distant stands, and the tired policemen leaning against friendly walls,
recuperating after the strenuous work of keeping order in chaos.

It is when one goes to these places in the morning and sees the
cheapness of these foods that he can understand in a small way why it is
that so many Italian restaurants can give such good meals for so little
money. One wonders at a table d'hote dinner of six or seven courses for
twenty-five cents, or even for half a dollar, and one accustomed to
buying meats, fish, vegetables and fruits at the exorbitant prices
charged at most of the markets and fruit and vegetable stands now sees
why the thrifty foreigner can make and save money while the average
American can hardly keep more than two jumps ahead of the sheriff.



Fish in Their Variety

Probably the most frequent question asked us by those who come to San
Francisco is: "Where can we get the best fish?" With San Francisco's
wonderful natural advantages as a fish market one is sometimes surprised
that more attention is not given to preparing fish as a specialty. But
one restaurant in the city deals exclusively with sea food, and even
there one is astonished at an overlooked opportunity.

Darbee & Immel have catered to San Francisco in oysters for many years
and after the fire they opened the Shell Fish Grotto, in O'Farrell
street, between Powell and Mason streets, and this is one of the very
few distinctive fish restaurants of the country. It is when one
considers the possibilities that a shock comes from the environing
decorations. White and gold pillars, with twining ivy reaching to the