Known for its playful sea lions, vibrant shops and plentiful dining options, Pier 39 has cemented itself as a bustling tourist destination. And while some may find certain aspects gimmicky, Fog Harbor Fish House — a seafood house that’s been on the pier for nearly two decades — is making a positive impact in our oceans with sustainable seafood sourcing.
Fog Harbor Fish House opened in 2007 as a reconceptualized version of Chic’s Seafood Restaurant, which was one of the original restaurants on Pier 39 when it opened in 1978. It became the first restaurant on the pier to offer 100% sustainable seafood in 2012, following the recommendations of Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
While Fog Harbor’s location and its views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge attract plenty of tourists – about 40-50% of guests come from other parts of the country or world – plenty of locals regularly frequent the restaurant, according to COO Bob Partrite.
“We try to treat ourselves like a neighborhood restaurant that isn’t necessarily in the little neighborhoods throughout the city,” Partrite said.
Partrite has been with parent company Simco for nearly 31 years (Simco also operates Pier Market Seafood Restaurant, Eagle Cafe, Crab House, Wipeout Bar & Grill and Biscoff Coffee Corner), spearheading the push to make Fog Harbor a sustainable seafood restaurant. Seafood Watch sorts seafood into green (best choice), yellow (good alternative) and red (avoid) ratings.
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“The more I started getting into it, I kind of became obsessed with it, and really wanted to become a Seafood Watch partner,” Partrite said. “And in order to be a Seafood Watch partner your full menu had to be green or yellow.”
For example, the current Seafood Watch guide recommends avoiding uncertified Atlantic cod, blue swimming crab, uncertified farmed salmon and much more. Partrite recalls highlighting a master menu red, yellow and green, depending on the seafood’s distinction, and “had that obsession of getting all the reds of the menu,” he said.
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It wasn’t an easy task, Patrite recalled, noting that even though fish could be farmed sustainability, if the fish feed had too much fish byproduct in it, it would be unsustainable because it would kill too many fish to produce the fish. Additionally, Partrite needed to find sustainable fisheries that could produce on a large enough scale consistently all year round to supply the restaurant. It took nearly three years to convert the menu to 100% sustainable seafood options.
“We feel with the amount of seafood we purchase, that it’s important to do our part with the environment and really help keep the oceans full of fish that we all want to eat,” Partrite said. “If everyone doesn’t do their part at some point, the oceans are going to be depleted of things that we all know and love and want.”
One of Fog Harbor’s most popular menu items is the seared scallop and crab risotto ($41). The dish comes with four plump seared scallops on top of a creamy risotto with crab meat folded into it, Parmesan cheese, tomato, beurre blanc and basil pesto.
“It’s rich, it’s creamy, and it just has that buttery scallop and beautiful crab taste to it,” Partrite said.
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Other popular dishes include the shellfish platter with crab, mussels, clams, shrimp and fingerling potatoes, all oven-roasted with butter, garlic and herbs. The dish is available for one ($54) or two ($96), with optional lobster tail addition ($27); sesame-seared ahi tuna glazed with ponzu sauce over stir-fried yakisoba noodles, mixed vegetables, wasabi aioli and pickled ginger ($37); and pan-seared petrale sole with spinach, fingerling potatoes, pesto cream sauce and capers ($32).
While Fog Harbor is a seafood-focused restaurant, it does offer steak and chicken options. For vegetarians, there is an off-menu vegetable platter with quinoa, vegetables, roasted garlic and roasted potatoes, as well as vegetarian pasta options.
Fog Harbor’s signature dessert is its Biscoff cheesecake, featuring a Biscoff crust and decadent Biscoff cheesecake ($12).
“The goal is to continue executing as we do on a daily basis to every guest we get,” Partrite said. “Execution is really the focal key, and just changing it up and really trying to keep it seasonal, keep it fresh, and give everyone the experience that we strive for every day.”
Fog Harbor, 39 Pier, San Francisco; 415-421-2442, Instagram: @fogharbor. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
