Scoma's on the Wharf (San Francisco) and My Favorite Travel Story

This is the view from the wharf. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get a picture of the restaurant.  From inside, you could look out over the water and see the boats moored outside. 

I'm taking you back to San Francisco to talk about my favorite restaurant: Scoma's (the one on the wharf). For once, I'm not promoting a hole-in-the-wall. Scoma's is one of the highest-grossing independent restaurants in the nation.

And with good reason — Scoma's served me the best meal I have ever had. Period. The. Best. That's a serious superlative; I don't use 'best' lightly when I'm talking about food. Food is serious.

Unassuming on the outside, Scoma's is actually very nice, and when Dad and I walked in fresh from a day of touring the city, we definitely felt a little grungy and underdressed. I recommend changing for a dinner at Scoma's if you don't want to feel the same way. A simple dress should be just fine; slacks if you're a guy.

But beyond just serving mind-blowing food, Scoma's represents an a-ha! moment for me: that was when I figured out that I really loved food, especially trying new food, and I wanted to keep experiencing (and writing about) food. There's just something about the combination of food and travel...  Travel gives you the opportunity to experience a different culture. Food is a great expression of culture. And at my heart, I want to spend the rest of my life learning about other cultures. It's a perfect recipe.

Anyway, we're seated and looking at our menus and I'm blown away. "Order anything," Dad said with an encouraging nod. "It's on me."

Living on the Gulf Coast, I've been eating great, fresh seafood my entire life. But this was really one of my first experiences with Pacific seafood. There were fish on the menu I didn't even know you could eat, like swordfish. Everything looked good, and I knew I was out of my depth.

Enter the waiter. A great waiter knows the menu inside and out and is much, much more apt to recommend something you'll like than the impulse of a brain confronted with food it's never tried before. We just happened to have a great waiter, and in a moment of inspiration I asked him, "What can I order here that will taste delicious and I can't get ANYWHERE ELSE in the world?"

He smiled at me and told me it was a great question. "Let me go talk to the chef," he said.

So we waited, nibbling at our bread. Finally, he came back and told me that the chef had just received a fresh, large halibut, and he was willing to make me something unique from the very best part of the fish. And he did. The waiter called it "halibut chop" and it was served with cheesy polenta, and, of all things, turnip greens, which were completely delicious and reminded me of home. Every bite was a song.

I did not leave a single scrap on my late. And when the waiter brought us the check, I thanked him for his excellent service and sent my compliments to the chef. I've had a lot of great food in my lifetime, but this experience stuck with me.

It became my Dad's favorite story. It's embarrassing, isn't it, when your parents tell stories about you? I'm always a little embarrassed to be discussed in the third person. However, I'm also a little proud my father chooses this story to illustrate my character to his friends and co-workers. It's me at my best self, how I'd like to be presented, and not just some random story about something funny I did as a kid. I only offer a few blushing protestations when he tells it.

Here's what I learned from this episode: 1.) Listen to your waiter. If you don't know what to order, don't be afraid to ask for advice. 2.) Don't be afraid to ask questions. 3.) Trust the chef. Think about it: this person went to school to learn how to make delicious things. He or she knows a hell of a lot more about food than you do.