Part II of this 9 part series, "I Am Fisherman's Wharf," features Rodney Fong of the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf.

Part I of this 9 part series, "I Am Fisherman's Wharf," features Blazing Saddles.

Few realize that Fisherman's Wharf is the result of an embezzlement scheme. Click here to watch this video from the Travel Channel's Monumental Mysteries. 

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2013/07/22/port-history-the-franciscan/

Even 20 years ago, the Franciscan was described in the paper as “one of the Wharf’s grande dame restaurants.” While most of the other massive Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants take on more traditional facades, it’s hard to miss the giant, non-ironic boat-shaped behemoth parked on the edge of the bay.

It’s also this week’s subject of the Chronicle’s ongoing series exploring the restaurants that occupy land on the Port of San Francisco.

A timeline of the Franciscan:

1957: The Franciscan opens on Pier 43 1/2, courtesy of the Burger family. Architect Hewitt C. Wells is responsible for the two-story design; this is what the exterior looked like originally. Of particular note: Part of the opening staff was William “Bill” Quitman Harper, who came to the restaurant after serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II; Harper would work at the Franciscan until his retirement in August 1995.

1984: 50 employees at the Franciscan go on strike, joining nearly 40 other high-profile restaurants around town, like Vanessi’s, Ernie’s, Tia Margarita and Pompei’s Grotto. For most restaurants, the picket lines last about four months, but the Franciscan doesn’t settle until the following March.

1996: The Franciscan undergoes an extensive $3 million overhaul. Owners Ken and Pat Burger hire a new chef, Christopher Idso, who creates what he calls a “California seafood grill.” Kimpton vet Kevin Westlye is appointed managing partner of the Franciscan. On the street level, the crab stand is replaced by a glassed-in cafe. Upstairs, more windows are added, among other features.

1997: Michael Bauer reviews the new-look Franciscan, giving it two stars overall and 1.5 for food:

If the restaurant hadn’t raised expectations with the stylish redesign and innovative menu, these missteps might seem less annoying.

It may be unfair, but many locals still go to the Wharf expecting to be treated like a tourist, and to change that impression a restaurant’s staff has to work doubly hard. Unfortunately the Franciscan does nothing to dispel that expectation, even though the creative menu and meticulous decor suggest otherwise.

2004: Kevin Westlye leaves to become the new executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, a position he would hold until 2011.

2005: The triumvirate of Jerry Dal Bozzo, Dante Serafini and Andrea Froncillo purchases the Franciscan. It is the group’s seventh restaurant. They remodel it again:

Dal Bozzo says he wants the 240-seat restaurant, which has spectacular views of the bay, to have a more San Francisco look, “like Original Joe’s, a 1940s classic look. We want it to have a feel and look that is unique to San Francisco, and we want locals to go there.” Kevin Westlye, who is now director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, was a partner in the Franciscan for more than a decade. The Burgers wanted to sell the restaurant to local operators, which Westlye facilitated. The name will stay the same and the staff will be retained, including chef Adam Jones, who has been there seven years.

2013: Earlier this month, they reopened and expanded the ground floor cafe and reopened it as a “fishwich” cafe called Alfonso Scunatelli’s.

Franciscan Crab Restaurant  Pier 43 1/2 (The Embarcadero, near Taylor Street), San Francisco  (415) 362-7733 or franciscancrabrestaurant.com. Lunch and dinner 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily

Read the full article by Bill Picture of Bay Crossings, here: http://www.baycrossings.com/dispnews.php?id=2956

http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/new-fishermans-wharf-sign-a-near-replica-off-old-crab-wheel/Content?oid=2514285

Tourists from around the world snap pictures of the crab wheel sign at Fisherman's Wharf all the time, and a discreet new replacement has been installed to help ensure the iconic symbol will appear in scrapbooks for years to come.

The original sign, installed in 1968 at the corner of Jefferson and Taylor streets, was constructed of sheet metal, plywood and plastic, according to Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District CEO Troy Campbell. But the sign's close proximity to the waterfront meant it was subjected to the elements, especially corrosive saltwater.

"It has been somewhat silently decaying over time," Port of San Francisco Executive Director Monique Moyer said during a recent agency meeting.

