Big 4
Africa is known for its Big 5, but we're not talking animals here; we're talking tycoons. The sexy Big 4 restaurant, tucked into the lobby at the historic Huntington Hotel, is named for 19th Century railroad tycoons, C.P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford, and Mark Hopkin. The dining room, with its rich paneled walls, leaded windows, and leather seats, is a scene from the Gilded Age.
Chef takes his game very seriously. There's always something wild on the menu, like pan seared buffalo with smoked buffalo hash. However, for a real wild feast, book a table during the annual Wild Game Festival and you may find a menu offering alligator sausage, piranha ribs, wild boar chop, black buck antelope medallions, yak Wellington, crusted llama, and elk au poive.
Big 4
Huntington Hotel
1075 California St
The Huntington Hotel
(between Cushman St & Taylor St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
415-771-1140
www.big4restaurant.com/
The Front Porch
This come-as-you-are New Orleans-style eatery is best known for po-boys, crab & grits, and buckets of fried chicken (which some claim to be the best in town.) However, they often include a wild game entrée on the menu that causes carnivores to swoon. Don't pass up the pepper pot stew with oxtails, wild boar, lamb shanks, duck and pork belly or the bacon-wrapped whole roast quail served over butter beans.
The Front Porch
65A 29th St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-695-7800
www.thefrontporchsf.com
Fior D'italia
It's dubbed the oldest Italian restaurant in the country, and San Francisco families have been gobbling up its platters of linguine since 1886. The North End restaurant near Fisherman's Wharf is, alas, a tourist magnet, but still serves tasty southern Italian dishes at reasonable prices. You'll get dizzying menu with more than 90 items. Wild game enthusiasts should go straight to the Polli e Cacciagione (Chicken and Game) heading. Two popular choices are the rabbit stew with wild mushrooms and the filet of venison with mushroom cream sauce.
Fior D'italia
2237 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-986-1886
www.fior.com
Golden Gate Meat Company
Do you have a grill or cooking facilities at your campsite or motel? You could cook up your own wild game feast. Head to this longstanding, family-owned market, where you'll find a good selection of wild game, including buffalo, venison, wild boar, ostrich, elk, antelope, and more.
Golden Gate Meat Company
Ferry Building Marketplace
Shop #13
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-983-7800
www.goldengatemeatcompany.com
Article Written By Pamela Wright
Pamela Wright is a freelance writer, author of more than two dozen guidebooks, and hundreds of articles. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including "National Geographic Traveler," "Family Circle," "Family Fun," "Backpacker," "Hemispheres," "Cooking Light," "Yankee" and more. An active member of the Society of American Travel Writers, she holds a Bachelor's from Michigan State University
