Cancer Magister Season
In the Bay Area, crabbing is a rite of passage. Most natives of the Bay Area have at least one childhood memory of being awoken by family way before dawn and heading out to the coast to catch that infamous Dungeness Crab. Why are these memories so ingrained in our memories? Was it the bone-chilling cold? The time with family? Perhaps it’s enjoying the day’s bounty at the dinner table? Whatever it is, it is clear that Dungeness Crab is as Bay Area as baseball and jazz are American!
Dungeness Crabs (Cancer magister) are native to the West Coast of the United States, from Alaska to Southern California, and they are named for a stretch of land on Washington’s coast. In other words, Dungeness Crab love the cold! The San Francisco Bay Area has become a hub for crabbing, so much so it has become a part of its identity. The region is home to a robust fishing industry, and this fishing industry is as old as San Francisco itself. Dungeness Crabs have been popular in San Francisco since the mid-1800s, some claiming that it was so popular that it actually attracted tourists seeking freshly caught crab.
The heart of San Francisco’s crabbing industry is none other than Fisherman’s Wharf, the eclectic mix of food stands, gift shops, museums, and restaurants. In fact, according to one report, San Francisco commercial crabbers pull in approximately 2 million pounds of Dungeness Crab each year, the majority of which comes through Fisherman’s Wharf.
Unsurprisingly, some of the best restaurants to eat crab are within a stone’s throw of the wharf (or in some cases, right over the water). Most locals or seasoned San Francisco visitors know one of the best ways to enjoy a Dungeness Crab is to buy a freshly steamed one from one of the many stalls that line Fisherman’s Wharf and to eat it while watching the fishing boats go in and out of the harbor. For those more inclined to sit down in a restaurant, the iconic Franciscan Crab Restaurant, which was built in the mid-1950s, is the perfect place to crack open the crustacean. Every table in the restaurant has a view of the bay, and the menu is packed with amazing seafood dishes. The Dungeness Crab is by far their most popular (and most delicious). But if we’re honest, crab-lovers can find delicious Dungeness almost anywhere in San Francisco, as long as it’s during crab season, which generally starts in November and ends around June or July.
With crab season upon us, commercial fishermen and recreational crabbers are dusting off the traps, restaurants and families are pulling the crab pots out of storage, and coastal communities are gearing up for the shift from summer beach crowds to winter fishing. Pacifica, in particular, has one of the best - and most crowded - crabbing locations - the Pacifica Pier. And with the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing, crabbing season couldn’t come soon enough. After being cooped up for several months, most seasoned and novice crabbers, for once, are excited for those early, cold mornings. Just make sure you remember your warm jacket and a beanie to keep your dome warm! Bootlegger Beanies are the perfect head gear for the recreational and commercial fisherman, alike.