Campbell said the metal in the sign was rusted and the plastic front had become brittle, with letters blowing off on windy days in years past.

"It was looking extremely shabby," he said.

Instead of letting it get to the point of not being repairable — and potentially having to be removed — several groups and The City decided to replace it with a nearly identical sign that used more durable material.

The new sign contains aluminum instead of steel to prevent rust, Campbell said, and a high-density foam material replaced the plywood. The plastic front was replicated, and the original wood handles from the exterior were refurbished and reused — both of which help make the new sign look identical to the old one, Campbell said.

The sign, which was installed just before July 4, also includes LED lights, which better illuminate it while using less energy, according to Campbell. Instead of the yellow tint the sign used to give off, it's now bright white.

The Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District helped pay for the $115,000 sign, along with the Fisherman's Wharf Merchants Association and the Port, according to Campbell.

Campbell called the new sign one improvement to the Fisherman's Wharf area in a long line of recent upgrades, which include the overhaul of two blocks of Jefferson Street to make them more accessible for pedestrians.

The new sign, Campbell said, is the crown of the improvements and one of the most popular in representing the area.

"It is symbolic," he said. "It is something that proliferates all over the world."

-Mike Billings

http://blog.sfgate.com/culture/2013/07/08/tourist-trapped-musee-mecanique/

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2013/07/08/port-history-aliotos-restaurant-on-fishermans-wharf/

http://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/S-F-waterfront-dining-blends-the-old-and-new-4649299.php?t=ff059c89bd8cb1714c

by Willie Brown in Voices via SFGate

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2013/07/10/checking-out-bistro-boudin-and-other-wharf-side-restaurants/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2013/07/07/san-francisco-cioppino-seafood-stew/2492935/

What makes San Francisco's setting so unique is water: the endless Pacific to the west and the glistening San Francisco Bay lapping the shores to the north and east. So it makes sense that the iconic, must-eat dish of the City by the Bay is a steaming bowl of cioppino, a seafood stew chock full of the ocean's bounty.

When you eat a bowl of cioppino, you're eating history. Many believe this dish was introduced to the Bay Area by Italian fishermen during the Gold Rush years, when a massive influx of people brought a business opportunity. They'd cook for hungry gold miners using whatever they had just hauled in, from mussels, clams, and crab, to halibut, sea bass or whatever happened to be biting.

They needed only to splash in a little white wine, some shots of olive oil, plenty of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and they had enough food for a boatful of hungry diners. The word cioppino comes from northern Italy: Ligurians along the Italian Riviera stew their fresh daily catch and call it ciuppin.

Today, the dish's base of tomatoes, wine and olive oil remains constant - and some chefs also use garlic, celery, onion and parsley - but the star of the show in San Francisco is often Dungeness crab. Although you can get cioppino year-round, Dungeness crab season is during fall and winter. Top places for cioppino include Tadich Grill downtown and Sotto Mare in North Beach. Chef Mario Batali hails Cioppino's on Fisherman's Wharf for serving the "best cioppino in San Francisco."

Wherever you order yours, once that steaming bowl slides on to your table, savor it. With the smell of the sea right in your hands, San Francisco's cioppino is about as memorable a meal as you could ever hope for.

Are you a fan of San Francisco's cioppino? Vote for it here, as your favorite iconic American food in the 10Best Readers' Choice Awards contest.

July 3, 2013, San Francisco, CA — The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District has completed the latest project in their series of neighborhood improvements and beautification — a restoration of the district’s most iconic symbol, the crab wheel, located at Jefferson Street and Taylor Street. A sturdier replica of this San Francisco icon, made from more resilient materials and equipped with environmentally-friendly LED lighting was unveiled today. The completion of this project comes just in time for the Fisherman’s Wharf July 4 celebration, the beginning of tourist season, and America’s Cup summer festivities. 

The original crab wheel sign, which was erected in 1968, had fallen victim to years of salt water and rust. In order to replace the sign, the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District, the Port of San Francisco, and the Fisherman’s Wharf Merchants Association raised the funds to manufacture and install the new sign, costing a total of $115,000.

“We are very excited to see the new sign crowning our historic waterfront district,” said Troy Campbell, Executive Director of the Fisherman’s Wharf CBD. “The restored crab wheel is one of the highlights of the Fisherman’s Wharf CBD’s many projects focusing on sustainable and environmentally-friendly beautification of our iconic neighborhood.”

