Brunch in SF without the wait
Mecca is both great for a martini as well as a civilized meal.
Avenue Nine: By far my favorite brunch place in San Francisco. Not only does this place dish out the some of the best Eggs Benedict in the Bay Area, there is almost never a line—which in this brunch junkie town is something of a miracle. As you pass the jaunty bandana-wearing assistant cook, Christian on your way to your table and you can’t help but notice the fresh fruits and vegetables on the shelves waiting to be transformed into excellent hangover cures.
Food
Inc. This place is a terrific little stop on Saturdays for an inexpensive
but sunny brunch. Warning—it is closed Sundays and Mondays, but is worth
making the list because its fresh fruit cup is perfect way to start out
your weekend. The waffles are crispy and heart-shaped— a perfect breakfast
cap for happy little couples in the honeymoon stage of their relationship.
Also, make sure to get the hot white chocolate on a rainy day in one of
their big mugs. I also highly recommend their fresh oatmeal—it will make
you swear off of Quaker Instant for the rest of your life. Try it with
the real maple syrup and be transported to your childhood.
This little brunch haven located in the Inner Sunset on Ninth Street (cross street Irving) puts fresh donuts on every patron’s table. Talk about bliss! My personal favorite is the red flannel hash made with taro root and my beloved beets, served with two poached eggs and a chicken sausage. I must admit the granola is also a lovely alternative if you are looking for a nice light meal.
Mizz Brown’s Feedbag: This little diner is located at the foot of Presidio Heights' Laurel village Shopping mall. The wait-staff consists of bee-hived, pink lipstick-wearing ladies who sashay through the place in rubber-heeled shoes carrying the best darn diner food in SF. Slip into one of the front booths and try to ignore the eerie pictures of crying clowns. Only the pancakes will take your mind off those crying circus freaks. The light pancakes served with melted butter are perfect for sopping up what evil spirits still lurk in your stomach after a hard night of drinking. My friend, Penelope swears by the hash—fried up nice and crisp—afterall, it’s all about the grease quota when you go to a diner and Mizz Brown’s Feedbag has the best greasy hangover helpers in the city.
Metro Café: My friends, Annie and John swear by this wonderful little restaurant next to the Metro Hotel on Divisadero Street (cross Street Oak) in the Western Addition. Walk past the wonderful rounded fruit paintings in the main dining room to the back patio framed with trees and even a few squeaking birds to complete this city respite. Close your eyes and you’ll feel like you are in some little bistro in France—thanks to the French speaking waitstaff. I must say, the French do know how to make a croque monsieur. But my favorite has to be the smoked salmon Benedict, perfectly poached eggs served with salmon and an exquisite hollandaise sauce. You could easily spend a couple hours on the back patio with a perfectly prepared latte and leave feeling like you went on a mini European vacation for $15.00 and some change. Sheer bliss.
Q: OK, so parking sucks around Clement Street, but seriously whatever time you spend looking for parking is made up by not having to wait in line at this hip little café. I love the fun atmosphere of Q's, with its peppy tablecloths from the 1960s and funky art on the walls. But you’ll come back again and again for the divine pancakes that are so big that they barely fit onto the plates. Bacon is always crisp and the eggs Benedict are worth ordering. But make sure to check out the specials on the chalkboard wall—such as ricotta filled French toast barely visible under a mountain of fresh strawberries. I’m sure they serve this dish in heaven.
Elite Café: The Elite Café—a venerable old restaurant located on Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights serves a peach of a brunch, N’Awlins Style. Note: this is an excellent place to take parents—you know—nice white tablecloths and a bit more expensive menu. The Elite Café is also an especially good place to take parents who appreciate a well-made drink. But really, who doesn’t love spicy Bloody Mary or mimosas made with fresh orange juice? A more than worthy selection of breakfast goodies with a southern touch awaits diners at the Elite Café. But this is not exactly a health-conscious brunch choice. Afterall only Southerners have the balls to put a cream sauce on something fried. My favorite item on the menu is a real Louisiana treat—beignets—so light that it is amazing they don’t float off the plate.
So, there you have it—five excellent weekend breakfast places that will hopefully rouse a few bed-headed individuals out of their beds of a decent meal.
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