The Grand Cru breakfast

Sunday morning, brunch time. Today, we ended up at Cru along Stauton Street in SoHo. It was already very full by the time we arrived shortly after noon. Fortunately, there was still a 2-seater by the main door, so it was a good spot to plant ourselves for our meal and to watch the world go by.

Cru, part of the Wagyu restaurant group, serves a good selection of hearty breakfast items for brunch, along with the regular items from the a la carte menu. I was famished, so the Grand Cru breakfast was the perfect choice - rashers of bacon, 2 eggs, potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, sausages grilled tomatoes and wheat toast. The house coffee was Illy, which is always one of my favorite brands. Maybe I was just very hungry, but the food was very well prepared, the eggs scrambled just the way I liked it and the tomatoes were grilled nicely, as were the sausages. My friend described this place as 'reliable', and I can see why. There's not much you can do with scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon, but when done right, it's a downright satisfying feast.

The only thing that was a bit out of place was the restaurant decor. It looked more like a generic evening fine dining restaurant, with the circular booth seats and downlighting, but for a brunch venue I tend to look for a sunny, casual ambience where the wait staff are in T-shirts and aprons and the interior that makes you feel like you're dining in someone's back patio on a Sunday.

Cru is located at 44-46 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2803 2083 

Slow food for a slow day

We woke up this morning to very wet and cold weather in the city. Not the best of days to be out, but since this is Sunday after all, and we have our usual brunch ritual to maintain, we dragged our asses to the neighborhood cafe for some hot grub. Unfortunately, the line outside Mission Beach was massive as usual, and parking was non-existent for the next 3 blocks around the Mission area. So we decided to head farther afield to try our luck.

Soon, we found ourselves around the Potrero Ave and Mariposa St junction, and walked into Slow Club just as the rain started to fall again. While waiting for our table, I searched for restaurant reviews online and found out they were famous for the turkey sausage hash. And that would be my meal this morning.

Slow Club's famous turkey sausage hash uses fresh organic ingredients from local producers - butternut squash, garnet yams, apples, yukon gold potatoes, caramelized onions, baby arugula, two poached eggs with cheddar cheese, and served with a side of fresh artisan grilled bread from Acme bakery. I've always had a soft spot for butternut squash and caramelized onions so this dish certainly hit the spot for me. I loved the poached eggs that oozed onto the hash as I dug my fork into it. The sweetness of the yam and onions combined with the yolk and turkey sausage to make a very tasty mouthful of organic orgasm. Definitely worth coming back for seconds, but I also miss the scrambles over at Mission Beach Cafe terribly and couldn't help thinking of next Sunday's brunch venue already.

Slow Club is at 2501 Mariposa St, San Francisco, CA94110, 415-241-9390

Eating French On Easter Sunday

There's a quiet French cafe located by the side of a small park in historic South Park in San Francisco with an unusually English name. Called The Butler and The Chef, this little French bistro overlooked the small park surrounded by older turn-of-the-century houses in this cul-de-sac, and as I strolled up the old lane to the cafe, I remembered the mornings I spent walking around the Montmartre quarter in Paris years ago.
The bistro was very brightly colored and cheery on the inside, fresh flowers adorning the counters, and the scent of fresh pastires wafting through the air. It seemed we were not the only early birds, the bistro was already half full. We managed to get a table at the front by the window, and were greeted by a friendly Japanese waitress, and there and then my French illusion shattered. This was San Francisco after all, and very rightly so, because all the items on the menu were organic and grown from sustainable farming methods in the neighboring farms.

Only in San Francisco. I couldn't resist ordering the Belgian waffle with blueberry preserves, bananas and fresh organic whipped cream, eggs benedict with Niman Ranch ham on the side, and an almond croissant to share. The lattes came first, followed by the croissant and the main dishes minutes later. There is something to be said about organic food, you can really taste the difference, the flavors seem more vibrant, natural and just delicious.

