Ghosts at Moss Beach Distillery

Copyright © 1997-2005 Haunted Bay

The Moss Beach Distillery in Moss Beach California is well known on the San Mateo coast, not only for it's great food and views but for it's ghosts. Over the years a colorful history and strange occurrences have imparted a mystical element to the restaurant. Opened in 1927 as "Frank's Place" it operated as coastside's most successful speakeasy. It was home to movie stars, San Francisco politicians, and gangsters alike. At one point it is rumored to even have been a brothel. It was a place where shady deals were made, adultery contemplated, and nefarious activities planned. However, these days it is the thought of dining in a haunted restaurant that gathers our attention. 

History behind the Haunting: The most famous ghost of the distillery is the Blue Lady. According to legend, over 70 years ago, Mary Ellen, then a beautiful young woman who always loved blue dresses met a handsome piano player named John Contina in a local bar. She was already married and had a young son named Jack but the two soon began a torrid romance. The lovers met for romantic moonlit walks on the beach and trysts at the Marine View Hotel which was located next to the Distillery overlooking the cliffs. We don't know for sure how long the romance lasted but the romance ended tragically on a stormy November night when Mary Ellen died in a horrific automobile accident on the old Bayshore Highway. The Lady in Blue wasn't the only death surrounding the piano playing casanova. At the time he was having an affair with Mary Ellen, unbeknownst to her he was also having an affair with another local woman by the name of Anna Philbrick. The second woman however, discovered his deceit and flung herself off the cliffs near the Distillery, drowning in the kelp beds below. Contina's own life ended in tragedy when his body was found decapitated and washed ashore near the distillery. Perhaps a jealous husband found out about Contina's lecherous ways and took revenge. We will likely never know...