The sign is a near-identical replica of the original crab wheel sign, and to the naked eye, will look very similar to the original San Francisco icon. The updated sign, completed by Arrow Signs, was constructed out of aluminum, to avoid rust, and other more durable materials. The highlight of the construction is the new LED lighting, donated by General Electric. The more sustainable construction and lighting will extend the life of the landmark and allow it to shine bright for many years to come.

The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District invites locals and visitors to come view the updated crab wheel during tomorrow’s July 4 celebration and fireworks show, taking place all day from 12 noon to approximately 10 p.m.

Media Contact: 

Troy Campbell/ Executive Director / (415) 673-3530 / troy@visitfishermanswharf.com

ABOUT THE FISHERMAN’S WHARF COMMUNITY BENEFIT DISTRICT

The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District was founded in November of 2005 by the business and property owners of the San Francisco neighborhood. The district is funded through an annual assessment for 15 years from the property owners.

The purpose of the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District is to preserve and enhance its vast San Francisco waterfront landscape and multi-cultural heritage, while integrating modern efficiencies to enrich the experience of visitors from both near and far through: Market Research; Brand and Destination Marketing; Sidewalk Operations, Beautification and Order; Traffic and Urban Planning; and Emergency Preparedness. 

For more information visit www.visitfishermanswharf.com.

Priceline.com’s Top 50 Destinations list is based on over 30,000 hotel room booking requests made by customers using priceline.com’s Name Your Own Price® hotel reservation service.  The 2013 list is based off of credit card-backed booking requests on priceline.com, revealing actual consumer travel intent for the upcoming holiday. 

“The industry is flooded with editorial opinion about the best travel destinations for this year, as well as a lot of consumer poll data that sheds light on where American travelers would like to spend their holiday, but we wanted to take a close look at actual booking intent to see where people are truly packing up for,” said Brett Keller, Chief Marketing Office of priceline.com. “We’re seeing some really unique trends this year, from the emergence of European destinations in the top ranks to the slow-down in beach-going travel.  One thing is for sure – the appetite for travel this holiday season is robust.”      

Priceline.com also reported today that the average domestic airfare for July is $402, which is 4.5% higher than last year.  The average international airfare for July is $886, or 4.2% above 2012, based on tickets booked over the past 30 days.  Looking ahead to August, the average domestic airfare is $362, or 4.3% higher than last year.  The average international airfare for August 2013 is $860, which is 3% above last year.

Read more about this story from the San Francisco Chronicle:

http://blog.sfgate.com/getlost/2013/06/28/san-francisco-is-one-of-the-top-5-destination-spots-for-july-4th/

Contact: Rachel Gordon, DPW 415-554-6045

New Streetscape Design and Upgrades Enhance Fisherman’s Wharf Corridor

Major facelift of popular Jefferson Street aims to improve visitor experience, boost business 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A more beautiful and pedestrian-friendly Jefferson Street in the heart of the City’s Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood made its public debut at a civic celebration today to kick off the busy summer tourism season.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, City department representatives and neighborhood business and community leaders with the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefits District joined together to inaugurate the project.

The improved streetscape, designed and constructed to last for a generation or more, now has nearly twice as much sidewalk space, new lighting, crosswalk bulb-outs for shorter crossings, a two-way traffic configuration to accommodate bicyclists and ease traffic congestion, beautiful new sidewalks, and a decorative, distinctive concrete-banded roadway. New signage will direct drivers to underutilized parking options nearby.  

The revamped two-block stretch of Jefferson, which stretches from Hyde Street to Jones Street, draws 60,000 visitors a day. With more than 500 businesses in the area, the corridor is one of the most important commerce and sightseeing areas in the City. 

The makeover, spearheaded by the community, comes as the City prepares to host the America’s Cup races and accompanying festivities that will bring even more people to Fisherman’s Wharf and the San Francisco waterfront.

“Improvements like the ones we see today on Jefferson Street in historic Fisherman’s Wharf are helping to keep pedestrians safe, boosting our local economy and keeping San Francisco a world-class destination,”  said Mayor Ed Lee.

Construction of the $5 million project, which was mostly funded through the City’s General Fund, took less than six months. 