I'm always excited about trying new restaurants in the bay area, mostly because of the indelibly strong influence the sustainable farming and slowfood movement has on the local community. Most restaurants in the city have embraced this philosophy and has helped create a renewed awareness in healthy flavorful eating.
The Butler and The Chef is located at 155 S Park St, San Francisco, CA 94107. Tel: (415) 896-2075

More brunch discoveries in Cole Valley

I had heard of a cafe called Zazie in Cole Valley that was very popular with the neighborhood scene. I guess word of mouth had spread far and wide, and several coworkers had vouched for the fantastic brunches they served at the cafe. So I decided this morning would be the perfect time to stroll over to check it out. At first the name sounded very Greek to me, but menu was typical San Francisco brunch fare, with organic produce and ingredients featured prominently on the menu. Unlike most cities I've been to, restaurants in San Francisco are happy to serve you egg whites only by request, in place of regular eggs and will almost always accommodate any dietary restrictions you can name. My friends who live in the city generally order their egg white scrambles and vegan pancakes, but for me, I believe a little bit of cholesterol in the food makes it even tastier sometimes. i also often wonder what they do with all the egg yolks that are unused.

Locals tend to have breakfast a little earlier than most other people on the east coast, so arriving by 10:00AM assures you a very short wait to get seated. Stepping into the restaurant, I was greeted by the morning light streaming through the skylight near the back, and the whole dining room was abuzz with the morning feasting ritual. The small table in the middle of the dining room was the perfect vantage point to catch all the action.

At Zazie, you get hearty servings of breakfast staples, accompanied by strong fresh brewed lattes. In particular, the candied ginger wholewheat pancakes were amazing, fluffy and full of sweet ginger flavor. I loved the crispy bacon and fresh scrambled eggs (yes you can really taste organic eggs from the regular ones), and not forgetting one of the best French toasts I've eaten in a very long time.
Zazie is located at 941 Cole St, San Francisco, CA94117. Tel: (415) 564-5332

Brunch In The Mission Part 2

When I mentioned my delicious find to a friend who lived in the Mission District after getting home, he said he had an even better place to show me. The next morning found us sitting in Bar Tartine, sister restaurant to the famous Tartine Bakery in the Mission.

Tartine Bakery prides itself on decadent, amazing pastries and fresh bread made daily, and being the winner of a James Beard award for Best Pastry Chef, while Bar Tartine served up some amazingly simple but delicious Californian cuisine for the neighborhood urbanites. The country French toast with berry compote was absolutely delicious, made with fresh bread from their in-house bakery.
My friend ordered an egg white scramble with asparagus and cheese and it looked equally tempting. Bar Tartine is yet another San Francisco eatery that forges strong sustainable relationships with the local farms, which ensures a constant supply of the highest quality and freshest selections of meat, fish and vegetables for our dining pleasure.

Between the two of my new favorite cafes, I'd have to say the food at Bar Tartine was a little better than Mission Beach Cafe, but the crowd at MBC was much more livelier and youthful and fun.

Bar Tartine is located at 561 Valencia Street in San Francisco, California. 415-487-1600.

Brunch In The Mission Part 1

I was walking around the Mission District neighborhood in San Francisco last Saturday and stumbled upon this really sweet spot called Mission Beach Cafe. It actually reminded me of another cafe with a similar name in the Mission Beach area of San Diego some summers back. Looking at the menu in the display window, the items seemed very tantalizing and I had to give it a try. The cafe prides itself in serving New American cuisine (I guess that's another name for California cuisine), the kind of stuff I like on a weekend for brunch - scrambled eggs with truffle and cheese, golden potatoes and a fresh nectarine salad, hot coffee and a fresh artisanal bran muffin. Brunches don't get any better than this, usually.

Mission Beach Cafe has been attracting a very strong following since opening a couple of years ago.The cafe is another fine example of why I like eating in the bay area - the use of seasonal, organic farmer's market ingredients that help sustain the local community and provide an abundance of natural flavors at the table. Did I forget to mention the artworks on display? Some pretty neat pieces of urban landscapes that showcase the venue as a community focal point and a distinctive neighborhood institution.

Mission Beach Cafe is located at 198 Guerrero Street @ 14th St in San Francisco. 415-861-0198.

