The Franciscan Crab Restaurant in Fisherman's Wharf
I had the opportunity during my recent visit to San Francisco to dine at The Franciscan Crab Restaurant. The food, atmosphere, and service all combined to make for an excellent dining experience. The food, specifically, balanced creativity and tradition and made for exciting and familiar good tastes!
Crab and smoked salmon crostini pictured in the back
Located at Pier 43 1/2, the restaurant is located in Fisherman's Wharf, which is in close proximity to North Beach and downtown San Francisco. Because of it's location on Fisherman's Wharf, and the variety of attractions at Fisherman's Wharf, there is plenty of entertainment around the restaurant to be had, both before and after your meal. The floor plan of the restaurant is also structured in such a fashion that most seats get to enjoy a beautiful view of the bay, along with ships and submarines that have come in to dock.
Chef with a sample of salumi
Though we had reservations, the restaurant did not appear to be crowded to the point that it was difficult for anyone to be seated. At our table, our waiter was extremely courteous and professional, providing a high level of service, while not interfering with our experience. It was not long before we began enjoying the great tastes of the Franciscan Crab Restaurant.
A classy atmosphere for evening dining
We started our meal first by sampling the assorted salumi that the restaurant has to offer. The variety of meats were quite tasty; I particularly enjoyed the thinly sliced salami. We also started with the buratta plate, which is a house made fresh creamy mozzarella, drizzled in olive oil and sea salt. The mozzarella was very subtle in taste, and I dare say was clearly one of my favorites of the night. The sea salt, which was sprinkled on top, was actually black sea salt, and more closely resembled pepper, making for an interesting aesthetic twist.
This was followed by a plate of thinly sliced yellowtail tuna carpaccio, which was covered with diced chilies in olive oil ponzu. We also enjoyed the crab and smoked salmon crostini. This was a bread-like cracker with a slice of salmon and crab, topped with slices of avocado and some basil oil. This was also quite delectable. The carpaccio offered a strong seafood taste, while crostini complimented it with a lighter, fresh taste.
Many enjoyable dishes are available
The highlight of the meal arrived in the form of the iron skillet-roasted mussels and crab dish. The mussels were soft and full of flavor, but the crab was my personal favorite of the night. The seasoning used on the crab was a great enhancement. This dish lives up to its reputation of being the keystone dish of the restaurant, and I would not recommend skipping it during your dining experience here.
We finished our meal with the freshly made frozen kustard ice kream desert. While it is only available in vanilla flavor, I didn't feel cheated at all once I was enjoying it. It had a smooth creamy taste, and a cup of post-meal coffee went great with it.
Look at that food!
We spent quite a bit of time after our meal enjoying the view of the bay from our seat and didn't feel rushed at any point by the staff at the Franciscan Crab Restaurant. It was refreshing to spend time at the Franciscan Crab Restaurant because they really understood service and good food. I highly recommend making reservations at this fine establishment next time you are in the mood for great seafood!
