San Francisco Dining's Best Catch: Blue Mermaid Chowder House & Bar At Fisherman's Wharf

Maybe you've heard the siren's call for superb seafood in San Francisco, but wondering where the best catch would be. Lucky you. It's right next door at the Blue Mermaid Chowder House & Bar. The setting here is an authentic, richly textured oceanfront ambiance accented with sea-faring touches like renderings of mermaids, rough-hewn timbers and thick braids of rope.

But the main event is a menu that brims with Barbary Coast heritage and Gold Rush nostalgia, all prepared with a twist of San Francisco sizzle. Dishes like six types of homemade chowders, streamed mussels and grilled Hawaiian mahi mahi are prepared in an Earth-friendly fashion respectful of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's sustainable fisheries guidelines. Cuisine here is paired with a global selection of wines, microbrew beers and an array of hand-crafted cocktails with names like The Mary Mermaid and the Sailor's Girl. Honestly, who could resist.