Chocolate Lab

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The Chocolate Lab has made a nice home in the old Piccino space in Potrero Hill.  The cozy interior is the perfect spot to enjoy all things chocolate.

Besides chocolate items, they do serve scones, sticky buns, and quiche.

Of course, in a place called Chocolate Lab, you have to get their version of hot chocolate - drinking chocolate.  It's not as thick as TCHO's version (see post HERE), its just as chocolatey with a true chocolate flavor.  And the homemade vanilla bean marshmallows make this hot chocolate even more delicious.

I had to take a double look when I saw this chocolate risotto on the menu.  I had never seen a sweet risotto before.  I was actually thinking it would be more of a rice pudding than a risotto, turns out its somewhere in between.  The risotto is actually served warm.  Both the warm chocolate and the popping crispy balls were an experience in itself.  All in all a creative dish. 

The meat quiche seems to be another popular item here.  Along with the custardy filling and the buttery crust, this quiche makes for a delightful savory bite. 

Even though I came here for brunch, I feel like this is one of those places you must indulge in a dessert.  The brownie sundae was sinfully chocolatey with a thick gooey chocolate syrup to push the chocolateness to the nth level.

Address:                  Chocolate Lab
                                 801 22nd St.
                                 San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                        American/cafe/brunch

Popular chomps:      goat cheese souffle
                                  brownie a la mode
                                  drinking chocolate

Chomp worthy:         drinking chocolate      

The Table

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Brunching in the South Bay lead me to The Table.  The rustic decor with wooden tables and chairs and a rotating menu reminds me a little of restaurants in the city.

Its a no brainer to see the fried chicken with cheddar biscuits on a menu and not order it.  The server even confirmed its one of the most popular dishes here.  While the crust was a little too well fried for my taste, the chicken inside was really juicy.  Though, I wasn't too crazy about the cheddar biscuit.  A bit too dense and dry.  A small splatter of gravy was present on the plate, but I love a good gravy drenched biscuit and that just wasn't so here.  A boat of extra gravy served on the side would have really helped this dish and the cheddar biscuit.

For the most part I prefer my food fresh and seasonal, but when it comes to corned beef hash I do have a guilty pleasure of loving the stuff that comes out of the can.  The corned beef at The Table is some of the best corned beef I've had in a long time.  Thick cubes of tender and flavorful corned beef mixed with seasonal vegetables and topped with a perfect poached egg. 

     

Address:                    The Table
                                   1110 Willow St.
                                   San Jose, CA
 

Type:                          American

Popular chomps:        Fried Chicken and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit
                                    

Chomp worthy:           corned beef hash   

Sweet Woodruff

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Quality food like what Sweet Woodruff serves up is a rare find in the Tenderloin area. 

The food at Sweet Woodruff does take a bit of time to cook, but its because every single dish is prepared so meticulously.  Even though the space is small, it has a airy feeling about it.  Also, they have counter seating so you can watch the kitchen prepare the meals while you eat.

The stoner potatoes were made up of thinly sliced crispy potatoes and sprinkled with cotija cheese, and salsa verde.  This dish probably would have tasted better if eaten there instead of ending in a sad soggy, oily mess.

So maybe runny egg is a food trend that some people don't like, but I think I'll never get sick of it.  The fried egg sandwich was perfectly cooked with a nice golden yolk.  Even ordered to go, the egg still kept its shaped and stayed runny.

October has almost ended and I've realized that I haven't had one pretzel in celebration of Oktoberfest.  Melted mozzarella topped the chewy pretzel.  The skin of the pretzel was a little harder than I like, but the flavor was nice, especially with the stone mustard.

After Rickybobby's crawfish grits (see post HERE), I have a new found love and appreciate for well made grits.  The jalapeno grits give quite a kick, but I loved it.  Smooth with tiny grains, I could eat this all up.  It was nice that it wasn't overpowered with a ton of butter as with most grits.

