Ernie's

Ernie's

Company type	Private
Industry	Restaurant
Founded	1900 (1900)
Founder	Ernie Carlesso
Defunct	September 30, 1995 (1995-09-30)
Headquarters	San Francisco, California , United States
Products	Italian cuisine, French cuisine

Ernie's (1900–1995) was a San Francisco dining venue that transformed from a simple family-oriented Italian trattoria near the Barbary Coast into an upscale restaurant celebrated for classic French fare by the mid-20th century. Its interior evoked a Victorian, fin-de-siècle bordello ambiance, featuring rich red wallpaper, heavy curtains, crisp white linens, and waitstaff in formal attire. In 1979, culinary expert Roy Andries de Groot hailed it as "undeniably the most elegant, renowned, finest, and luxurious restaurant in San Francisco" and ranked it among the premier dining establishments in the United States.

At the time of its 1995 closure, Ernie's stood as one of the few remaining icons of San Francisco’s traditional fine dining legacy. Similar historic venues such as the Poodle Dog Restaurants, Jack's, The Blue Fox, A. Sabella's, and Amelio's had already shuttered. Only a handful of 19th-century restaurants like Tadich Grill, Sam's, and John's Grill continued operating, though none matched Ernie's level of grandeur and exclusive atmosphere.

History

Ernie's was established by chef-owner Ernie Carlesso under the name Ernie's Il Travatore at 847 Montgomery Street near Jackson Square. Positioned on the fringe of the historic Barbary Coast—a district famed for its nightlife and entertainment since the 1850s—the eatery specialized in traditional American-Italian dishes. Its popularity enabled Carlesso and waiter Ambrogio Gotti to acquire ownership of the building in 1935. Following Carlesso’s passing in 1946, Gotti retired in 1947 and transferred his stake to his sons Roland and Victor, who remained sole proprietors for nearly five decades.

During the late 1940s or early 1950s, the Gotti brothers undertook a significant redesign of the restaurant’s interior, replacing its former decor with sophisticated Victorian-style furnishings and minimizing external signage to an understated brass plaque. Their approach emphasized exclusivity and opulence with the ambition to create "the most beautiful restaurant in the world." They retained historic features such as the mahogany bar from the original 'Frisco Dance Hall and incorporated French culinary specialties like crêpes Suzette and Chicken in Champagne into the menu.

By the early 1960s, Ernie's had secured its inaugural five-star rating from the Mobil Travel Guide, initiating a streak of 32 consecutive awards that solidified its status within fine dining circles. The restaurant also achieved cultural prominence through its appearance in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film Vertigo.

In response to shifting consumer preferences during the 1980s, Ernie's underwent renovations that included lighter menu options, updated interiors replacing red silk wallpaper with yellow hues, relocating the bar area, and appointing new chefs. Despite these changes, critical opinions were divided: the San Francisco Chronicle criticized it as a "caricature of a fine restaurant" mainly attracting tourists, while the Zagat Survey documented declining ratings by 1989 but noted some enhancements in ambiance and service quality.

By 1993, with chef Craig Thomas at the helm, Zagat ratings showed slight recovery. Ernie's contributed to launching culinary careers such as those of Jacky Robert and Alain Rondelli but ultimately failed to maintain its edge amid changing industry dynamics. The restaurant permanently ceased operations on September 30, 1995.

Notes

• Some sources show slight variations concerning the precise year the property was acquired or the timing of interior remodeling efforts.

References

• In Search of the Perfect Meal, authored by Roy Andries de Groot, published by St. Martin's Press, New York, 1986, , "The Finest Regional Dish in America", pages 238–245. De Groot, originally from the Netherlands, was a post-World War II connoisseur and writer specializing in food and beverages.
• Restaurants of San Francisco, written by Patricia Unterman and Stan Stesser, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1986, , features a compilation of critiques from San Francisco Chronicle restaurant reviewers.
• 1989 Zagat San Francisco Bay Area Restaurant Survey, edited by Anthony Dias Blue and Edwin J. Schwarz, Zagat Survey, New York, 1988, , an early prominent dining guide derived from customer surveys.
• 1993 Zagat San Francisco Bay Area Restaurant Survey, edited by Anthony Dias Blue, Jack R. Weiner, and Eric Wald, Zagat Survey, New York, 1992, , an updated edition following the previous survey.