California
Related: About this forum'Heartbreaking': Iconic Fisherman's Wharf restaurant Alioto's to close after 97 years
SFGATE (San Francisco Chronicle)/Ariana Bindman
The institution has a rich, storied history in the famous port of San Francisco and its closure marks the end of a family legacy.
Founded by Italian immigrant Nunzio Alioto in 1925 and before it became known as a landmark seafood restaurant Aliotos was just a humble fish stand. Eventually, it moved into Stall No. 8 at Fishermans Wharf and sold lunch to Italian laborers, hence the illuminated No. 8 on the facade of the building. As business flourished in the 1930s, Alioto combined his fish stand with a seafood bar, selling shrimp and crab cocktails and fresh Dungeness crab. It was the very first building on the wharf.
Even after his death in 1933, his family members carried on the restaurants legacy: His surviving wife, Rose, stepped in, becoming the first businesswoman on Fishermans Wharf. Once she expanded the restaurant in 1938 and established it as a formal restaurant, it became Aliotos, the institution that proudly served the freshest seafood, family Italian recipes, and the finest views for decades to come. It survived a devastating fire in 1957 and served soldiers in World War II, but it hasnt been able to reopen its doors since March 2020.
Read more: https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/SF-Aliotos-Restaurant-to-close-17069430.php
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Truly sad news. A real landmark in The City.
JohnSJ
(96,551 posts)NBachers
(18,132 posts)I didnt know they were still closed all this time. Add this to the iconic Cliff House which permanently shut down.
Fiendish Thingy
(18,529 posts)It had become a tourist attraction owned by a very powerful (former mayors) family.
Kid Berwyn
(18,015 posts)Even though we were just tourists from Detroit with no reservations, the staff at Aliotos treated us like royalty. My wife and I enjoyed dinner by the window on the Saturday evening of the Venusian Festival. We had a great time watching the illuminated crews and decorated boats parade by. Dinner and drinks were outstanding. Truly an unforgettable experience.
rsdsharp
(10,130 posts)It appeared they were getting ready for the dinner service. When the crusty old head waiter wasnt giving wonderful service to some hicks from Iowa, he was exhorting the younger staff to Stop sitting on your brains, and get to work!
He called our daughter princess, and taught her the proper way to twirl pasta. It was my first time having cioppino. My only negative memory is when I think of me turning that thick, luxurious white napkin into an orange rag.
The cioppino experience. I cooked it all over the city way back ij the 80s. Trust me, you were not alone.