http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz920WOZnSc
(Some Ella Fitzgerald** was playing on the stereo when I first sat down and I thought it would go nicely here.)
There is no real secret that this is my favourite breakfast joint, not just in San Francisco, but in all of America, and just possibly in the entire World (however, if I lived in North Yorkshire year-round, I might have a tough choice between here and Bettys). So for the month of June (which happens to be my birth month), I am dedicating my Sunday breakfasts to Dottie's True blue café (see 'blog-entry from March 13th, 2011 for my last visit).
The real beauty of Dottie's is that it is just a short 4.8 miles straight down Geary Boulevard/Street from my apartment to get there; where I found a legal parking spot just a block away. The Sun was out and shining after raining most of the weekend, and even though I had arrived well before they opened, there was already a pretty decent line formed (Damned touristas!), but I still made it in with the "First Seating". I chose to sit at the counter, though, so that I could watch the shifty cook prepare my meal correctly. There was a nice Korean family (dad, mom, and little boy) seated next to me at the counter (okay, not all touristas are damnable).
"Hey, brother, can you spare a $20.00?"
This is pretty typical of any visit to Dottie's, while standing outside waiting for them to open, I was approached by a few of the indigenous "street performers". One young lady asked me for "some spare change", but when I looked in my wallet, I noticed that I only had $20.00 bills. I told her that I would catch her on my way out after I broke a $20.00. She then asked ~ ever so politely, mind you ~ if I could give her a $20.00. I laughed it off and told her I would give her a few $1.00's after breakfast. The kicker is that when I had finished later in the morning, she was nowhere to be found and probably had already left for better pecuniary climes.
Anyway, Dottie's has a newly printed menu, and their logo has changed, too (see photo above). I asked Kurt if they had any of the old menus lying around that I could have as a souvenir; he said that he is pretty sure they were all thrown out, but would check to see if he still had any at home. Maybe I will get one next weekend and have it framed. They have incorporated their new menu with some old "Specials Board" stalwarts hard-coded on it now (for example a perennial*** favourite of mine: Black Bean Cakes). It is also interesting to point out that they now use an accent aigu in their name; in the past it was never clearly designated whether they were a "cafe" or "café": Dottié's Trué blué café.
Even so (after perusing the new menu just in case), I went with something off the Specials Board, I had Zucchini Cakes ~ topped with poached eggs & a spicy marinara sauce, with fruit & home fries. I also had a large glass of grapefruit juice and a cuppa coffee.
The Zucchini Cakes are a great take on an Eggs Benedict dish: two zucchini cake patties and a very tasty marinara sauce in place of English muffins and Hollandaise sauce. I asked Kurt where he came up with this idea and he said he just thought it up one day during the free time in the day (Dottie's is only open for breakfast and lunch). I told Kurt that he should rename this dish "Uova Benedetto"****, as it is a nice Italiano version of the standard "Eggs Benedict". You can see my 'blog-entry from 10/10/10 for additional ravings and descriptions on this unique and tasty dish. Today's fresh fruit cup consisted of: watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, and strawberries.
Present on the counter in front of me were the same Arizona souvenir salt & pepper shakers from my last visit.
I knew that Dottie's has one of the better complimentary supplementation available, so I didn't even bother bringing any additional hot sauces from my collection. I used some Tabasco® Chipotle on the home fries and just a little Frank's® Red Hot® ~ Chile 'n Lime™ on the Zucchini Cakes (which really didn't need any extra flavour as the marinara sauce was pretty darn tasty on it's own, I just liked the idea of the additional chile and lime).
Here is a picture of "The Usual Suspects", Bayim Söze:
While I was sitting there waiting to eat, I noticed cartons of jars of Dottie's Own Chipotle Pepper Jelly on top of one of their storage cabinets. Apparently these are packaged for sale to take home. I couldn't pass up this addition to my collection, so I bought one to take home with me. As stated right on the label: "Perfect on hot cornbread, toast, grilled chicken, shrimp sauté, grilled pork chops, and grilled tofu. A perfect companion with crackers and cheese for a very civilized Hors d’oeuvre." Heck, I am planning on using it tonight for a "Sweet Heat!" grilled cheese and jelly sandwich.
Ingredients: Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Green Bell Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Jalapeños, Water, Chipotle Peppers (peppers, water, distilled vinegar, carrots, onions, sesame oil, salt, spices), Citrus Pectin, Monocalcium Phosphate.
You are never too young (or old) for Dottie's True blue café, Lady Ella!
Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Uova Benedetto ~ 7.77; Dottie's Own Chipotle Pepper Jelly ~ 7.1
*(That would be about 28-35 Sundays in Dog-years, of course.)
**(This is actually très à propos as I was just talking yesterday and today to some friends on defacedbook how I thought that Lady Ella was the best American female vocalist… EVER!)
***(Stupid, useless etymological pointer of the day:
"Perennial" as in "undying", "everlasting", or "enduring"; not some kinda flower you plant in the Springtime.)
****(This would also be nice as it would honour some guy with the same last name that has his signature song about a cardiac transplantation in our fair city. It's the B-Side to the much more popular "Once Upon A Time", of course.)
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