Maverick

I once promised to post some brunch pictures from Maverick, one of my SF brunch mainstays. There are two critical factors about brunch at Maverick. First, the food is delicious. Second, they are on OpenTable and take brunch reservations. It's generally pretty easy to get in, and there is rarely a line like other top brunch spots (such as personal favorite Universal Cafe... and I won't even get into places like Dottie's or Mama's). The intersection of convenience and quality make Maverick a standard brunch stop. I guess it's at a slightly higher price point than the packed brunch places, but I'll pay an extra few dollars to avoid the hassle.

 

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE BENEDICT - grilled andouille sausage, poached eggs, crawfish and jalapeno hollandaise, English muffin, home fries - $15If you're eating brunch at Maverick for the first time, order the andouille benedict. It's been on the menu for years, and it really is their best dish. I'm a sucker for any good eggs benedict, and these eggs are expertly-poached. Maverick then mixes it up by using andouille sausage instead of ham, and throwing some crawfish into the hollandaise. The result is a nice peppery kick that gives the whole plate some life. The potatoes are also excellent here - hot and crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside.

 

MAC 'N CHEESE - $6Their mac 'n cheese is also a winner. Extremely rich and comforting, and also an excellent pair with the hot sauce...

 

YOUK'S HOT SAUCE - free, but it'll cost you $7 to take a bottle homeAnd a fine hot sauce it is. In fact, it might be my favorite American-style hot sauce of all (though admittedly, I've never been to the south). According to the label, the sauce is based mainly on serranos, jalapenos, and cayenne. It's got a wonderful tangy bite that goes perfectly with the potatoes and the mac 'n cheese (or just about anything, really). Love this stuff. Looks like they're actually selling it online now too.

So that's a typical brunch at Maverick. Apologies again for the long long overdue post. If you're awake in the morning on a weekend and looking for some numnums, definitely check out Maverick. You won't have to deal with the 600-person line in front of Dottie's.

Eats

eats.jpg

Yet another place we used to go to every once in a while during high school was Eats, a tiny little neighborhood breakfast joint at the beginning of Clement. They serve a reasonable and simple Sunday brunch - eggs, pancakes, etc. I went back last week with Bart, Mario, Angela and Annie after a night at Kirk's place. It was actually a Sunday, and they only have one or two tables that can fit 5, so we ended up waiting quite a while as the people at the table we sought sat around and stared at the check for a good 20 minutes. They left eventually though, and all was well...

joe's scramble - ground beef, spinach, onions, mushrooms and parmesan with home fries and toast- $7.5 Joe's scramble is sort of my go-to dish at Eats. For those that don't know, it's a San Francisco breakfast item that is pretty common throughout the city. I think the beef and spinach make for a great hearty breakfast. Eats' 3 egg scrambles are just the right size - they're very generous but I usually don't feel overstuffed walking out. Every once in a while you get that craving for an egg breakfast, and Eats is a good place to satisfy it. It's now my last night in Paris. We're having our final dinner at Le Cinq in about half an hour, then it's back to SF tomorrow morning. I've got a couple more things from SF to finish up before you guys see the biggest string of Arthur Hungry posts ever!
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Curbside Cafe

Here's the first meal I had in SF after getting back from Asia. I went to Curbside Cafe on California with my mom for brunch.


chorizo and eggs - $9 chorizo and eggs - $9 This place is pretty reliable for a decent breakfast. Chorizo and eggs is one of my favorite combos... it's the ideal sausage/egg since it has a slight hint of spice. The tortillas are corn but not totally fresh. Still, very addictive to go with the dish.
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Sonsie

Sorry for the lack of updates... haven't been eating much this week. Got a week off before summer school starts. Today, Keith, Yuen, Steph & I went to Sonsie on Newbury for a late lunch.


chicken caesar salad with herb-grilled chicken chicken caesar salad with herb-grilled chicken


white cheese pizza with grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions & mushroom brie white cheese pizza with grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions & mushroom brie When we got there we were surprised to see a menu with just a few salads and pizza. I guess it's because we went at such an odd hour (4pm or so) between lunch and dinner. Anyway, the food was pretty good. We didn't get one of the tables directly in front of the street, but we were by the front. The salad was solid all around... chicken was tender. Croutons could have been better. The pizza was good, but as you can see squarely in the "fancy pizza" style. Crust wasn't ultra-thin. Enough to have a little chew to it. I heard brunch is good there so I may try that some time. I'm going to Montreal this weekend with Dave, Keith & Yuen. Hopefully I'll eat some good stuff up there.
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