It took a hearty soul and a determined person to travel to this section of the coast. A few did brave the fog, wind, isolation, however, and found a paradise quite unlike any other place. The railroad presented a potential real-estate boom that fizzed out as rapidly as it began when the trains were out-competed by the newer contraptions — the automobile.
The land was very fertile and needed only labor to make crops grow. That appealed to many immigrants who were leaving Europe and hoped to score it big in this land of opportunity. However, without a viable method of getting the food to market, it was tough making a living with so few people around. The Ocean Shore R.R. was the perfect answer for 20 years because it brought people from the crowded San Francisco, who were looking for entertainment and fun for their weekends and vacations. A perfect solution for the community — people who only visited, had a good time and spent their money.
Domenico Bortolotti was a perfect fit for what was to become the Moss Beach community. A few people had already started making their mark on the area. People like Jurgren F. Wienke and wife Meta who in 1882 built the Moss Beach Hotel. He was called “the mayor” and he well deserved it as one of the most active men in the community. Charlie Nye built The Reef on the beach (Fitzgeralds’ Marine Reserve). The ocean destroyed it so he moved to the cliff nearby and built The Reef II. His abalone chowder dinners became famous and attracted the likes of Jack London and horticulturist Luther Burbank.
Many Italians were attracted to the wide open spaces of the coast. Living a life in Italy in the early 1900s meant living a life without the potential of owning any land. Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada and Miramar didn’t offer huge estates to acquire, the real-estate boom/bust made that impossible but the area offered much more than what they left behind in Europe.
Domenico Bortolotti settled in Moss Beach in 1927 after suffering setbacks in Northern California. He had been married in 1915 and had begun a family that he needed to support. He was able to acquire a two-story building on the corner of Etheldore and Virginia streets (a block from the highway). The second floor had a dozen rooms and two bathrooms, perfect for a growing family and some borders. The first floor was just right for a business he had in mind – a restaurant. From what he saw of the area, he felt a restaurant was a perfect business for taking care of the gastronomical needs of the hundreds of weekend visitors. Next he needed land to grow vegetables to put on the table and in the soups and salads that he knew everyone liked.
Life was good to Domenico and wife Domenica. “Dan,” as he became called, started “Dan’s Restaurant” in 1927. Who could go wrong by opening an Italian restaurant in an Italian community? Pasta, lasagna, spaghetti, garlic, bread and sausage — everyone loves Italian food. He also ran a general store in one section of the building and being a shrewd businessman, he began buying up all available land on the block. In time he acquired all but one lot on the block. On some of the lots the family raised vegetables that was used to feed the masses that visited Dan’s. In the late ’30s, Dan expanded out and opened the Dan’s Motel along the highway.
After living a full life, Dan died in 1948.
Rediscovering the Peninsula runs every weekend. It is compiled through our archives created by Jim Clifford and the late Darold Fredricks.
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