“These beautiful improvements along Jefferson Street show what is possible when the community and the City work together to re-imagine a corridor and turn a vision into reality,” said Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, who is the district representative for Fisherman’s Wharf. “I am proud of our Fisherman’s Wharf merchants and community members who value collaborative planning for economic development projects like this whose benefits will last for years to come.”

The Jefferson Street streetscape project emphasizes making public spaces in this busy area safer for everyone to navigate.

“This has been a pedestrian-prioritized design implemented to help the thousands of visitors each day safely and efficiently move around the Wharf,” said Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, which managed the multi-agency project that involved the San Francisco Planning Department, Port and Municipal Transportation Agency.  “This project exemplifies the kind of streetscape improvements happening all over San Francisco.”

Fisherman’s Wharf merchants, restaurateurs and other business and community leaders have driven the plan to redesign Jefferson Street. They envisioned creating a more vibrant, welcoming public realm that eases congestion for the droves of visitors and shoppers that crowd the sidewalks each day. Organizers formed the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefits District in 2005, a crucial step to set the ideas in motion and institute a mechanism to help fund the project. Funding and the design were finalized in 2012 and construction began in January 2013.

The Jefferson Street design, which was the result of a three-year planning and community participation effort led by the Planning Department, sets a new standard for pedestrian quality, comfort and safety in San Francisco.

“The new Jefferson Street is a model of how to create a great public space that is inviting and accessible to both residents and visitors,” said San Francisco Planning Director John Rahaim. “We are proud to have worked so closely with members of the community to develop such a creative design to create a much more enjoyable experience at Fisherman’s Wharf.” 

Added Port of San Francisco Executive Director Monique Moyer, “The Jefferson Street project in this historic and iconic port neighborhood is one more excellent example of how San Francisco is upgrading our investment in the infrastructure along our waterfront. With improved public spaces and thoughtfully designed pedestrian and traffic thoroughfares, we are ready for the summer season and for the upcoming America’s Cup races.”

The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefits District has spent more than $300,000 to date on the project, supporting the planning with informational workshops, construction drawings and traffic studies. The organization has committed to additional financial support for Phase II of the Jefferson Street re-design from Jones to Powell Street, a project for which it is actively working with the City to identify funding opportunities. 

“We are ecstatic that the vision of the Fisherman’s Wharf community is well on its way to being implemented with this exceptional new street that meets the needs of our one-of-a-kind corridor,” said David Berbey, president of the Board of Directors of the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefits District. “This is something that is good for the neighborhood, good for San Francisco and good for our visitors from all over the world.”

More information about the project, as well as information on the new traffic configuration at Fisherman’s Wharf, can be found at newjeffersonstreet.com. 

-end-

http://sfappeal.com/2013/06/sf-officials-celebrate-revamped-jefferson-street/

After six months of construction, San Francisco city officials today are celebrating the reopening of a street in Fisherman’s Wharf that has been made safer and more pedestrian-friendly.

A two-block stretch of Jefferson Street between Hyde and Jones streets now has twice as much sidewalk space as before, as well as a new two-way traffic configuration, new lighting and crosswalk bulb-outs to allow pedestrians to cross the street with ease.

Mayor Ed Lee, Board of Supervisors president David Chiu and other city officials are planning a noon ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the reopening.

City officials wanted the project to be completed in advance of the America’s Cup sailing races, which begin next month and are expected to bring large crowds to Fisherman’s Wharf and other parts of the waterfront.

Even without the America’s Cup, the city’s northern waterfront is visited by an estimated 10 million people per year, according to the city’s Department of Public Works.

More information about the project can be found online at www.newjeffersonstreet.com.

Dan McMenamin, Bay City News

By Evan Borders - KTVU.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — San Francisco city officials, the media, and curious tourists witnessed the ribbon cutting of the Jefferson Streetscape Improvement Project along the busy Fisherman’s Wharf.

Since 2006, the San Francisco Planning Department has been working with the Fisherman's Wharf CBD on improvements to the area of Jefferson St. between Hyde and Jones Streets. This public/private partnership has worked together with the community to redesign Fisherman's Wharf for how it is used today. 

The motivation to re-do the street was to address accessibility for the businesses, people and fishermen who work in the neighborhood. They also wanted to make modifications to create a better walking and biking environment for the nearly 40,000 - 75,000 people that visit per day. 

