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Chris Shake, the second oldest of six Shake brothers, grew up on Fisherman’s Wharf. He began washing dishes when he was 11 years old with his father, Sabu, in the family restaurant business, Old Fisherman’s Grotto. “You could call us wharf rats,” says Chris, who quit school in seventh grade so he could work full time. He gradually learned to work every station in the kitchen, and then learned about management.
Sabu Shake was born to wild-animal dealers in Karachi, Pakistan, in the 1920s. After serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II, he immigrated to the United States; met his wife-to-be, Isabella, in Sacramento; and got his first taste of the restaurant business as a dishwasher on Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf. By the 1960s, he had learned enough to open Old Fisherman’s Grotto. He worked more than 40 years in the business before passing away eight years ago.
“He was a natural,” Chris Shake says of his father, who would be at Old Fisherman’s Grotto seven days and seven nights a week. “He never wanted to leave,” the younger Shake says. He had found his niche in this beautiful spot on the edge of the Pacific. “He had such a presence with his guests. He would always go around and shake hands and sometimes he’d even pull up a chair and sit down and talk.
“Since he passed away, I realize that being here at Fisherman’s Grotto on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey — this is not work.” As busy as he is as the owner of Old Fisherman’s Grotto on Fisherman’s Wharf and The Fish Hopper on Cannery Row, Shake remains down-to-earth and wonderfully accessible.
Shake and his younger brother, Sabu Shake Jr., created The Fish Hopper restaurant. During the famous Cannery Row Steinbeck Era, fish hoppers played an important role on the Monterey Peninsula. These large square wooden boxes were anchored off the shore of Cannery Row to receive the fish caught by Monterey’s premier fishing fleet.
In their new cookbook, 50 Years of Shake Family Traditions and Treasured Recipes, the brothers share their experiences of growing up in the fishing business — from the boat to the fish market, to the family’s restaurants — and the recipes that Sabu Sr. created that have sustained Old Fisherman’s Grotto during the last 50 years. “This book is really great reading, because it is a biography of the Shake family, especially my dad,” Chris Shake says. “We talk about sustainable seafood and using local resources in our restaurants. There’s a bit about the history of Monterey and the fishing industry, plus we have some great photos from the Pat Hathaway collection, so it isn’t just a cook book; it’s really a lot of information and a story about Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey.”
About 22 of Sabu Shake’s original recipes on the menu of The Fish Hopper and Old Fisherman’s Grotto are included in the book. “Over the years we’ve enhanced them and made a few changes, but they are user-friendly recipes, made simple,” Chris Shake says, noting that they included many great entrées, excellent desserts, and some of their favorite drinks.
“Almost every day, I hear a story that a customer will share about an experience they had with my dad,” he continues. “The fact that a customer says that your father would be proud of you — that you’re carrying on in his footsteps — there’s no greater feeling than knowing you are following in your dad’s footsteps. That is what life is all about.”
Although the menus at The Fish Hopper and Old Fisherman’s Grotto are understandably devoted to seafood (they sell more than 150 gallons of their rich and creamy clam chowder on a weekend night), other products from the local bounty figure prominently on their menus and in the cookbook.
To order your copy of this wonderful cookbook, go to www.oldfishermansgrotto.com and click on "Cookbook"
or visit Old Fisherman's Grotto on Wharf #1, Monterey, CA.
Chris Shake has allowed us to showcase samples from his cookbook on the pages linked below.
Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Dill Aïoli »
Poached Pear and Gorgonzola Salad »
White Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Chocolate Sauce »
