Remembering Sabella’s

You could say seafood was in the Sabella family’s blood from the start. Angelo Sabella’s father, Luciano, came from a fishing village in Sicily and traveled to San Francisco at age 15 in 1887. He later married Angela Sclafani and got into the seafood business in San Francisco, eventually opening up Crab Stand No. 3 in Fisherman’s Wharf. Angelo Sabella learned about seafood while helping out his father during his childhood.

Sabella’s first trip to Marin happened after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. His father packed up the family and their possessions in his fishing boat and sailed over to Tiburon, where they stayed at a tent camp. After the fires were contained, they went back to Telegraph and Stockton streets in San Francisco.

In 1932, Sabella opened his first restaurant at the end of the Santa Barbara wharf. When he returned to the Bay Area, he and his wife, Vita, opened Marin Sabella’s at the north end of the old Redwood Highway in 1951. Located at 633 Redwood Highway in Mill Valley, the restaurant was known for its delicious lobster thermidor, along with the “best-tasting clam chowder in Northern California.” They served up to 1,200 dishes on weekend nights. Angelo Sabella estimated that 80% to 85% of his business was repeat business.

“I don’t think anyone can pay me any more money than when I stand at the front door and someone says, ‘Everything was wonderful.’ I like to have everyone say whether their food and service were good or bad — if they say nothing it worries me sick. If they liked it, l feel I’ve achieved a good thing,” he said.

On March 29, 1953, KTIM started a new series of half-hour programs broadcasted directly from Sabella’s titled “Luncheon at Sabella’s,” hosted by Kitty Oppenheimer. In May 1958, a Marin IJ article reported that the restaurant was holding a “biggest fish story ever told” contest for those under 18 years old while celebrating Sabella’s 25th year. Submissions had to be 800 words or less and turned in by the deadline, with no “creative” help from parents. Prizes included tickets to a San Francisco Giants game and signed baseballs.

On June 29, 1961, Sabella’s moved to 555 Redwood Highway in Mill Valley, closing for the first time in 10 years to move the equipment. This was considered a dream come true for Sabella since he was able to create the restaurant from the ground up. In addition, his son, Luciano, and daughters, Angela Marks and Rosalind Sabella, had joined the restaurant. The lounge was popular and included an oyster bar, along with music by Paul Fontes, who played the organ, flugelhorn, tenor sax, trombone and guitar. Not to be left out of the holiday festivities, the Marin IJ announced Dec. 4, 1964, that Santa Claus and his reindeer would visit Sabella’s on Dec. 14 for the annual children’s Christmas party and dinner. It was such a popular event that there had to be two seatings, with 1,000 people expected.

After 25 years, Sabella’s closed the restaurant in 1976. The following year, Sabella’s of Marin opened at 9 Main St. in Tiburon and continued to serve top-notch seafood. The Sawmill restaurant and nightclub took over around 1977 and lasted for three years. After many years of vacancy, the Acqua Hotel opened in 1999 at 555 Redwood Highway in Mill Valley, where it still stands today.

“Good food, good service and good atmosphere are all important, but one of the main ingredients in the success of any restaurant is family representation,” Angelo Sabella said. “If the public feels that the family is interested in the business, they know it’s being taken care of. Sabella’s Marin definitely is a family business.”

History Watch is written by Lane Dooling, marketing and social media coordinator at the Marin History Museum, marinhistory.org. Images included in History Watch are available for purchase by calling 415-382-1182 or by email at info@marinhistory.org