The plan for a redesigned Jefferson Street was split into two phases.  Phase one included the two blocks of Jefferson Street between Hyde and Jones Street.  It received funding from the city and DPW's contractor Bauman Landscaping began construction in January of 2012.  Phase Two will include the blocks from Jones to Powell Street and the FWCBD is currently seeking funding to complete this phase of the project.

Cost for the project currently stands at $4.95 million. The majority of project is funded through the general fund and the remainder from the 2006 State Prop 1B.

For more information, go to NewJeffersonStreet.com.

http://www.travelchannel.com/daily-escape/fishermans-wharf

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Move over, Mack, you’re on my flipper … Hey, buddy, you’re crowding my corner of the dock …” What do the hundreds of sea lions say to each other while lounging about the marina of Pier 39, the commercial area of Fisherman’s Wharf that has become San Francisco’s tourism and entertainment (and apparently sea lion) epicenter? With street performers, bungee trampolines, a carousel, 3-D theaters and other high-energy human diversion here, it is uncertain why, exactly, a multitude of sea lions would decide to call Pier 39 home. And where they go every winter is even more of a mystery, but they are disinterested in our musings -- they’re just sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time.

To view the guide click here. 

Visitors will find this brochure valuable for planning their trip and transit during America's Cup.

This guide includes information about:

• Your Arrival: SFO, OAK, or SJC to San Francisco
• Transit Service Options
• Planning Your Trip
• Clipper Card Info
• Riding Muni
• Parking Info
• Bike Guide
• Transit Map
• Bike Map

Transportation-Services-Americas-Cup.pdf

As of June 18th, 2013, Jefferson Street has been converted from a one-way to a two-way street, with one lane in each direction, between Powell and Hyde streets.   Hyde Street between Jefferson and Beach Street has also been converted to two-way.  The changes also include widened sidewalks and a narrower roadway on Jefferson Street between Jones and Hyde streets in order to make the street more attractive for pedestrians.  Parking is no longer permitted on much of Jefferson Street.   On summer weekends, traffic on westbound Jefferson Street between Powell and Mason streets may be limited to streetcars and bicycles only at times to prevent traffic congestion on this street.  Alternate routes include westbound Beach, North Point and Bay streets.

While tour buses will still be allowed to operate on Jefferson Street at all other times, traffic will move more slowly and turns will be more difficult for large vehicles to execute to and from the two-way street.  The City of San Francisco and the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District request that tour bus operators and guides avoid using Jefferson Street as much as possible.  If buses must use Jefferson Street for local circulation, the SFMTA requests that they operate on Jefferson Street for no more than one block. 

For information on tour bus parking in San Francisco, please see:

https://www.fishermanswharfsf.com/getting-around/street-cars; and

http://media.sanfrancisco.travel/documents/Motorcoach+Update-2013-SFTA.pdf

Renée Frojo, Reporter- San Francisco Business Times

Applebee’s king Greg Flynn has finally found a home for the chain in San Francisco, also his hometown.

In the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf, this Applebee’s will be San Francisco’s first — and likely only — location. With 12,000-square-feet of dining space fitting up to 400 seats, it’ll also be one of the chain’s largest locations yet.Flynn said he’s spending $3 million to renovate the space, which sits on the third floor of 2770 Taylor Street and has been vacant for years. Taking care to preserve the historic building’s floor to ceiling arched windows, Flynn promised that it will be “the most unusual and best Applebee’s ever built.” Applebee’s will also be upgrading the exterior of the building with a new paint job, new lighting, and a drinks terrace.

While Flynn said the chain will be catering mostly to tourists, he hopes local families will stop in for birthdays and surrounding businesses will use it for events or meetings.

With a whopping 438 of the casual dining restaurants under his belt, Flynn is the largest franchise holder within the Applebee’s system. A San Francisco native, Flynn said he has been searching for a San Francisco location for the chain for 14 years. Because of that, Flynn said he’s focused on making this particular restaurant extra special. “This is my hometown and I will undoubtedly spend more time here than the rest of them,” he said. “So I really want to make sure this restaurant is particularly unique and fabulous.” Opening date is slated for July 4^th weekend.