Everyone has one of those places that they don't want to share with the world... right?
The place where you don't mind waiting in line for 20 minutes just to place your order, but you know couldn't handle much more traffic than it already gets.
Well, today I'm going to share with you my Bay Area Jewel. And I want to see if you can guess its name. I'll post the answer in the next few days in the Comments, but I'm really curious as to how much "press" this place gets.
My Jewel is located in a long and narrow space with 16' ceilings and gorgeous brick walls. On nice days, they set the sidewalk with half a dozen bistro tables, but good luck trying to score one.
The owner, a sweet Italian gentleman, has created a menu that requires no kitchen - only a hotplate, toaster oven, toasters and an egg poaching machine. Everything is organic and sustainably grown, and the menu is distinctly Northern Italian. We've only been for breakfast, but they also do a brisk lunch business.
This past weekend, three of us shared a bowl of fruit salad (I have NO idea where they found strawberries, raspberries and blackberries so sweet and delicious in January), a morning bun and an almond croissant. The pastries were perfect - so often, croissants are gummy inside, but this one was light and flaky throughout. Just wonderful.
My latte was perfect - foam this good can only come from deliciously sweet milk, and the espresso was pulled absolutely perfectly. C's mocha was also great - rich and chocolatey, but not what you would call "sweet", per se.
Mom (in town for my 30th), had the Chorizo ($7). This was served with poached eggs and toast, and included a divine apricot preserve. The chorizo itself was wonderful - deeply fragrant, savory and with a sweet spice that built heat at the back of your throat slowly. Just wonderful.
C had the day's special, Corned Beef Hash ($9). This is served with two poached eggs and toast drizzled with olive oil. The hash was rich and meaty, and loaded with carmelized onions. A dash of sea salt added the minor missing link.
Finally, I tried the Polenta ($6) for the first time. It was served with a poached egg and a bit of stinky Cabrales cheese. The polenta is the ultimate warming breakfast, though I have to hold the cheese as I can't stomach stinky cheese before noon. Topped with a pat of sweet, creamy, organic butter, this is heavenly stuff.
So... tell me where you think this place is, and I'll see if I can't come up with some really cool prize for the first correct guess.
