Scoma's

Scoma's Restaurant Review:

When the Scoma brothers took over a six-table coffee shop for fishermen down an alley on Pier 47, central Wharf restaurateurs laughed. Forty years later, no one is laughing. A number of things set Scoma's apart, starting with freshness --- it is the only restaurant in San Francisco with a commercial license to buy right off the boats. Also key is that the menu features local produce, natural beef and seasonal, sustainable seafood. Start with calamari fritti --- hand-cut tubes of Monterey squid lightly coated in flour and fried golden brown. We also enjoy the shellfish sauté of petite lobster tails, prawns, clams and scallops in white wine sauce. Scoma's also boasts arguably the best clam chowder on the Wharf, a creamy broth redolent with sea-salty clam juice and loaded with sweet clams. Service is friendly and relaxed and views of boats bobbing in the harbor add to the ambience. The well-chosen wine list includes some good values.