Canteen, possibly the best brunch spot in the city

There's nothing like a good brunch to start the weekend, and today, I discovered how amazing Canteen's food really was. The location is interesting to say the least, the tiny diner is right next to a youth hostel downtown, and so tiny that you might actually miss it if you were in a hurry. The breakfast menu is the main attraction, and the waiting line is usually 30 minutes long. You'll find your standard fare on the menu, but with some fresh touches thrown in. Like the eggs benedict I had - the Hollandaise sauce was light yet fragrant, the eggs very fresh, and the English muffins were so well toasted they stayed crunchy until the very last bite.

I was still hungry after wolfing down the eggs, so I ordered a french toast with berry compote that was probably one of the thickest and best toasts I've had in a while (since Barracks at House, at least). I came away from this dining experience a little delighted (that I found a new place to eat on weekends), amused (by the decor and book selections on the shelf) and slightly puzzled (by the fact that they food tasted very high-end for such a low-end affordable joint).

After some digging around, I found out that chef Dennis Leary was formerly the head chef of Rubicon, one of the city's finest dining establishments. The diner has also been receiving a steady stream of favorable reviews since opening several years ago. Well, needless to say, I'm won over by the food, and Canteen's made its way to the top of my list of favorite places for brunch. I hear the dinner menu's just as amazing, so that's good enough reason for a second visit very soon.

Zachary's in Santa Cruz

Zachary's is another legendary institution in Santa Cruz that locals converge on every weekend for breakfast or brunch. The restaurant has been serving up healthy, lip-smacking breakfast favorites for over 20 years in this rustic, century old building along downtown Pacific Ave.

Here's a place where locals - students, families, new-agers, surfer dudes come together to have a meal, to sample the fresh mixed fruit bowl, or the sourdough pancakes and the ever popular Mike's Mess, which comprises of a wicked combination of eggs, cheddar cheese, sour cream, potatoes, avocado, tomato, onions and mushrooms all scrambled into a glorious mess and served piping hot with a choice of breads. I'm not the neatest person in the world (neatness doesn't run in the family), but my breakfast meal has to have all the ingredients demarcated clearly on the plate - eggs must not mix with bacon, or the any of the sides, but today I went with the exception and chowed down on a full serving of the Mess.



Needless to say, Mike's Mess lives up to its messy but yummy reputation. Not only did it taste delicious, it was the only meal I had for the rest of the day. I think there was at least 1200 calories or more in that heap. I'd say it ranks right up there with the "Breakfast of Champions" item on the menu at Southern Kitchen in Los Gatos. I loved the warm chatty atmosphere, the communal setting and the simple but perfectly prepared food. You just can't ask for a better way to start a Sunday. The only caveat is that you should get there as early as possible, preferably before 9AM, otherwise be prepared for the wait, because Zachary's takes no reservations. They also don't have an espresso machine, keeping true to the old school breakfast diner experience.

The Perfect Brunch at Zuni Cafe

Ah, Zuni Cafe, my quintessential weekend brunch spot in the city. This beautiful, sun drenched cafe along Market Street has come to represent the best qualities of the San Francisco dining scene - fresh organic produce from local farmers dedicated to sustainable harvesting, simple yet tasteful seasonal menus paired with the freshest selections of oysters and crustaceans from the bay area. Local chef Judy Rodgers has made this quaint little corner establishment one of the city's popular dining spots, and have also published a cookbook containing all the signature dishes that made Zuni Cafe such a hit.

My friend David and I drove up from San Jose Saturday morning and headed to Zuni Cafe without a reservation. Sometimes, you do get lucky, and today, we did not have to wait more than five minutes. We were shown to a table in my favorite corner of the restaurant facing the street. I've tried almost all the popular dishes on the menu, but not the grilled porkloin, so that was my choice. David picked the signature caesar salad and minestrone soup. The dishes were perfect, as always, and evoked subtle nuances of Alice Water's Chez Panisse cooking. It's all about simplicity in the preparation, so that the naturally fresh ingredients are allowed to shine.



Today we decided to skip the fruits de mer, and save our appetites for an afternoon snack at the Hog Island Oyster Co. bistro in the Ferry Building. And so began our perfect Saturday afternoon in the city. If you ever come to Zuni Cafe, try the signature oven roasted chicken.