Here are a couple of San Francisco restaurants of yesteryear that I wish were still with us. The Shadows on Telegraph Hill was formerly located at 1349 Montgomery Street. Maybe you couldn’t afford to take your sweetheart to Julius Castle down the street, but at the Shadows a sawbuck would land you a classy dish from their extensive German-Swiss-Continental menu. My date selected hasenpfeffer, a stew made from marinated rabbit. Another patron approached and complained about her eating the “nice, fussy” animal. The chef stormed out of the kitchen and lectured the person on the history of his favorite cuisine. After dinner, we relaxed by the bar in the Swiss chalet room, drinking our sweet-and-sour cocktails while gazing out the picture window to the Bay Bridge and beyond. A romantic adventure led us across the street to the nearby Filbert Steps where I stole a kiss from my date to the background music of wild parrots.
Paoli’s Restaurant:
Paoli’s restaurant was located at 575 Commercial Street near Montgomery in the Financial District of San Francisco. As a young teacher, I had to stretch every dollar. Paoli’s happy-hour buffet was the best bargain in town for both scenery and tasty appetizers. Practically the entire dinner menu could be sampled at the buffet table near the bar. And if you were lucky enough, perhaps you would further satisfy your appetite with a young lady’s conversation, fresh off her job from the Pacific Stock Exchange or Macy’s or the Emporium-Capwell and looking good!