Europe by the Bay

The original tenant of San Francisco’s Belden Place (or Street or Avenue or Alley, depending on your preference) is a great old restaurant called Sam’s Grill, which began as a fishmonger’s shop before the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Known for its fresh oysters from San Francisco Bay, Sam’s reminds me today of the Edward Hopper painting Nighthawks... with great traditional American seafood.

While Sam’s – in its “new” form – has anchored the corner of Belden and Bush, in the city’s Financial District, for more than 40 years, the bustling Belden Place of today can trace its current incarnation to the early 1990s, when a couple of guys opened Café Bastille, a French restaurant that still remains. At the time, this was a gigantic leap of faith, as Belden was, to be generous, “gritty.”

Only a block long, Belden Place is a pedestrian-only alley that reminds me of many streets in Europe. With nearly wall-to-wall tables and chairs in front of nothing but restaurants, you can enjoy a progressive dinner without having to walk more than couple hundred feet.

I have been to San Francisco so often, and make a pilgrimage to Belden Place every time, so I can recommend something tempting at any of the restaurants you’ll find there, including:

• - B44. Catalan – Try a paella, any paella.


• - Brindisi Cucina du Mare. Italian – Spaghetti with spicy Dungeness crab sounds strange, but it’s delicious.


• - Café Bastille. French – Both sweet and savory crepes hit the spot.


• - Café Tiramisu. Northern Italian – The lobster broth with asparagus and lobster beggar’s purse kicks off a lunch or dinner beautifully.


• - Plouf. French – It’s critically acclaimed, which is perhaps why I have been a little disappointed.


• - Belden Taverna. Mediterranean-themed – I love the gnocchi, and I’m a bit of gnocchi-aholic.


• - Voda. Cocktails only – I’m not a big drinker, but am assured that the bartenders are incredibly creative at the practice of their craft.

What really gives Belden its European feel are the apartments opposite the restaurants. Little signs of life mark the buildings, making it feel like you’re in someone’s living room. For example, several baskets on ropes dangle a few feet off the ground against the apartment buildings’ walls. Their purpose is two-fold: So residents of the upper floors can let out their pets and so those same residents can get the meals they order from the restaurants below without having to leave the comfort of their home.

What’s More…

If the description of the Belden Place restaurants has your mouth watering, on June 1 – 15, San Francisco hosts the seventh-annual Dine-About-Town, where more than 100 of the city’s finest restaurants offer a three-course prix-fixe menu for lunch or dinner. Visit www.sfcvb.org for a listing of restaurants and prices.

In one of those ”small world” coincidences, our very own Theatre de la Jeune Lune is performing its well-received Figaro at UC-Berkeley through June 8. For more information, visit www.berkeleyrep.org.

Finally, if you’re up for a fairly short road trip, consider a “Sunset Sail” aboard the 65-foot sailboat Derek M. Baylis. I can’t vouch for these sails personally, as I have never taken one, but several locals I know rave about the evening cruises offered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, available through mid-June. Sip some wine, enjoy some hors d’oeuvres and watch the seals, sea lions, otters, dolphins and whales. For more information, visit www.mbayaq.org.