If you find yourself in San Francisco this week, gliding along Van Ness Avenue, you will be blinded by the glow of rich red and gold wrapping the dome of City Hall. The light display is for the 49ers, supporting the state’s champion team who will be playing the Kansas City Chiefs for this Sunday’s 54th Super Bowl. But to me, that color is always representative of another San Francisco born-and-bred icon: the cioppino.
Cioppino is a stew of fish and seafood in a tomato broth, born long ago in Liguria by fishermen on the very wharf where many restaurants still serve it. There are many theories about the origins and name of this dish. Some say it is a re-imagining of an Italian soup; others say that it is an “Italianized” mutation of the English chip-in (a call hollered by the fellow who goes boat-to-boat, making the rounds and asking for a contribution in his fish bucket for the communal meal. Whatever its path, today cioppino is a dish that belongs to the people of San Francisco.
Cioppino comes in many versions, though they all have some mix of seafood as a base with canned tomatoes, white wine, aromatic vegetables and fresh herbs. Each cook’s secret lies in portions and seasoning.
When fifth generation San Franciscan Nick Hoppe opened a restaurant on the wharf 21 years ago, he knew his cioppino was as good as those with long Italian pedigrees – so he needed to find a way to make the dish speak for itself. He decided to put the very name of the iconic dish in bright lights and Cioppino’s was born. Today, Nick’s daughter Taryn runs the business and is living proof that good, thoughtfully prepared food transcends culture and tradition.
The Hoppe’s cioppino is filled with perfectly tender and unerringly fresh shellfish, chunks of snapper and the show stopping crab legs peeking out from the tomato broth. Cioppino’s will not reveal their recipe, but general manager Mia Harriman shares that it takes two different sauces and a fish stock, all made in house and carefully blended to order, to achieve the flavor that fills the house full of both locals and tourists night after night.
As expected, this family owned and run business with such deep San Francisco roots will be open and ready to root for their home team this Sunday – over a bowl of steaming cioppino and a pint of one of the fine locally crafted San Fran beers.