"Brunch is breakfast without an alarm clock." - Anonymous
Brunch is a weekend sport in the food-obsessed town of San Francisco. Not only are friendships made, but also startup deals are sealed during this ever-important meal of the day. Our top 5 picks include insider tips and must eats in each establishments so go ahead and indulge yourself.
1.
Central Kitchen, Mission: Where can you get crispy duck with poached eggs and polenta for breakfast with organic veggies? Here only at Central Kitchen. The saltiness of the duck and the sweetness of the carrots gave the dish an overall balanced flavor. Cowgirl Creamery's Redhawk cheese also took the spotlight on the cheese plate trio with lavosh.
Located off the main drag of the Mission neighborhood which means that parking is not a big pain, this Kitchen has an outdoor patio perfect for bubbly mimosas as well as indoor seating for windier days.
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| Scrambled eggs with pea and green olive toast for my vegan friend. Very unique twist to a bruschetta. |
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| Poached eggs, polenta, duck, carrots and maitake for the win! |
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| Cheese plate with fennel preserve to start the meal. |
2.
Park Tavern, North Beach: Forget about the more than an hour line across the street at the iconic Mama's. Head to the former Moose's space now called as Park Tavern.
The out-of-the-ordinary bruleed grapefruit exemplifies why Park Tavern is a must for brunch- a bit of sweet and sour tanginess all packed in a citrusy bite. The fiery avocado toast also came in close to second.
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| Sliced grapefruit bruleed to perfection. A good palette cleanser. |
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| Interiors of Park Tavern |
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| There was a long line at Mama's outside. Mehh.. |
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| The avocado with sea salt, chile and lemon toast would have been another clear winner but the lackluster wheat bread was a turn-off. |
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| Open faced deviled eggs. A bit disappointing that it had more chicken breast than actual eggs to the mixture. |
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| A picture within the picture. |
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| Can't get enough of this bruleed grapefruit. Must try this at home. |
3.
Nopa, Alamo Square: A bit off the beaten track, Nopa still remains as one of the formidable brunch spots in San Francisco due to its high quality ingredients. Not to be missed are their hot chocolate made in-house and melt-in-your-mouth french toast.
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| Fresh, gooey french toast |
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| Eggs with sides that are so tasty and fresh |
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| Scrambled eggs- again the side salad is the winner |
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| Started/ended brunch with a cup of hot chocolate made in house |
4.
Mission Beach Cafe, Mission:
Warning! The cafe will not sit anyone if the whole party has not arrived. Therefore, the strategy to cut down waiting time is to go early, preferably on the second seating of the day (they open at 9 am on Sunday), and hope against hope that those who are listed in front of you are still waiting for their friends. Another tip is to invite folks who are early weekend risers.
The food and service were all top notch as expected. The much Yelp-ed about French Toast was easily demolished.
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| Top: Dungeness crab and shrimp benedict| Bottom L: Egg scramble; R: Beef hash |
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| Must get the French Toast! |
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