for its connection to San Francisco’s unique culture.
Fog Harbor Fish House
Fog Harbor Fish House is home to the best seafood in San Francisco for nearly twenty years! Located on PIER 39, Fog Harbor has the best vantage point for both the freshest seafood and the best views. The dining room’s large windows overlook the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
This family-owned and operated restaurant is committed to serving fresh and 100% sustainably sourced seafood. This is a testament to the family’s commitment to the environment and to ensuring using only the highest quality ingredients. This is a restaurant you can feel good about dining in.
Fog Harbor’s cioppino is renown. With a 4.4-star rating on Yelp with almost 11,000 reviews, a 4.5-star rating on Google with over 7,000 reviews, and a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor with over 6,000 reviews, you can dine confidently. This award-winning restaurant serves some of the best and most authentic cioppino in town. This is a San Francisco cioppino you won’t want to miss.
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