New book by College of the Environment’s Paul Stangl dives into origins of San Francisco’s vibrant seafood scene

“San Francisco Seafood: A History from Ocean to Table,” by Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Sustainable Development Paul Stangl, traces the evolution of the city’s seafood scene from being nearly non-existent during the Gold Rush years to a destination hub for seafood lovers in the 1920s.  

“Fascinated by the history of San Francisco and a fan of the city’s seafood restaurants, I began scrolling through accounts of seafood consumption in the nineteenth century about 15 years ago,” Stangl said. “These stories provided fascinating glimpses of social life in the city, from fights over free clams at dive bars to formal dining on salmon a la Chambord at elite banquets.” 

Through research on government records and stories contemporary to that era, Stangl examines the city’s relationship with the ocean and how the rise of its seafood industry shaped local culture and labor, while depleting local seafood stocks, offering lessons about sustainability and cuisine today. 

“I expanded the project to examine the changing relationship between city residents, fishermen and wholesalers and to account for the increasing role of government intervention. This made for a far more challenging project than I anticipated, so I am both happy and relieved to see the final product,” Stangl said. 

An amateur cook and seafood enthusiast, Stangl’s research interests include the history of city planning in Berlin and San Francisco, pedestrian planning and measures of street connectivity.  

Appealing to food and history buffs alike, “San Francisco Seafood” illustrates how the city’s distinctive geography and diverse communities and influences have shaped its deep connection to the ocean and seafood.  

“San Francisco Seafood,” published by Bloomsbury Publishing, is Stangl’s second book. 

Stangl’s 2019 book, “Risen from Ruins: The Cultural Politics of Rebuilding East Berlin,” from Stanford University Press, combines political analysis with spatial and architectural history to show how the politics of East Berlin between World War II and the construction of the Berlin Wall played out in the built environment. 

Jennifer Nerad covers Western’s College of the Environment and College of Business and Economics for the Office of University Communications. Have a great story idea? Reach out to her at neradj@wwu.edu.