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 Ghirardelli Square, Larkin Street and Beach. Detail |
Ghirardelli,
Anchor, and Boudin are three brands forever connected to their
roots in San Francisco. Though collected here as original San Francisco
food items, each has its unique story. The Boudin
Bakery - and the legend of San Francisco sourdough bread - began in
1849 when Isidore Boudin invented the "mother dough," the alpha recipe
still used today. The company has a mixed history of private and corporate
ownership. The Boudin family owned the business until 1945, when they sold
it to the company's master baker, Steven Giraudo. The Giraudo family sold
the bakery to Specialty Foods of Illinois in 1993 but bought it back after
nearly a decade. Anchor Steam Beer is
San Francisco's beer. Founded in 1896 and rejuvenated in the 1960s when
the brewery was purchased by appliance guy Fritz Maytag, the Anchor Brewing
Company revived the American tradition of craft beer. For many, a tour
of the brewery at 1705 Mariposa Street is equal to a beer lover's pilgrimage
to Amsterdam's renowned Heineken. Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
was founded in 1852 by an Italian immigrant, Domingo, aka Domenico, Ghirardelli.
The Ghirardelli chocolate factory along Fisherman's Wharf first illuminated
its famous sign in 1923. The factory was
converted into a marketplace in the early 1960s and designated as a landmark
shortly thereafter. Apart from this legacy, there is little that remains
of Ghirardelli in San Francisco. The chocolate operation relocated to San
Leandro around the time Ghirardelli Square became a market. Today, the
company is owned by Sprungli Chocolate of Switzerland. A non-commercial location
where a visitor can honor the Ghirardelli legacy is 415 Jackson
Street, the site of Domingo's original chocolate factory.
More
about Ghirardelli Chocolate
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Copyright 2002 Hank Donat |