Inspired by a sentence in the introduction to SFoodie's latest Top 10 Brunches in San Francisco list, I got to thinking about the types of brunches:
If it's a dinner venue that doesn't open it's doors before 5:30pm Monday-Friday, but supplements it's serving hours with a 10am-3pm brunch seating on Saturday and Sunday, you're looking at a pricey, potentially bandwagoning, brunch. A lot of restaurants on the finer dining end of the spectrum have begun serving brunch, offering up little variation on Benedicts, semolina waffles, and crispy/battered/bourbon french toast. Sometimes it's a fantastic gastronomical experience (see: Foreign Cinema), while other times, it can be a bit of a disappointment (see: Beast & the Hare).
If it's a breakfast joint that closes after the lunch rush and offers actual seating and table service, then you're likely about to enjoy a fine diner experience (see: Butler & the Chef). If laminated menus are involved, you can set your spending expectation a bit lower and enjoy your standard diner fare. Sometimes it'll be exceptional (see: Dottie's True Blue Cafe) while others it will be well, standard.
If you're in a bar that has a bar snack menu, you're in a very mixed bag situation. You might be at 15 Romolo, in which case you're in luck. You might have stumbled into Dear Mom on a Saturday they have a bartenders brunch, in which case you're in even more luck. Or you walked into Nova Bar, in which case you should get the hell out and go anywhere else.
In sum, whatever you're looking for can be found. This is just one way to whittle down the million and one options to the one you want.
"This city is home to many flavors of brunch spots, from chichi raw bar restaurants to good old-fashioned American breakfast diners. We have brunches based in almost every cuisine at almost every price level in almost every neighborhood."It's true, San Francisco has brunch offerings that run the gamut of price, taste, atmosphere, and expectation. What are some of the criteria that define the brunch venue spectrum? For the most part it's exactly what you'd expect: Price, Cuisine, Seating, Service, Full bar. But the easiest way to align your brunch expectations is to look at the meals regularly served.
If it's a dinner venue that doesn't open it's doors before 5:30pm Monday-Friday, but supplements it's serving hours with a 10am-3pm brunch seating on Saturday and Sunday, you're looking at a pricey, potentially bandwagoning, brunch. A lot of restaurants on the finer dining end of the spectrum have begun serving brunch, offering up little variation on Benedicts, semolina waffles, and crispy/battered/bourbon french toast. Sometimes it's a fantastic gastronomical experience (see: Foreign Cinema), while other times, it can be a bit of a disappointment (see: Beast & the Hare).
If it's a breakfast joint that closes after the lunch rush and offers actual seating and table service, then you're likely about to enjoy a fine diner experience (see: Butler & the Chef). If laminated menus are involved, you can set your spending expectation a bit lower and enjoy your standard diner fare. Sometimes it'll be exceptional (see: Dottie's True Blue Cafe) while others it will be well, standard.
If you're in a bar that has a bar snack menu, you're in a very mixed bag situation. You might be at 15 Romolo, in which case you're in luck. You might have stumbled into Dear Mom on a Saturday they have a bartenders brunch, in which case you're in even more luck. Or you walked into Nova Bar, in which case you should get the hell out and go anywhere else.
In sum, whatever you're looking for can be found. This is just one way to whittle down the million and one options to the one you want.
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