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The Hontalas clan outside Louis' in 1947. Those fish were sourced within 200 miles, too.
4. Louis' Restaurant One of the great joys of this 74-year-old San Francisco institution used to be the Watergate-era decor. Alas, during a lengthy remodeling, the Hontalas family
spruced the place up. What's more, as part of the deal for obtaining a 10-year lease, the National Park Service -- which owns the land upon which Louis' sits -- demanded the place start doling out more fresh and local grub.
That co-owner Tom Hontalas
was displeased by this clause in his contract might raise a red flag among San Francisco's foodie crowd. On the other hand, while typical diner patrons need not insist on filthy refreshments and awful food, they probably aren't looking for organics either.
In any event, the food you get at Louis' will be good or very good. And the views -- the diner is perched above the ruins of Sutro Baths -- will be spectacular. A hearty breakfast, steaming cup of Joe, and a clear view of the Pacific is an inspiring way to start the day. This is a great place to bring out-of-towners; locales this far west are literally not on the tourists' maps. And now you can order eggs benedict with spinach or a fresh spinach salad (but only when spinach is in season, because
it must be sourced to within 200 miles, per the order of the feds. The feds!)
