http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Tarantino-s-a-local-staple-on-S-F-waterfront-4968833.php

For owners of long-standing, family-owned restaurants that dot the Fisherman's Wharf waterfront, it can be frustrating to be considered a tourist trap.

Tarantino's is one such spot, and co-owner Gary Burns says the decades-old restaurant is about as local as it gets. "We're San Franciscans. We're hooked up with local wholesalers. We buy seafood six days a week from the pier, and 100 to 300 pounds of crab per day during high season." It's that fresh seafood, and the unobstructed views of the bay - boats, docks and sea lions seemingly at arm's length - that have kept Tarantino's in business for so long.

The restaurant was opened in 1946 by Gene McAteer and Dan Steeney Jr., naval officers who had served in World War II and were looking for something constructive to do.

They found the wharf space and decided to open a restaurant, naming it after a third partner who had backed out of the deal. Given their Irish backgrounds, they felt that Tarantino's seemed like a better fit between their Italian neighbors - the Castagnolas and Aliotos among them.

McAteer was a well-known local figure, a Cal alum who would go on to become a state senator. In that role, he pushed through the McAteer-Petris Act, which created the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and regulated the filling of the bay. Tarantino's has always been family-run, with some musical chairs over the years. Sweeney eventually left the business and Bill McDonnell signed on in 1958, opening sister restaurant the Spinnaker in Sausalito a year later. In 1967, McAteer died during a handball game at the Olympic Club. McDonnell's son, Tim, co-owns the restaurant with Burns.

Tarantino's features prominently along the waterfront, with windows surrounding the two-story, 165-seat space, making it feel a bit like a cruise ship. Carpeted floors, wood detail and low lighting match that vibe. The building has been there since the 1920s, when it housed the Crab Fishermen's Protective Association. "Downstairs they had crab and fish coming in and out," says Burns, "while upstairs they had classes to help the Italian immigrants become American citizens."

The menu still has an Italian bent, but with something for everyone. A cioppino pasta has local flair, while Parmesan-crusted sole with caper butter is a more classic preparation. With plenty of space to sample the fresh fare, enjoy a cocktail and view the outside scenery, Tarantino's still has its fans - both local and tourist alike.

Amanda Gold is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.