Cioppino at Tadich Grill

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A slice of sourdough, a glass of Zinfandel, and you have a true San Francisco meal.

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As a daily windup to the Weekly's Best of S.F. 2010, due out tomorrow, we've teased out 92 of our favorite local dishes that taste like here. All the tasty details after the jump.

Number 1: Cioppino at Tadich Grill

Admit it: Every time you walk into Tadich Grill you fall back in love with San Francisco. Even when you reread the opening blurb on the menu, which reminds you that the 161-year-old restaurant has only been in its current location since 1967, it's hard to shake off the impression that the place dates back to the days before the Earthquake. Scuffed wood-walled booths and rickety floorboards, waiters in white jackets, the occasional racket of the cable car trundling by, a hunk of sourdough at your elbow ― the San Francisco of Mark Twain and Dashiell Hammett is not buried as deeply as you thought it was.

When you dip your spoon into a bowl of Tadich's cioppino, you remember why it is San Francisco's most famous dish. Yes, the cooks remove the Dungeness crab from the shell (some places still call the version "lazy cioppino"). But from the way the sweetness of the prawns and crab meat mellows the tomatoes' acid spike and the way the scallops, fish, and clams come out so fat and tender, you know that time and tourists have not dimmed the cooks' respect for the dish. Tadich has been making cioppino since the days when it bought seafood off the Genoese fishing clans who invented the stew.

So few of us modern-day San Franciscans have ties to the city that date back this far. So many of us came here to escape our origins in Indiana, Alabama, Pampanga, Jalisco. We fleetingly recognize the city's past in its architecture and its street names, but we leave the history-keeping to the San Francisco natives, many of whom have been forced out by the changing economics.

Tadich's cioppino is a glorious meal that reminds us of the days when the port was thrumming, the union battles were bloody, the city was still wheezing from the effort of rebuilding itself. It is a dish that sings to us of our love for San Francisco, a romance that a thousand daily nuisances obscure. We love the cioppino at Tadich not just because it's a great dish but because it is ours.
 
Tadich Grill 240 California (at Front), 391-1849.
 

Hungry for more? Click on the links in our countdown so far:

No. 92: Cracked Half Dungeness from Swan Oyster Depot
No. 91: Pastrami Sandwich from Orson
No. 90: Coconut Bun from Out the Door on Bush
No. 89: Brown Sugar-Black Pepper Biscuits from Little Skillet
No. 88: Spit-Roasted Porchetta Sandwich from Il Cane Rosso
No. 87: Indian Pizza from Zante
No. 86: Tamales from All-Star
No. 85: Chilaquiles from Nopalito
No. 84: Poc Chuc from Poc-Chuc
No. 83: Chocolate Beignet from Arlequin Cafe
No. 82: Scallop Crêpe from Ti Couz
No. 81: Gin and Tonic from Pizzaiolo/Boot and Shoe Service
No. 80: Quesadilla from Rico Pan
No. 79: Turkey Kati Rolls from Kasa
No. 78: Emperor's Pancake from Suppenküche
No. 77: Lasagna from Zuppa
No. 76: Chicharrones from 4505 Meats
No. 75: Langka Ice Cream from Mitchell's
No. 74: Bacon Potato Chips from Who's Your Daddy
No. 73: Lamb Dumplings from Kingdom of Dumpling
No. 72: Chile-Braised Carnitas Sandwich from Bento 415
No. 71: Chili from Mission Burger
No. 70: Croissants from La Farine
No. 69: Xiu Mai Banh Mi from Saigon Sandwich
No. 68: Creme Brulee from Sweet.
No. 67: Limon Cebiche from Limon
No. 66: Chicken and Waffles from Brown Sugar Kitchen
No. 65: Brioche Bread Pudding from Tartine Bakery
No. 64: Turkish Salad from Old Jerusalem
No. 63: Ribs from Bruno's
No. 62: Prupisceddu in Umidu (Stewed Octopus) from La Ciccia
No. 61: Hot and Spicy Beef Jerky from Marin Sun Farms
No. 60: Pozole from Chilango
No. 59: Lobster Roll from Sam's ChowderMobile
No. 58: Dry-Fried Chicken Wings from San Tung
No. 57: John Campbell's Scones from Lovejoy's Tea Room
No. 56: Prahok from Angkor Borei
No. 55: The Garden-Fresh Pie from Pizzetta 211
No. 54: Pata Negra Ham from Contigo
No. 53: Stone Bowl Bibimbap at Han Il Kwan
No. 52: Green Papaya Salad from Green Papaya Deli
No. 51: Egg Puffs from Shanghai Dumpling King
No. 50: Cactus Tortillas from La Palma
No 49: Thai Barbecue Chicken from Manivanh
No. 48: Salt and Pepper Crab from R&G Lounge
No. 47: Aztec Chocolate Cupcakes from Mission Minis
No. 46: Octopus Tostada from Mariscos La Costa
No. 45: Pan con Chicharron from El Perol
No. 44: Burmese Chicken-Noodle Soup at Yamo
No. 43: Roast Duck from Cheung Hing
No. 42: Rotisserie Bird from Goood Frickin' Chicken
No. 41: Franklin's Teleme Cheese
No. 40: Pho Dac Biet from Turtle Tower
No. 39: Sea Salted Dark Chocolate Caramels from Hooker's
No. 38: Dottie's Famous Pancakes from Dottie's True Blue Cafe
No. 37: XXX Chocolate Cake from Baker and Banker
No. 36: Carnitas Burrito from La Taqueria
No. 35: Little Fried Fish from Nopa
No. 34: Marlowe's Burger
No. 33: Crispy Pata from Patio Filipino
No. 32: Jam Thumbprints from Piccino Coffee Bar
No. 31: Slow-Cooked Egg from Commis
No. 30: Pulled Lamb Sandwich from Wexler's
No. 29: Cornmeal-Cherry-Rosemary Doughnut from Dynamo
No. 28: The Rising Sun from 15 Romolo
No. 27: The Cholle Bhature from Vik's Chaat Corner
No. 26: Plant Burger from The Plant Café Organic
No. 25: Stuffed Pasta from Flour + Water
No. 24: Potato Vareniki from Katia's Russian Tea Room
No. 23: Tokyo Ramen from Suzu Noodle House
No. 22: Margherita Pizza from Tony's Pizza Napoletana
No. 21: PB&J from Mission Street Food
No. 20: Sam's Sundae from Bi-Rite Creamery
No. 19: Timballo di Maccheroni from Quince
No. 18: New Orleans Iced Coffee from Blue Bottle
No. 17: Xiao Long Bao at Yank Sing
No. 16: Tacos from Taqueria Vallarta
No. 15: Caribeño Cocktail at Smuggler's Cove
No. 14: House-Cured Anchovies at Zuni Cafe
No. 13: Rabbit Pot Pie from Mission Beach Cafe
No. 12: Cappuccino It's-It
No. 11: Death & Taxes from Moonlight Brewing
No. 10: Pork Belly from The Alembic
No. 9: Saltado de Pollo from Mi Lindo Peru
No. 8: Acme's Pain au Levain
No. 7: Salumi Platter from Barbacco and Perbacco
No. 6: Pulled Pork Sandwich from Pal's Takeaway
No. 5: Paper Masala Dosa from Udupi Palace
No. 4: Zilla-Style Hot Dog from 4505 Meats
No. 3: Fruit Noshing at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
No. 2: Congee with Pork and Preserved Egg at Hing Lung