Spring in San Francisco means cherry blossoms, fog delays, and apparently — anchovies.

Yes, anchovies. The tiny, silvery fish most people associate with a controversial pizza topping is quietly becoming the Bay Area's most sought-after seasonal ingredient. And here's the kicker: there are reportedly only two fishermen actually pulling them from local waters.

Let that sink in. In a region surrounded by one of the most productive marine ecosystems on the planet, a grand total of two guys are harvesting fresh, local anchovies for the restaurant scene. Chefs across the city are building seasonal menus around them — curing, frying, grilling, and celebrating what the rest of America dismisses as bait fish.

There's something beautifully free-market about this story. No government program promoting anchovies. No taxpayer-funded "sustainable fish initiative" with a $4 million budget and a comms team. Just two independent fishermen doing their thing, a handful of creative chefs recognizing value where others see scraps, and consumers voting with their forks.

This is how local food systems are supposed to work — organically, driven by demand, skill, and a willingness to look past conventional wisdom. The anchovy isn't glamorous. It doesn't have the Instagram appeal of a Tomahawk steak or a high-end omakase platter. But it's local, it's seasonal, it's sustainable, and it apparently tastes incredible when someone who knows what they're doing gets their hands on it.

The broader lesson? Some of the best things in San Francisco happen when the government stays out of the way and lets small operators — fishermen, chefs, entrepreneurs — do what they do best. Nobody needed a permit accelerator or a blue-ribbon task force to make anchovy season happen.

If you see fresh local anchovies on a menu this spring, order them. Support the little guys — both the fish and the fishermen.