Bohemian San Francisco | Page 7

bought the place, and
for a year or so after the fire it was one of the best French restaurants in
the city. After Pierre's untimely death the restaurant was merged with
Bergez and Frank's, and is now in Bush street above Kearny.
Much romance attached to Pierre, it being generally believed that he
belonged to a wealthy French family, because of his education, his
unfailing courtesy, his ready wit and his gentility. Pierre specialized in
fish cooked with wine, and as a favor to his patrons he would go to the
kitchen and prepare the dish with his own hands.
In O'Farrell street the Delmonico was one of the most famous of the
French restaurants until the fire. It was several stories high, and each
story contained private rooms. Carriages drove directly into the
building from the street and the occupants went by elevator to
soundproof rooms above, where they were served by discreet waiters.
The Poodle Dog, the Pup, Delmonico's, Jacques, Frank's, the Mint,
Bergez, Felix and Campi's are the connecting links between the fire and
the pioneer days. Some of them still carry the names and memories of
the old days. All were noted for their good dinners and remarkably low

prices.
Shortly after the fire Blanco, formerly connected with the old Poodle
Dog, opened a place in O'Farrell street, between Hyde and Larkin,
calling it "Blanco's." During the reconstruction period this was by far
the best restaurant in the city, and it is still one of the noted places.
Later Blanco opened a fine restaurant in Mason street, between Turk
and Eddy, reviving the old name of the Poodle Dog, and here all the old
traditions have been revived. Both of these savor of the old type of
French restaurants, catering to a class of quiet spenders who carefully
guard their indiscretions.
In the early '50s and '60s the most noted places were not considered
respectable enough for ladies, and at restaurants like the Three Trees, in
Dupont just above Bush street, ladies went into little private rooms
through an alley. Peter Job saw his opportunity and opened a restaurant
where special attention was paid to lady patrons, and shortly after the
New York restaurant, in Kearny street, did the same.
Merging the post-pioneer, era with the pre-fire era came the Maison
Doree, which became famous in many ways. It was noted for oysters a
la poulette, prepared after the following recipe:
Oysters a La Poulette
One-half cup butter, three tablespoons flour, yolks of three eggs. One
pint chicken stock (or veal), one tablespoonful lemon juice, one-eighth
teaspoon pepper, one level teaspoon salt. Beat the butter and flour
together until smooth and white. Then add salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Gradually pour boiling stock on this mixture and simmer for ten
minutes. Beat the yolks of eggs in a saucepan, gradually pouring the
cooked sauce upon them. Pour into a double boiler containing boiling
water in lower part of utensil. Stir the mixture for one and one-half
minutes. Into this put two dozen large oysters and let cook until edges
curl up and serve hot.
Captain Cropper, an old Marylander, had a restaurant that was much
patronized by good livers, and in addition to the usual Southern dishes

he specialized on terrapin a la Maryland, sending back to his native
State for the famous diamond-back terrapin. His recipe for this was as
follows:
Terrapin a La Maryland
Cut a terrapin in small pieces, about one inch long, after boiling it. Put
the pieces in a saute pan with two ounces of sweet butter, salt, pepper, a
very little celery salt, a pinch of paprika. Simmer for a few minutes and
then add one glass of sherry wine, which reduce to half by boiling.
Then add one cup of cream, bring to a boil and thicken with two yolks
of eggs mixed with a half cup of cream. Let it come to a near boil and
add half a glass of dry sherry and serve.
You may thicken the terrapin with the following mixture: Two raw
yolks of eggs, two boiled yolks of eggs, one ounce of butter, one ounce
corn starch. Rub together and pass through a fine sieve.
Uncle Tom's Cabin, Tony Oakes, the Hermitage, and Cornelius Stagg's
were noted road-houses where fine meals were served, but these are
scarcely to be considered as San Francisco Bohemian restaurants.
The Reception, on the corner of Sutter and Webb streets, which
continued up to the time of the fire, was noted for its terrapin
specialties, but it was rather malodorous and ladies who patronized it
usually went in through the Webb street entrance to keep from being
seen. The old Baldwin Hotel, which stood where the Flood building
now stands, at the corner of Market and Powell and which