Address:                Sweet Woodruff
                               798 Sutter St.
                               San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                      American

Popular chomps:    jalapeno grits
                               fried egg sandwich

Chomp worthy:      fried egg sandwich
                               jalapeno grits        

Cassava

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I've been waiting to try Cassava for a long time now, but after having experienced rejection and long lines at Outerlands (see post HERE) I waited until after their expansion.  Having heard that this place gets crowded during weekend brunch, I was pleasantly surprised to see it only half full around 11a on a weekend.

The space is warm and open with lots of entertaining reading materials in case you want to enjoy a meal solo.

Quiche at Cassava-  2013 7x7 SF's Top 100 Eats

The best known item here is the quiche.  Mixed with a medley of veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, etc), its divine.  Buttery crust ( but not overly rich) with custardy insides.

Chorizo hash bowl made with fresh chunks of vegetables and nice runny egg.  Its not all super healthy - chunks of chorizo makes this a carnivore dish.  I wished it was a little more spicy or had some more chorizo.

Having been to Japan, this "Japanese breakfast" wasn't a new concept to me, but it was nice to see it available somewhere in the city.  Simple and comforting, this healthy breakfast had some of my favorites - natto (yum!), marinated pickled cucumbers, and seared ahi tuna.  Not exactly sure what to do with the runny egg, but I ended putting globs of the runny egg on top of my rice.  It worked well.  The miso soup was subtle and filled with plenty of lotus root and enoki mushrooms.

updated - Working my way through the 2013 7x7's SF big eat 100 things

Address:                 Cassava
                                3519 Balboa St.
                                San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                       brunch/American

Popular chomps:     Japanese breakfast
                                 quiche
                                 liege waffle plate
                                 chorizo hash bowl

Chomp worthy:        Japanese breakfast
                                 quiche

Pies and Thighs

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Originally, I had hoped to bike to Pies and Thighs in Williamsburg, but this New York humidity is too much for a Bay Area girl like me.  I'd probably recommend biking here since the streets are quite flat and the bike ride would work off the heaviness of this Southern brunch.  As most brunch places go, Pies and Thighs does not take reservations, but since most of New York doesn't seem to do brunch until after 12, anytime before 12 you should be able to walk right in and sit down.

Most of the main plates come with a choice of one side:  mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, biscuits, grits, etc.  The fried catfish was well seasoned with a good crispy crust.  Each of the macaroni pieces were nicely coated with gooey cheese.  Really good flavor on the mac and cheese with a nice splash of hot sauce on top.  The cornbread was just ok.  It wasn't as moist and flavorful as other I've had.

With a name like Pies and Thighs, the fried chicken is an obvious must order.  The chicken is lightly battered and rips apart to uncover steamy, tender chicken.  The chicken is absolutely delicious, but the waffles were strangely soft and somewhat soggy.  Also, the flavor was kinda strange to me.  I'd probably stick with the chicken box if I came back, which does not have the waffles.

It's hard to save room for dessert at dinner, much less at brunch!  Dessert here is a definite must.  The bourbon pecan pie is sweet and crumbly.  Surprisingly, not as heavy as I would have thought, but it was nice to end the meal with something sweet.

Address:                   Pies and Thighs
                                  166 S 4th St.
                                  Brooklyn, NY 
 

Type:                         brunch/Southern

Popular chomps:      fried chicken
                                 sugar donut
                                 pecan crunch donut
                                 fried catfish
                                 biscuits
                                 bourbon pecan pie

Chomp worthy:        fried chicken
                                 fried catfish
                                 bourbon pecan pie        

Farm to Table

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Its hard to imagine that a place like farm:table exists in the middle of the Tenderloin, but it does.  This ultra tiny space serves up some fresh breakfast and brunch items as well as some baked goods.  Since the space is very tiny, I wouldn't recommend it for large groups.  Most people that come here seem to get their food to go even though they have a small parklet outside, but if you do decide to eat in, they have a small communal table that sits about 8 people and 2 outside tables as well as a small parklet.

