At Fisherman’s Wharf, SF.

Live and awaiting purchase.

These were absent from stores over Christmas owing to a fishermen’s strike, but now are to be found aplenty. They run $10/lb. cooked in the shell or $32/lb. for the meat only, suggesting a yield of only about 30%. The shells are thick, heavy and very beautiful. Dip in some molten butter, add a nice Chardonnay and you have an excellent light dinner.

Though Fisherman’s Wharf has the most awful – and richly deserved – reputation as a tourist trap, replete with T shirt vendors and the like, there is some excellent seafood to be had there, fresh from the Bay.

The cook at Alioto’s, above, is boiling fresh lobster and crab on the sidewalk, for all to see.

Down the road Capurro’s provides a traditional oak interior where you can enjoy the catch of the day, chalked up on the board for all to see.

The bar, with a couple of local brews on tap, is in context:

And there’s no arguing with this simple message:

All on the Nikon D3x, 16-35 AF-S G at f/4 except the last on the pre-Ai 135mm f/3.5 on the D700.