Dottie’s TRUE BLUE CAFE

The Marilyn Monroe of Breakfast Joints




I had to start my first breakfast 'blog with this perennial favourite of mine. In my opinion (and, of course, my opinion is all that really matters here ~ my 'blog, my rules), this is by far the best Breakfast place in San Francisco for your money. I have been going there for close to twenty years now (early 90's at least), and go there about 6-10 times a year (do the math ~ I have eaten there a lot). Anyone coming to visit from out of town is usually "forced" to join me there for breakfast (after which, they join the legion of satisfied customers who will now pass along to anyone visiting San Francisco about this great place).

Dottie's TRUE BLUE CAFE is located on Jones Street, between Geary and O'Farrell Streets. It is right on the border of the Theatre/Hotel District and the Tenderloin, so that is always an interesting location ~ no charge for the "street performances" while you are waiting in line outside. It is owned and run by Kurt Abney ~ chief cook ~ but I am pretty sure someone else washes the bottles. Watching him work the grille is a work of art.



Dottie's is a kinda small place. It only has ten tables (averaging 2-4 seats per table) and five counter seats. So the total amount of people that can enter and be served at one time is less than forty normally. The clientele are generally lined up outside the door a half-block long (rain or shine ~ usually rain) and the wait can be anywhere from a ½-hour to one hour, depending on the time of day. Be patient; it is well worth the wait. They are only open for Breakfast and Lunch, seven days a week, and are usually busy all day long.


 










 
I had the frittata from their specials board: Avocado, tomato, corn, scallions, jalapeño, and Feta. It comes with a heaping mound of home fries (superb) and a side of corn bread toast. As always, the combination of the fresh ingredients and sides were excellent. To me, it just ain't breakfast unless there are good 'tater dishes involved somehow (and lots o' black coffee).

All of their breads and pastries are fresh baked daily. Unfortunately for me, whenever I go alone, I can never eat that much food so have only tried their baked goods a few times. Their selection is excellent and always interesting, though. Today's line-up included: Black Plum Whiskey Crumb Cake, Coconut Honey Muffin, White Chocolate Blueberry Coffee Cake, Pear Toffee Cream Bar, Sweet Potato Honey Nut Bread, Pumpkin Cranberry Bread, and several other original ones.

Unlike most restaurants, they offer a great selection of hot sauces on the tables and counter from which to choose: three or four varieties of Tabasco® Sauce (Regular, Jalapeño, Chipotle, and Habañero), plus a few other brands (which is nice so that I do not have to schlep my own bottles from home with me as I normally would). Their salt and pepper shaker collection is always fun as most people do not even know what they are until they ask for some salt and pepper ~ mine today looked like standard sized avocados.

The beauty of this place is how people from all over the World come here when they are in San Francisco (the location near many hotels is a plus). At the counter with me were a lady from Hampshire, England (very cute, I must say), a man from Frankfurt, Deutschland, and a couple from Austin, Texas. Sitting at the counter is always a plus as you get to see "the show" of the meal being prepared (and you can make sure that Kurt doesn't spit in your food). Every time that I have gotten there when the restaurant opens (and I assume it is probably every day of the year, too), there is an elderly gentleman named Mr. Skinner seated at the counter that has a daily bowl of oatmeal ~ more than likely comped by the guy working the grille (I hope his boss doesn't find out).

Anyone coming to San Francisco, or even those locals that might read this, do yourself a flavour and go to Dottie's for the real San Francisco breakfast treat (Rice-A-Roni® be damned).

Rating on the Glen Bacon Scale*: 8.5




*(The Glen Bacon Scale was developed in the 70's as a highly scientific way to rate the female species. Unlike the normal 1-10 rating, this is a logarithmic scale, similar to the Richter Scale, which is a much more precise way of determining the tastitude of a female and I have appropriated it here for the use in determining a restaurant's worthiness. Simply speaking: anything under 5.0 is inedible ~ think most fast food places ~ everything over 5.0 is worth checking out. You will never eat a "10" meal ~ if you do, say "Hi!" to God for me, 'cause you are dead and have gone to heaven. In terms of women: Uma Thurman is an 8.0, Nicole Kidman is an 8.2, Marilyn Monroe was an 8.5, etc., you get the idea.)