Not exactly "toast" (more like focaccia), but today's toast of the day was sliced peaches, mascarpone cheese, crushed pistachios, and fresh blueberries.  I normally don't associate anything sweet when I think of focaccia, but this surprisingly works.  The sweet fruits and the light tasting mascarpone cheese add to the airiness of the fluffy focaccia.

Egg on a biscuit is exactly that.  A hardboiled egg with cream cheese, sliced bacon, and bits of arugula all atop a cold biscuit.  Since the kitchen is super tiny, all the food seems to be made in advance and is just put together when ordered.  I would have loved to have seen a poached egg instead of the hardboiled egg, especially since the biscuit is served cold.  Normally, I would have accepted the fact that considering the small kitchen, it couldn't be done, but after seeing Suite Food serve up a poached egg in their kitchen of the same size (see post HERE), I know it can be done.  All in all its a nice place to grab a light breakfast and some coffee.

     

Address:                   Farm to Table
                                  754 Post St.
                                  San Francisco, CA 
 

Type:                         brunch

Popular chomps:       toast of the day

Chomp worthy:          toast of the day   

Art's Cafe

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Art's Cafe is one of those local gems that now with the popularity of Yelp everyone knows about, but even with its growing popularity the taste and quality is still awesome.  This small greasy spoon is counter seating only and often has a line outside, but the line moves really fast due to placing the order while still in line.  Love the efficiency!  Not only does Art's Cafe serve possibly the best hash browns in the city, but it also serves Korean foods, like bi bim bop.  Still the most popular things are the omelets and hash brown sandwiches.

The hash brown sandwich come with toast with a random selection of jam.

Hashbrown sandwiche at Art's Cafe-  2013 7x7 SF's Top 100 Eats

Two eggs served any way you like sit on the side of the the massive hash brown sandwiches.  The hash browns are served super, super crispy, but can be made a little more "potatoey" if you prefer.  They are served almost like an omelet stuffed with mushrooms, hot sausage, and spinach inside.  Avocado (a must!)can also be added.

There are a couple other hash brown sandwiches to choose from, but don't feel restricted because they can be somewhat customized as well.  This one was the sausage and onions, but without onions.  Also, added mushrooms and avocado too. 

updated - Working my way through the 2013 7x7's SF big eat 100 things

Address:                   Art's Cafe
                                  747 Irving St.
                                  San Francisco, CA

Type:                         Korean/brunch

Popular chomps:       hash brown sandwich
                                   samurai omelet
                                   bi bim bop                                   

Chomp worthy:         hash brown sandwich       

Reveille Coffee

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Reveille Coffee is a minimalistic in a bright open space on a random corner situated between Chinatown and North Beach.  Its an awesome place to have delicious coffee and people watch.

I think I found the most perfect food on sliced bread -fried egg with a generous amount of sliced avocado.  Fresh, runny with a bit of crunch.  I think all the necessities have been checked off with this dish. 

I thought nothing could get better than Outerland's Eggs in Jail (see post HERE) until I saw Reveille Coffee's egg sandwich with bacon.  The top layer of the sandwich is essentially Eggs in Jail with one egg.  Inside the sandwich is layered with crispy bacon, cheese, and kale.  The only dilemma I faced was how to eat this.  Utensils are given so you can cut pieces of the sandwich, but its best to get dirty with it and bite into like a regular sandwich.

The only way to make the sandwiches even more tasty - with two of my favorite hot sauces:  sriracha and crystal.  Other hot sauces are available here as well.

    

Address:                  Reveille Coffee
                                 200 Columbus Ave.
                                 San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                       coffee

Popular chomps:      egg sandwich with bacon

Chomp worthy:         egg sandwich with bacon
                                  avocado with fried egg       

Trouble Coffee Company

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This coffee shop is a hipster haven in the middle of the Sunset.  Located by Outerlands (see HERE), Trouble Coffee is  a nice alternative if you can't bear the 2 hour wait.

Their combo called "build your own damn house" comes with a coffee, young coconut, and a piece of cinnamon toast.  The combo works as a hangover cure and really hits the spot after a "late night" with the caffeine to wake you up, the bread to soak up whatever is left in your stomach and the coconut juice to hydrate.

