Where to buy, eat in the Bay Area
It’s time to get cracking. California’s eagerly awaited Dungeness crab season is here.
Here’s an alphabetical roundup of restaurants, grocery seafood counters and other purveyors that will be selling local Dungeness or crab dishes — some as soon as the first commercial haul comes in. Others are promising plenty for your Thanksgiving table. And a few will wait until after the holiday to showcase the Bay Area’s signature seafood.
Call or check websites for availability before you start melting the butter.
As we hear of more, we’ll add them. Email us at food@ bayareanewsgroup.com.
Crab at the dock
FishLine.me: Mobile app, website for locating crab, other seafood. fishline.me
Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay: Call for details on the fresh catch of the day. 650-726-8724, ext. 3.
Crab delivery
DailyFreshFish.com: Dock-to-door delivery from Pucci Foods of Hayward.
Stores getting fresh crab
Diablo Foods: Depending on the weather, this family-owned Lafayette market plans to be selling Dungeness by Friday — or even Thursday if their crabbers get lucky. 3615 Mt. Diablo Blvd.; www.diablofoods.com.
Draeger’s: All four stores should have live crabs (the seafood department boils onsite) by Friday and for Thanksgiving week. Locations are in San Mateo, Blackhawk, Menlo Park and Los Altos. www.draegers.com.
Lunardi’s: The seafood department hopes to have fresh Dungeness at all stores by Thanksgiving week. Locations are in Belmont, Burlingame, Danville, Los Gatos, San Bruno, San Jose/Bascom, San Jose/Meridian, Walnut Creek. www.lunardis.com.
Mollie Stone’s: Store managers expect to have fresh cracked and cleaned Dungeness in all stores (Palo Alto, Burlingame, San Bruno, San Mateo, Greenbrae, Sausalito, San Francisco) starting today.
New Leaf, New Seasons: These grocers will have fresh Dungeness crabs in all markets by Monday or Tuesday. The locations are in San Jose/Evergreen, Sunnyvale, Santa Cruz, Capitola, Boulder Creek, Felton and Half Moon Bay.
Safeway: In its weekly sales flyer, Safeway is telling customers that its stores will have local Dungeness crab starting Saturday. The opening price is $6.99 a pound.
Whole Foods: All stores should have fresh Dungeness by Saturday and for Thanksgiving week.
Zanotto’s: Look for fresh Dungeness crab later this week and Thanksgiving week at all stores (San Jose/ Rose Garden, San Jose/Willow Glen and Sunnyvale).
Restaurants with crab dishes
Barranco: Crab goes Peruvian. At his Lafayette restaurant chef Carlos Altamirano will be serving a roasted beet and Dungeness crab salad with Peruvian corn, oranges and an aji amarillo vinaigrette. 3596 Mt. Diablo Blvd.; www.barrancokitchen.com.
Blue Mermaid: This recently remodeled wharfside San Francisco restaurant will use fresh local Dungeness in its award-winning crab and corn chowder. Dungeness also shows up in the cioppino, crab cakes, crab boil and baked crab dip. 471 Jefferson St.; www.bluemermaid-sf.com
Crow’s Nest: This beachside classic in Santa Cruz serves Dungeness crab cakes, Louies, melts and seafood thermidor daily, plus crab cake benedicts on weekends. 2218 E. Cliff Drive; www. crowsnest-santacruz.com.
Donato & Co: This new Berkeley restaurant from two Italian chefs (Donato Scotti, Gianluca Guglielmi) will add a Dungeness crab and pasta dish to the menu. 2635 Ashby Ave.; www.donatoandco.com.
Fisherman’s Wharf: Look for fresh Dungeness crab at this historic wharf’s outdoor stands and its lineup of legendary seafood restaurants (Alioto’s, Castagnola’s, Chart House, Cioppino’s, Sabella & LaTorre, Scoma’s, the Franciscan). www.fishermanswharf.org.
Fish Market restaurants: Order the fresh cracked Dungeness crab in the restaurant, or to go from the seafood counter. Locations in Palo Alto, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Jose. www. thefishmarket.com.
