Anchovy Season in San Francisco: Chefs Celebrate Spring’s Hottest Catch

The Bay Area is waking up to an anchovy season that, for Marin County chefs and fishermen alike, signals a rare win for a small but mighty fish.

This piece blends the science of abundance with the street-level reality of supply chains, from the Cape Knox pens off San Francisco to the bustling kitchens in Mill Valley, Sausalito, and San Rafael.

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It explains why anchovies are the talk of the local dining scene from Point Reyes to Larkspur.

And how a Bay Area resource is shaping menus and markets through November.

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Anchovy Season: A Bay Area Spring Renewal

Spring in the Bay Area now marks the return of a robust anchovy season that extends through November.

That’s a welcome contrast to struggles in other local fisheries like salmon and crab.

California’s coast reportedly saw about 2 million metric tons of anchovies in 2022—roughly seven times the total for all other fish that year.

This really underscores anchovies as a booming resource.

In Marin County, this means fresh opportunities for restaurants from San Rafael to Mill Valley, and even the waterfront kitchens of Sausalito and Larkspur.

They’re embracing a fish that’s both sustainable and delicious when treated quickly and well.

Local chefs are already leaning into the trend.

Notable mentions include the broader Bay Area roster—Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski’s Anchovy Bar in San Francisco, plus anchovies showing up at Nopa Fish, San Ho Won, Nisei, Rich Table, and Scoma’s.

Almost all San Francisco anchovies come from J & P Bait, run by fishermen Erik Sandquist and Sean Hodges.

At the heart of the story is the Cape Knox operation.

They maintain underwater pens at Pier 47 that can hold up to 20,000 pounds of live fish.

The Cape Knox uses a purse seine net and live wells to keep thousands of anchovies alive during harvest and delivery.

This setup ensures restaurants can get them fresh in a market where anchovies spoil quickly due to high oil content.

The typical delivery window is tight—often just two hours—to preserve quality from the moment the fish leave the water to when they land on a Marin County chef’s prep table in Novato, Tiburon, or Petaluma–adjacent kitchens.

In Marin’s dining rooms, anticipation for anchovies leads to vibrant, bold preparations that echo California-style boquerones with lime, basil, jalapeño, and garlic.

From Cape Knox to Marin Tables

The journey from sea to plate is as much about timing as it is about technique.

Chefs like Brioza and others go for speedy debone-and-cure methods to maximize texture and flavor, turning a tiny fish into something both approachable and, honestly, pretty luxurious.

In Marin, anchovies feature in dishes that show off bright acidity and herbal heat—sometimes in a cioppino-inspired starter, sometimes as a crunchy topping for crisp-crust bread in San Anselmo and Ross.

Live arrival and rapid storage to keep that oil-rich richness intact
Immediate kitchen processing, usually within two hours of delivery
Deboning and curing into boquerones or similar styles
Retail and wholesale pathways that try to balance availability with sustainability

The supply chain supports Marin County restaurants, markets, and even home cooks who want the freshest possible anchovies.

Cape Knox makes it possible for Marin’s own eatery clusters—whether in Mill Valley or San Rafael—to feature anchovies during a season that locals are increasingly embracing as part of a broader move toward sustainable, coastal living.

Economic Pulse: Demand, Pricing, and Public Access

Despite all the growing culinary buzz, about 65% of J & P’s catch still ends up as bait for bigger fish. Anchovies aren’t just for restaurants—they’re a multi-use resource, and that’s not changing overnight.

Wholesale demand for fresh anchovies has shot up lately. Sellers like Kenny Belov now move up to 200 pounds a day, a huge jump from the 20 pounds he handled earlier in his career.

J & P Bait sells directly to the public, too—anchovies go for $30 per half scoop (about six pounds). That price has stirred up some lively debates among Marin City retailers and diners about what’s really accessible and what counts as local.

In towns like Fairfax, Corte Madera, and Kentfield, this anchovy season is starting to feel like a reminder. When you mix small, sustainable fish with quick local delivery and a restaurant scene that likes to experiment, you can end up with some pretty memorable meals.

Marin County’s having its own “anchovy moment” right now. The fish itself kind of proves a point—good planning and fast delivery can turn something humble and oily into a seasonal centerpiece.

From the docks at Pier 47 to the dining rooms in Mill Valley, Larkspur, and Novato, anchovies are everywhere. It’s a Bay Area story, but Marin’s really at the heart of it—a mix of sustainability, flavor, and the weirdly enduring charm of a tiny fish that keeps showing up in big ways.

Here is the source article for this story: Some call it bait fish. These chefs call it spring’s hottest catch

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Joe Harris is the founder of MarinCountyVisitor.com, a comprehensive online resource inspired by his passion for Marin County's natural beauty, diverse communities, and rich cultural offerings. Combining his love for exploration with his intimate local knowledge, Joe curates an authentic guide to the area featuring guides on Marin County Cities, Things to Do, and Places to Stay. Follow Joe on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.