The coffee is smooth with a slight sweet aftertaste.  They also roast their own beans here.

They use the exact coconuts you can buy at Ranch 99 for less than half the price they sell it here for, but it came with the combo and I needed to satisfy my curiosity on this coconut and coffee combination.  It's an odd thing to serve at a coffee shop and even stranger to see hipsters sitting on a side of the street in Sunset sipping on coconuts, but its a refreshing beverage to help wash down the coffee and cinnamon toast.

The cinnamon toast is cut from a fresh loaf when you order.  The thick piece of bread is generously slathered with butter and heavily sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  The bread is nice and thick so you can really sink your teeth into it. 

For the non coffee drinkers, Trouble has other options besides their coconut juice.  Hot chocolate is one.  Its more on the milky side with a very mild chocolate flavor.

There are other toast options as well.  Nutella toast!  Who doesn't love nutella?  Especially slather all over a thick piece of toast.

Just a close up view of the thickness of the toast.

 

Address:                   Trouble Coffee Company
                                  4033 Judah St.
                                  San Francisco, CA 
 

Type:                         coffee/brunch

Popular chomps:       build your own damn house
                                   cinnamon toast
                                   nutella toast
                                   coconut
                                   peanut butter and honey toast
                                   gibraltar 

Chomp worthy:          build your own damn house
                                   cinnamon toast
                                   nutella toast
                                   coconut    

Outerlands

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Who knew you could get an amazing brunch all the way out in Outer Sunset?  Apparently everyone did since the average wait is around 2 hours here.  Even arriving 10 minutes before opening, the wait time was still 2 hours!   

The coffee is sold by the pot with each pot made with freshly grounded beans.

I almost didn't order the levain toast with jam, but I'm so glad that I did.  Their specialty bread that they sell in house is cut into thick slices and served with strawberry jam and butter.  The bread is perfectly toasted  and a fluffy inside.  This bread is the same league as Tartine (see post HERE) and Acme (see post HERE).  The strawberry jam is so fresh with thick chunks of fruit.

Two slow cooked farm eggs on top of farro grits, grilled broccoli di ciccio, parmesan, and whiskey maple sausage.  They know how to make runny eggs really well here.  Popping these babies oozes a golden river of yolky goodness all over this dish.  The combination of grilled broccoli, which gives a slight bitter taste, the slightly grainy texture from the grits and the smooth, creamy yolk makes for a delicious bite.  One great thing I noticed about these brunch dishes is that nothing is overly salty and you can taste the fresh flavors of each of these ingredients in every dish.  The sausage was juicy and super flavorful with no salty aftertaste that is common in a lot of sausages.  

 Eggs in Jail at Outerlands - #9 on 2012 7x7 SF's Top 100 Eats

It seems like eggs in jail has been starting to appear on brunch menus in the city.  This simplistic dish combines all things brunchy into one plate.  A slow cooked egg is baked into a small hole of Outerland's famed levain toast and topped with crispy bacon.  Usually I'm not a fan of bacon, but this bacon was juicy with a smokey pork flavor without the greasiness.   

 

Cutting into the toast, frees the yolk from the baked egg and you can use it for dipping.

The dutch pancake here is served either as a savory or a sweet option.  The sweet option is served with rotating seasonal fruit while the savory is topped with maple syrup and ricotta.   Today's sweet pancake was served with blackberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.  A dutch pancake is similar to a popover so the cake is very light and doughy.  The pancake itself doesn't have much flavor, but if you happened to save the strawberry jam and butter from the toast, its the perfect compliment to the dutch pancake.

    

updated - Working my way through the 2012 7x7's SF big eat 100 things

Address:                    Outerlands
                                   4001 Judah St.
                                   San Francisco, CA 
 

Type:                          brunch

Popular chomps:        apple cider
                                    eggs in jail
                                    dutch pancake
                                    toast with jam

Chomp worthy:           toast with jam
                                    eggs in jail