Almost coincident with the opening of the Iron House an Italian named
Bazzuro took possession of one of the stranded sailing vessels
encumbering the Bay, and anchored it out in the water at the point where
Davis and Pacific streets now intersect. He opened a restaurant which
immediately attracted attention and gained good reputation for its
service and its cooking. Later, when the land was filled in, Bazzuro
built a house at almost the same spot and opened his restaurant there,
continuing it up to the time of the great fire in 1906.

After the fire one of the earliest restaurants to be established in that
part of the city was Bazzuro's, at the same corner, and it is still run
by the family, who took charge after the death of the original
proprietor. Here one can get the finest Italian peasant meal in the
city, and many of the Italian merchants and bankers still go there for
their luncheons every day, preferring it to the more pretentious
establishments.

The French peasant style came a little later, beginning in a little
dining room opened in Washington street, just above Kearny, by a French
woman whose name was a carefully guarded secret. She was known far and
wide as "Ma Tanta" (My Aunt). Her cooking was considered the best of all
in the city, and her patrons sat at a long common table, neat and clean
to the last degree. Peasant style of serving was followed. First
appeared Ma Tanta with a great bowl of salad which she passed around,
each patron helping himself. This was followed by an immense tureen of
soup, held aloft in the hands of Ma Tanta, and again each was his own
waiter. Fish, entree, roast, and dessert, were served in the same
manner, and with the black coffee Ma Tanta changed from servitor to
hostess and sat with her guests and discussed the topics of the day on