California has lost many iconic restaurants over the decades, but if you’re in San Francisco, the recent loss of two dining staplesreally hurts.
After 46 years specializing solely in savory and sweet soufflés, Café Jacqueline on Grant Avenue shuttered on Dec. 20, 2025. The café’s namesake — chef-owner Jacqueline Margulis — is 89 years old, and she told the San Francisco Chronicle she had been considering retiring from the business. The Michelin Guide once called the restaurant a “total treasure.”
Over at Fisherman’s Wharf, famous seafood restaurant Alito’s has been closed for years, but its legendary, fish-shaped sign remained at the landmark — that is, until earlier this week. A demo crew was seen dismantling the sign and preparing to tear down the building. The work is part of the city’s Fisherman’s Wharf Forward project, designed to revamp the famous tourist area. A new public plaza will be built where Alito’s restaurant stood for 100 years…