San Francisco is hailed as the home of Oysters Kirkpatrick, sourdough French bread and Green Goddess dressing, but there's one local gastronomic adventure that has never been properly recognized. Its existence has been guarded so tenaciously by natives that only recently, when announcement came that its birthplace would be raised, did any of us latecomers have an inkling of the wonder.

The "It's-it" has emanated for 45 years from one of the once exotic refreshment stands of San Francisco's historic Playland at the Beach. It was born in 1928 and delivered by amusement park owner, George Whitney. Today, the very mention of its name sets off the salivary glands in a legion of protectors whose childhood Sundays meant a trip to the "it" stand...

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