San Francisco, California, is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the west coast, attracting thousands of visitors every year. Indeed, famed for its liberal past and well-known as a bastion of gay rights in the United States, the city attracts as many people from alternative lifestyles as it does families, keen to visit it’s historic attractions, museums and fantastic art galleries. However, if you’re planning to visit San Francisco, there’s one aspect of city life that you can’t afford to miss out on: the spectacular San Francisco crab.

The San Francisco crab season lasts from mid-November to mid-June, during which time visitors will find some of the best crab on the West Coast, the best crab restaurants in the USA, and some of the world’s best crab markets and crab festivals! Particularly famous is San Francisco’s famous Dungeness Crab. The Dungeness Crab has played an important role in San Francisco’s history, influencing all sectors of San Franciscan life – from the crab-boat docks of Fisherman’s Wharf to the diverse immigrant population of the city – and inspiring a range of Italian, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes, among others.

And when you’re in San Francisco during crab season, make sure you buy your crab from the best places in the city. The streets of Chinatown, for instance, are swarming with grocery stalls that sell live fish during crab season; so expect to find some of the most freshly-caught crab here, as the live crabs fill the area’s numerous saltwater tanks. Fisherman’s Wharf, one of San Francisco’s most popular neighbourhoods, also provides an excellent location in which visitors can buy fresh crab, or find restaurants where they can enjoy ready-to-eat Dungeness Crab and clam chowder.

During crab season, San Francisco also plays host to the country’s best crab festivals. The San Francisco Crab Festival and Fisherman’s Wharf Crab Festival are both well-established celebrations of the crab’s culinary brilliance; however, there are other festival options available to the city goer: the North Beach Crab Crawl, for instance, gives the city’s favourite crustacean an Italian flavour, while the Union Square Crab Fest is well-known for attracting A-list celebrities and offering world-class restaurants and high quality shopping.

If you’re hoping to visit San Francisco during its crab season, you’re sure to find a range of hotels in San Francisco that will suit your requirements. So whether you’re a culinary fiend on holiday, a businessman in the restaurant industry or simply crazy about crab, visit San Francisco during crab season – who knows what you might find!

Author: Andrew Regan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com