I'm not quite sure that I would call Mission Beach Cafe a cheap spot, but it's definitely a moderately priced place that's worth every penny -- the food is amazing and the atmosphere is well worth what you pay.
I went to MBC a few weeks ago with a friend. As with any decent brunch place, MBC was packed given that it was 1pm, but as soon as we walked in, Jason, the host, tried to squeeze us in since we were a party of 2. We got our drinks while we waited (all of 5 or 10 minutes), and I was not disappointed by the tangerine-pomegranate mimosa I ordered -- it's half a bottle of champagne, so be warned, do not order the large if you're driving!
The drinks were only the beginning of our brunch adventure. To start we had the veggie quiche, which was properly proportioned for $3, tasted great (probably the 2nd best quiche I've had in the city -- Butler & the Chef has the number 1 the Salmon quiche is divine), and got us excited for the rest of our meal. We then had the biscuits with pumpkin sauce -- a bit sweeter than I imagined, but I've never had anything like it. To round out our starters, we also got a pancake with fruit compote, which was one of the few distinctive pancakes I've had out to eat, fluffy but firm, not too salty but not too bland -- just right.
For our entrees, I had the Dungress crab Benedict with red and yellow peppers. This is the dish that won me over Completely. Basso's, which isn't too far from MBC, has a great crab cake Benedict, but it's nothing like this. The flavors of the sweet peppers with some of the best hollandaise sauce I've had in San Francisco -- not too much lemon, with just the right flavor to make the eggs and crab taste like heaven.
I didn't try my friend's huevos ranchero's (I don't eat pork), but from his gallant attempt at finishing his meal after our many starters, I know he wasn't disappointed.
The best part about every dish was that nothing tasted over spiced; everything we ordered had a very fresh-flavorful quality.We left full and happy. We had great service. It was a great atmosphere. And the food was just lovely. This may be my favorite brunch experience, it's well worth the trip to the Mission :)
All the Info:
198 Guerrero St
(between Brosnan St & 14th St) San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 861-0198
Showing posts with label great. Show all posts
Showing posts with label great. Show all posts
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Butler & the Chef: Worth the Trip
I've now had the salmon Benedict at Butler & the Chef twice. Why? It's worth coming back for.
The food at Butler &The Chef is worth venturing to the small Soma neighborhood of South Park. Some people, including myself, have had a few hiccups with the service (an entire meal without water? Not okay) and the physical space of the restaurant -- cramped does not equate to "Parisian" quaint for me -- but the food, oh my, the food.
The first time I found myself at tB&tC, the line was so long that my friend and I wound up taking a table in the cold (~40F, not really outdoor seating weather) because there was a 40 minute wait for a table. I had the vegetarian soup of the day to start, which was delightful while it was warm, but unfortunately didn't stay hot for long in the cold. I also ordered a latte, which is served in a huge glass, so I wound up exchanging it for a cup of coffee (I tried to ask the milk/espresso ratio was in the latte and if I could have a small and the waitress just said "ok" and brought out what was basically just lightly flavored steamed milk).
Once my salmon Benedict on olive loaf came, I didn't care that I was outside or that I didn't have a latte. The eggs were poached perfectly. The hollandaise, slightly tart, was balanced perfectly by the olive loaf and the salmon (not sure how well it would go on the other Benedict options).
On my second visit with another friend, he got the quiche of the day. Definitely the best quiche I've had. So fluffy. So light. The salmon perfect. I had stuck with what I know (awful pun time) since I'm a "Ben-addict" (ha, sorry), and his quiche almost had me ordering a second entree.
The vegetarian split pea soup was even better than the vegetarian soup option the week before. The soup was so delicious, that I was able to overlook the waitress forgetting my soup. And my water. And mistaking my hot chocolate for a mocha.
This place is worth visiting for the food; everything is mouthwatering and nothing edible has disappointed. Just don't have the highest of hopes for the service and you'll be sure to get your money's worth. Speaking of money, it's not terribly expensive, but it's not cheap either. It's a nicer than middle of the road place that you could definitely impress a date with... just try and grab a less than cramped table :)
All the Info:
155A South Park St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 896-2075
The food at Butler &The Chef is worth venturing to the small Soma neighborhood of South Park. Some people, including myself, have had a few hiccups with the service (an entire meal without water? Not okay) and the physical space of the restaurant -- cramped does not equate to "Parisian" quaint for me -- but the food, oh my, the food.
The first time I found myself at tB&tC, the line was so long that my friend and I wound up taking a table in the cold (~40F, not really outdoor seating weather) because there was a 40 minute wait for a table. I had the vegetarian soup of the day to start, which was delightful while it was warm, but unfortunately didn't stay hot for long in the cold. I also ordered a latte, which is served in a huge glass, so I wound up exchanging it for a cup of coffee (I tried to ask the milk/espresso ratio was in the latte and if I could have a small and the waitress just said "ok" and brought out what was basically just lightly flavored steamed milk).
Once my salmon Benedict on olive loaf came, I didn't care that I was outside or that I didn't have a latte. The eggs were poached perfectly. The hollandaise, slightly tart, was balanced perfectly by the olive loaf and the salmon (not sure how well it would go on the other Benedict options).
On my second visit with another friend, he got the quiche of the day. Definitely the best quiche I've had. So fluffy. So light. The salmon perfect. I had stuck with what I know (awful pun time) since I'm a "Ben-addict" (ha, sorry), and his quiche almost had me ordering a second entree.
The vegetarian split pea soup was even better than the vegetarian soup option the week before. The soup was so delicious, that I was able to overlook the waitress forgetting my soup. And my water. And mistaking my hot chocolate for a mocha.
This place is worth visiting for the food; everything is mouthwatering and nothing edible has disappointed. Just don't have the highest of hopes for the service and you'll be sure to get your money's worth. Speaking of money, it's not terribly expensive, but it's not cheap either. It's a nicer than middle of the road place that you could definitely impress a date with... just try and grab a less than cramped table :)
All the Info:
155A South Park St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 896-2075
Find it on Yelp:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-butler-and-the-chef-bistro-san-francisco
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