Tables From The Rubble transports readers to San Francisco in the years just after the Great Quake of 1906. Amid the ruins, restaurants rose to feed the hungry and lead the recovery. Today a handful of the restaurants that opened at that time remain, serving customers in many of the same spaces they first opened — offering food and stories that link to a century-old past. Featured restaurants include Swan Oyster Depot on Polk Street, Liguria Bakery in North Beach, Sam Wo in Chinatown, the glamorous Palace Hotel, the House of Shields bar across the street, North Beach’s Comstock Saloon, John’s Grill near Union Square and many more.

Book events have included “taste of history” dinners, combining recipes from the book with a visually rich presentation and discussion. Author Denise Clifton also presented San Francisco Heritage’s Alice Ross Carey Lecture (2018) and “Rooted in Resilience: Legacy Restaurants and Bars in San Francisco” (2020).

Tables From The Rubble is available in paperback and a multimedia edition for Mac/iOS with videos, recipes, historic menus and an interactive map. Or buy it from our favorite San Francisco independent bookstores: Omnivore Books and Green Apple Books.

BUY THE PAPERBACK  |  BUY THE MULTIMEDIA

What they’re saying about the book:

“Clifton thinks the secret of survival for these classic old places is simple: ‘Dedication, grit and hard work.’ ” – Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle

“The idea for this book is so brilliant. …It’s just such a reminder of those restaurants that I think we all love.” – Chef John Ash, KSRO’s “Good Food Hour”