San Francisco, CA (RestaurantNews.com) Bidders will have a chance to own a piece of San Francisco history when Rabin Worldwide conducts a public auction of the memorabilia and restaurant furnishings from the famed Cliff House on March 11 – March 13, 2021.
The iconic landmark, which has overlooked Ocean Beach from high atop a precipice for 157 years, closed its doors for good on the last day of 2020. Proprietors Dan and Mary Hountalas had been locked in a contract renewal with the National Parks Department – who own the building and land – since 2018. When the last contract expired the Cliff House saw what could be its final day as an operating restaurant.
The Hountalas couple lovingly oversaw operations since 1973. The décor was a testament to the bygone era of the establishment, as well as to relics of San Francisco landmarks of yesteryear: the Sutro Baths and Playland at the Beach. The outgoing proprietors have hired San Francisco Bay Area auction house, Rabin Worldwide, to sell all collectibles, furnishings and restaurant equipment from the historic building. The two-day online auction will feature one-of-a-kind Playland pieces, including a 10-foot cowboy statue and carved wood carousel horse. Other notable pieces are a redwood bear and towering carved wood bar fixture from the 1890 Paris World’s Fair. Collectibles from the Sutro Baths include a pair of muse reliefs commissioned by Adolph Sutro (circa 1890), original swim suits, a bank of bathhouse lockers, and vintage posters. Additional treasures on the block will include nautical items, commissioned pieces, original artwork, as well as hundreds of smaller mementos such as vintage menus, postcards and autographed movie star photos.
Along with the collectible items, the entire contents of the two full-service kitchens, dining room and bars will be available for bidding. Thousands of assorted beer, champagne, wine and martini glasses; hundreds of decorative chairs and tables; vintage and custom lighting fixtures; alcohol and wine (to licensed resellers only); plus, silver flatware, dinnerware and serving utensils can be had by the highest bidder.
All bidding for restaurant and kitchen equipment plus the memorablilia will be online at rabin.com, March 11 and 12, 2021.
March 13 will be the sale of the vintage celebrity autographed photos, with separate bidding registration here – https://auctions.turnerauctionsonline.com/auctions/1-49J4J1/the-cliff-house-sale
All inquiries should be sent to cliffhouseauction@rabin.com
Further details of the sale can be found at https://rabin.com/Overview/Auction/the-cliff-house/
Media Contact:
Laura Reid
Rabin Worldwide
cliffhouseauction@rabin.com
415-522-5700
