You Ate it Here First, Folks

Many people know that sourdough bread originated in San Francisco, but what you might not know is many foods you eat often, also came from this city.  With the confluence of European, Latin American, and Asian cultures melding in the bay area, there was bound to be a unique fusion of cuisines.

It's possible someone, somewhere, put Irish whisky in their coffee, but it wasn't until 1952 did San Francisco's very own Buena Vista Cafe claim credit for it.  Legend has it that the owner of the Buena Vista, Jack Koppler asked the travel writer Stanton Depalane how the Irish coffee was served at the airport in Shannon, Ireland. Attempting to recreate it they apparently tried many variations but couldn't perfect it. 

The Buena Vista Cafe, birthplace of the Irish Coffee

Jack Koeppler even voyaged to the Shannon airport to see how their version of it was done, and upon his return, continued experimenting with how to get it just right.  He eventually came upon the proper elixir of Irish whiskey and frothy cream, floating on the top like a cloud without sinking to the bottom of the glass.  It wasn't long before the reputation spread, and Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco became as synonymous as pizza is to Naples, Italy.

Whether you are in Anchorage Alaska or Key West Florida, if you order Chinese food (dining in or delivered to your door) you get a fortune cookie - the ubiquitous little cookie with the fortune inside it.  What most people don't know is that it was invented by a Japanese man and invented in San Francisco.  Although many claim different origins, the general consensus is that it was first served in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. 

Built as a Pavilion showcasing Japanese culture for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, The Japanese Tea Garden is considered the first place it was introduced to the public.  Over the years it matriculated into Chinese restaurants and is oddly enough associated with Chinese culture.  For over 60 years the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory has not only produced  them, the factory itself has become a major tourist attraction.  Tucked away in the heart of Chinatown, it is literally in a back alley. In fact, their address is 56 Ross Alley.

The western shores of San Francisco have been a draw since the Cliff House opened in 1863, and was a destination of amusement-seekers for generations.  By 1926 the general manager of the amusement park, George Whitney, consolidated many of the attractions and renamed it Playland-at-the-Beach.  Two years later, he had the inspiration of putting a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two oatmeal cookies and dipping it all in chocolate.

In 1928 the Its-It was born.  But it wasn’t until the 1970s (after Playland-at-the-Beach closed) did it explode in popularity, and eventually became a staple in my mother’s freezer. The Its-It has become such a well known treat that it has been featured on the Food Network and graced the pages of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Bon Appétit Magazine.

Cioppino, the Mulligan stew of various seafood cooked in a tomato-based broth, is commonly associated with Italian cuisine and mistakenly believed to have originated in Italy.  It didn’t originate there, but it did with Italians; Italian fishermen living in San Francisco.

Many of the fishermen came from Genoa, Italy and brought their cultural traditions and cuisine with them when the came to San Francisco.

Before Fisherman’s Wharf, there was Meigg’s Wharf.  A nearly 2000-foot pier jutting into San Francisco Bay, at the end of what is Powell Street today.   That was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire, and the wharf that replaced it is the Fisherman’s Wharf we know today.

Fisherman’s Wharf, birthplace of Cioppino

But the origin of the word Cioppino is still debated.  The popular history on the matter is that at the end of the day, whatever fish was not sold was thrown into a big pot, and shared amongst the fisherman and their families.  The common understanding is that everyone was invited to “chip in,” and the Italian immigrant’s accent made it sound like Cioppino.

Food historians (yes, such a thing exists) claim, most likely the origin of the word Chippino comes from "ciuppin," a traditional Italian fish soup.  However, there is a vocal cadre which claims the “Chip-In” moniker is the true origin of the word.

Regardless if you are on Team “Chip-In,” or Team “Ciuppin,” both sides agree that Cioppino was born in San Francisco, and enjoyed all over the world.