Fog Harbor Fish House: After Thanksgiving, this restaurant at San Francisco’s Pier 39 will launch a menu that showcases Dungeness crab in 20 dishes — what may very well be a Bay Area record. Look for crab Louies, crab cocktails, crab cakes, cioppino, garlic roasted crab and more. Details soon at www.fogharbor.com.
Half Moon Bay Brewing Co.: At this harbor-close brewpub, chef Federico Godinez will serve cracked Dungeness crab four ways: chilled crab with drawn butter; warm crab with drawn butter; warm crab with housemade pesto; and warm crab with his blend of Cajun spices. 390 Capistrano Road, Half Moon Bay; www.hmbbrewingco.com
Homestead: This Oakland restaurant, 4029 Piedmont Ave., will host two Crab Feast prix fixe dinners from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Price: $65. Reservations: 510-4206962; www.homesteadoakland.com.
La Toque: The fourcourse Thanksgiving dinner at chef Ken Frank’s Michelin-starred Napa restaurant, served from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23, will include a warm Dungeness crab salad with winter squash and apples. Price: $78. Reservations: 707257-5157; www.latoque.com.
Navio at the Ritz-Carlton: At this Half Moon Bay resort, you’ll find chef Jason Pringle’s signature Dungeness crab dish, spaghetti chitarra with crab, fennel and saffron, at Navio restaurant and, in The Conservatory, a Dungeness crab melt with shaved Brussels sprouts and Gruyere. 1 Miramontes Point Road; www.ritzcarlton.com.
New England Lobster Market and Eatery: This Burlingame seafood specialist, which is currently serving and selling fresh Washington crab, expects to have live Bay Area crabs for purchase by today or Friday (depending on the weather), as well as cooked local crab for its Dungeness crab platters, sandwiches and crab melts. 824 Cowan Road; www.newenglandlobster.net.
Pacific Catch: These West Coast-style seafood restaurants typically wait until January or February to feature Dungeness crab in a monthlong promotion. Locations in Campbell, Mountain View, Dublin, San Mateo, San Francisco, Corte Madera and soon in Walnut Creek. www. pacificcatch.com.
Pier Market Seafood Restaurant: This restaurant at San Francisco’s Pier 39 expects to have first-run crabs today or Friday for their crab Louies, crab cocktails, crab cakes and platters of steamed crab, chilled crab and garlic roasted crab. www.piermarket.com.
Sam’s Chowder House: Starting Thanksgiving week and running through crab season, this Half Moon Bay restaurant will offer whole local Dungeness crab (steamed or chile garlic); cioppino with crab and other seafood; Dungeness crab salad with celery root, Fuji apple and lemon creme fraiche dressing; and Dungeness crab tagliatelle with Calabrian chile and herbs. 4210 North Cabrillo Highway; www.samschowderhouse.com.
Scott’s Seafood (Oakland): This Jack London Square location of Scott’s features Dungeness crab in a cioppino, a swordfish dish, a seafood saute and a seafood salad. 2 Broadway; www. scottsjls.com
Scott’s Seafood (San Jose): The downtown San Jose location of Scott’s features Dungeness crab with rainbow trout, in a seafood saute, in cioppino and the Sunday brunch buffet. 185 Park Ave.; www.scottsseafoodsj.com.
Stagnaro Bros.: This Santa Cruz Wharf seafood counter and restaurant, in business since 1937, expects to have local Dungeness crabs for sale by Friday. In the restaurant, look for Dungeness in crab cakes, Louies, seafood cocktails, crab melts, seafood lasagna and cracked crab platters. 59 Municipal Wharf; www.stagnarobros.com.
Steamer’s Grillhouse: Sometime after Thanksgiving, Steamer’s will add Dungeness dishes to its menu. Call ahead for availability, details; 408-3952722. 31 University Ave., Los Gatos.
Swan Oyster Depot: Expect longer lines than usual for the Dungeness crab at this San Francisco institution, which ranks as Anthony Bourdain’s favorite when he’s in town. Cash only. 1517 Polk St.; www.swanoysterdepot.us.
Tadich Grill: During Dungeness season at Tadich, San Francisco’s oldest restaurant, you’re allowed to forgo the famous sand dabs and order cioppino or another crab dish instead. 240 California St.; www.tadichgrill.com.