American cooking

by Laura Martin Bacon

If anyone knows the historic secrets of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, it’s my friend Vince Rafello. This coastside cook combines a briny Sicilian-Portuguese pedigree with a fishing heritage that dates back nearly three centuries.

“We’re seafaring folks,” he tells me. “I’m pretty sure we’ve all got saltwater running through our veins.”

On a cool, windy coastal afternoon, I sit by the fire with Vince and his wife Ruth as he shares fond memories of a dockside childhood. I’m fascinated by his stories of happy years spent helping out at the family’s fish market – one of the first on Fisherman’s Wharf.

Rafello’s Fish Market was founded in 1915 by Vince’s grandfather, a local fisherman who ran the business with the help of his wife and two sons. Continue reading →

by Laura Martin Bacon

Writer’s Update – October, 2015: In celebration of Chuck’s 100th birthday, I had the privilege of writing a four-part story of my culinary mentor’s long and intriguing life, beginning back in 1915. If you’d like to read it, you’ll find it here.

Whenever I visit with my friend Chuck, I feel as though time has stopped—or as though I’ve entered a magical time-out-of-time. Of course, the colors of the San Francisco sky and bay outside the window are always changing, as are the jewel hues of the ever-dapper Chuck’s beloved cashmere sweaters.

But regardless of the weather or sweater, there’s a twinkle in Chuck’s eye and an energetic curiosity in his posture as he leans forward to ask a question or clarify a point. And there are decades of memories hidden on bookshelves or nestled comfortably in antique armchairs, just waiting to take shape in one of Chuck’s stories.

Sitting with Chuck as we sip tea and indulge in chewy molasses cookies or buttery chocolate shortbread, it seems as though there is all the time in the world. Nothing about Chuck is rushed—his soft southern voice is as warm and careful and orderly as the culinary landscapes he has created.

Over the years, Chuck has patiently – often passionately – answered my questions by reaching back into the memories of a long and delicious life. Chuck’s culinary vision has made history—and his own plain-spoken words tell it best.

Continue reading →