History

Crab Louie was on San Francisco menus by the early 1910s: Victor Hirtzler's 1910 St Francis Hotel cookbook gave a Crabmeat a la Louise; Clarence Edwords printed Solari's recipe in his 1914 Bohemian San Francisco. Tadich Grill, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in California (founded 1849), has served Dungeness Louie for over a century; Sam's Grill on Bush Street and Swan Oyster Depot on Polk Street still serve the canonical version with locally landed Dungeness from November through May.

Common allergens: Crustaceans, Egg, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 25 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 300g cold-cracked Dungeness crab meat (a mix of leg and body)
  • 1 small head iceberg lettuce, cored and quartered
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 8 asparagus spears, blanched 90 seconds and shocked
  • 1 small avocado, sliced
  • 8 black olives
  • For the Louie dressing: 150ml mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons chilli sauce, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, juice of half a lemon, 2 finely chopped spring onions, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, salt and black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

  1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Chill at least 30 minutes for the flavours to settle.
  2. Lay iceberg quarters on two chilled plates.
  3. Arrange the asparagus spears, tomato halves, egg halves, avocado slices and olives around the lettuce.
  4. Pile the cold crab in the centre of each plate.
  5. Spoon the dressing generously over the crab, letting it drip onto the lettuce and tomato.
  6. Season with cracked black pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and a fork and knife.

Tip from the editors. Buy whole cold-cracked crab from a counter and pick the meat yourself; pre-picked supermarket meat is wet and bland. The legs are sweet, the body meat is richer; mix them.

Where to eat crab louie salad

Crab Louie salad in San Francisco

Tadich Grill ★ 4.3

American$$$embarcadero

Tadich Grill in San Francisco is California's oldest continuously running restaurant, opened in 1849 in the Financial District, still grilling over mesquite.

Signature: Cioppino, Hangtown Fry, Sand dabs

Order: Sand dabs grilled over mesquite, or the Hangtown Fry at lunch.

Tip: No reservations except for parties of six or more; lunch counter seats turn over fastest.

240 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111 Book →

Swan Oyster Depot ★ 4.7

Seafood$$$lower-pac-heights

Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco is a Polk Street counter that has served cold-house Dungeness, oysters and clam chowder since 1912 in 18 stools.

Signature: Cracked Dungeness, Sicilian sashimi, Clam chowder

Order: Crab Louie and a half-dozen Marin Miyagis on the half shell.

Tip: Open 10:30-17:00 only; queue forms at 09:45 on a weekend, takes an hour at peak.

1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Book →

Sam's Grill ★ 4.2

American$$$embarcadero

Sam's Grill in San Francisco is the Financial District chophouse running since 1867, with sand dabs, mahogany booths and a midday lunch tradition.

Signature: Hangtown Fry, Sand dabs, Crab Louis

Order: Sand dabs with brown butter and lemon, the room's standard since 1867.

Tip: Book one of the private booths upstairs at lunch; the lower-floor dining room turns louder after 12:30.

374 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 Book →

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