Manufacturer: Scammell China
User: Blue Fox restaurant – San Francisco
Date of Scammell example: circa 1946 – 1954

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Notes: 17-year-old Mario Mondin, a native of Venice, Italy, came to San Francisco in 1929. He found employment as a restaurant bus boy, then as a bartender at Bimbo Guintoli's Bimbo's 365 Club. He saved his money until 1942 when he had enough to buy the Blue Fox at 659 Merchant Street (which was actually just an alley).

The Blue Fox, named for a rare version of the white Arctic Fox, had been operating since 1920, and was a speakeasy before Mondin bought it.

In 1948, Piero Fassio joined him as co-owner/partner, and together they transformed the Blue Fox into a posh San Francisco eatery that attracted world celebrities. One of the Blue Fox's specialties was fraglanino alla Creta, or baby boneless pheasant stuffed with wild rice and then encased in clay before baking.

The Blue Fox was located directly across the alley from the morgue. They advertised "Opposite the Morgue" until 1962, when the morgue moved to a new location.

In 1960, the Blue Fox was substantially enlarged and redecorated. Sala Palatina, decorated in gold, white and red, was one of the new dining rooms. The 22-seat Wine Cellar, in the basement, was available for special events. In 1988, Mario Mondin retired, but members of Piero Fassio's family continued to operate the Blue Fox until it closed in 1993.

Scammell made 5" square Ivory Lamberton plates that are crested with a stylized running fox logo. This logo was used on matchbook covers. A post-1960 photograph of the Wine Cellar shows a square plate with a matchbook on a countertop. It may be that this crest was only used on ashtrays.

Sources:
chefdb.com – Date information on Blue Fox ownership
Pasadena Independent Star-News, Sunday, June 19, 1960 – Article by Helen Evans Brown about renovation and enlargement of Blue Fox

For more info:
Blue Fox, by Scammell China and Sterling China
Blue Fox 3, by Jackson China

Contributor:
Larry Paul, author