Caffé/Caffè/Café DeLucchi

http://www.caffedelucchi.com/


Place: Caffé/Caffè/Café DeLucchi
Location: 500 Corso Cristòforo Colombo (on the corner of Stockton Street)
Hours: open Monday through Friday at 10:00am, (but luckily) Saturday and Sunday at 8:00am
Meal: polenta gorgonzola (like many restaurants 
now-a-days, they have this thing for showing all their dishes in the minuscule) ~ warm soft polenta[1] topped with melted Gorgonzola, clover honey[2], thick cut applewood smoked bacon (donna you worry, Giusepp', I mada sure to ottantasei thata porco stuffa), and poached eggs; a side of artichoke[3] hash; a glassa grapefruit[4] juice; and afterward, for breakfastary dessert, un doppio Espresso e un (raspberry[5]) bombolone at Caffe Trieste

http://coffee.caffetrieste.com/

(Not that I ever need a reason to link Sir George Ivan's songs here, but if you absolutely must have a EweToobular juxtaselection, George Ivan often mentions "[backstreet] jelly-roll" in many of his songs, so this morning's bombolone will have to suffice.)


I went back to Caffé/Caffè/Café DeLucchi (see last 'blog-entry from Sunday, March 8th, 2015) for a long overdue return visit. This place never amazes to cease me... wait... strike that... but you mean what I know. Also, this place is great any time of the day even if you aren't in the mood for a breakfastary meal.

I decided to sit inside again this morning. Their sidewalk café (o caffè) seating area looked inviting (and I gave it a thought or two), but it was a bit chilly yet this morning and that area was still in the shade/shadows at 8:00am.

Here are some other intersting ideas (just to name a few) for which I will be making future visits: elvis in north beach (housemade [caffè-made, whatever] peanut butter, applewood smoked bacon [No grazie, Signor Presley!], fig jam, and bananas on a toasted ciabatta roll with house potatoes; one-of-these-days, I will have to order this); polenta funghi (polenta, melted Fontina, braised kale, mushroom medley, & poached eggs; Kale AND polenta? Oh, yeah, this is another must-try for me for the future); or mediterranean scramble (two eggs, Feta, Kalamata olives, roasted red bell peppers, red onion, spinach, artichoke, capers with potatoes & toast).

I just wish that I knew how to say "Magnifico!" or "Favoloso!" in Italiano. Polenta ~ good; (drizzled with) honey ~ very good; creamy Gorgonzola throughout ~ very, very, very good! Now, I know what you are thinking: "Honey AND stinky, moldy Italiano cheese, Brian?" Trust me, this all worked very well together. The only thing that I can see making this even better might be the addition of pears (either grilled/sautéed, roasted, or even just fresh sliced).

I already knew that I loved their excellent artichoke hash from my first breakfastary visit there three years ago and made sure to get a side of it this morning. At first, I thought it might be too much food, but it turned out to be the perfect amount for my appetite.

As condimentary supplements, Caffé/Caffè/Café DeLucchi has both Tabasco® Brand Pepper Sauce (three ways: Original Red Sauce, Green Jalapeño Sauce, and Chipotle Sauce) and Tapatío® Salsa Picante Hot Sauce. I used some of my own 
★ Pope's ★ Whiskey River Hot Sauce (Thanks, Amy and Chef Joe!) on the hash and some Sunbelt Plantations Vidalia® Onion & Jalapeno Pepper Hot Sauce (Thanks, Greg & Cindy![6]) on top of both of the poached eggs.

Lately, whenever I have mia prima colazione in North Beach, I make a point of it to stop by Caffe Trieste for a breakfastary dessert (or just a Coffee, appetite-depending). Not only is it a local favourite hangout coffeehouse, they really do have excellent (roasted right next door) Coffee there, too. This morning I even found a legal parking spot right across the street from it.

the Wild Parrots of San Francisco Interlude

I only saw one pair of Wild Parrots[7] flying overhead of Columbus Street this morning. Normally I will see several of the chattering feather-heads, as this is one of their major roosting areas.


Glen Bacon Scale Rating: 
polenta gorgonzola ~ 7.3;
artichoke hash ~ 7.5;
Caffe Trieste doppio Espresso ~ 7.0;
raspberry bombolone ~ 6.5;
the Wild Parrots of San Francisco ~ 8.5

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1. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numero uno/numerus unus:

"Polenta" comes from Italiano, originally from Latin, meaning "hulled and crushed grain (originally barley)". It is akin to the word "pollen", meaning "fine flour".

2. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numero due:

The Italiano word for "honey" is "miele".

3. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numero tre:

The Italiano word for "artichoke" is "carciofo".

4. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numero quattro:

The Italiano word for "grapefruit" is "pompelmo".

5. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numero cinque:

The Italiano word for "raspberry" is "lampone".

6. If it seems like I am "Thanks!"-ing these two people often here for supplying me with hot sauces, that is because half of my hot sauce collection has been provided by them. The other half my mother has given me. And the third half are miscellaneous gifts from other family members and friends (and some I had even purchased myself ~ not that I ever really need to do that it seems).

7. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numero sei:

The Italiano word for "parrot" is "pappagallo".