http://www.grandcafe-sf.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDkBzkA9L4s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np66auTlsOw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIGqxli-UIE
(The U2 video/song goes along with both the Saint Patrick's Day weekend and my "on the street where you live" theme; the other two are just some more great traditional Celtic crooners. Again, Mr. Kipe, if you have a problem with either songs #2 or #3, I may have too think twice about freeloading off of you during the Christmas Holidays; plus, I only know of song #3 as it was included on my pre-loaded iPod that was a gift from some very nice people in North Yorkshire.)
To continue my breakfastary journey along Geary Street/Boulevard I ate at Grand Cafe Brasserie[1] & Bar (which is located on the corner of Geary and Taylor Streets, next to Hotel Monaco; I am not sure of the relationship to the hotel, but there is an adjoining inner door). Their web-site states that they "are a modern French brasserie", but why they wouldn't include the accent aigu on the word "Café", je ne sais pas. They have classical music playing on the house stereo, very high ceilings, large columns (sorry, I can't tell a Doric from an Ionic from a Corinthian, Paul), and large chandeliers[2] in their "gilded Barbary Coast ballroom". If this place didn't open as early as they do (8:00am on Saturdays and Sundays) ~ more than likely to accommodate the tourista/hôtel crowd, it would probably be way too fancy for the likes of this paysan, Marie Antoinette; they actually use cloth napkins and tablecloths.
Both the French Toast (heirloom apples, cinnamon, and huckleberry sauce… but why not Pain Perdu, Frank?) and scrambled eggs and asparagus tartine[3] looked really good on their "Brunch" menu. Now, normally any dish with asparagus is going to be my first choice; however, I just had a huge Chinese dinner the other night that was chock full of fresh asparagus, so I went with Herbed Goat Cheese & Spinach Omelet (again, why not "Omelette"?) ~ Herb roasted potatoes, mixed greens, choice of toast. I also had a glass of orange juice and a cuppa coffee.
There was lots of fresh sautéed spinach in this. I am not sure who this Herbert guy is, but I liked his goat cheese and potatoes. I had sourdough bread as my choice of toast, but skipped the mixed greens. The coffee was Peerless Coffee & Tea® Organic ~ Balthazar Blend; it was made perfectly and very strong. I happened to mention this to my server (whose name I did not get, sorry, Mrs. Huneycutt; besides, he was more my nephew Alan's type than yourn), who happened to be a fellow coffee-snob, and he actually brought me out a packet of the coffee to use at home.
Grand Cafe only offers Tabasco® as their condimentary supplements. I had come fully prepared and used some (getting near the last of it, too) Sylvia's Restaurant® Kickin' Hot Hot Sauce (Thanks, Sean!) on the potatoes and some Benito's Original Naranja (Thanks, me!) on the omelette.
Next up on Geary Street: Olympic (Flame) Cafe (aussi sans l'accent aigu, but they are a Greeky place so this can be overlooked)
Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Herbed Goat Cheese & Spinach Omelet ~ 6.5
[1] Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numéro un:
"Brasserie" is not the French word for where the ladies secretly get their undies, Victoria; it literally means "brewery". It comes from the French root word "brasser", which means "to brew".
[2] Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numéro deux:
"Chandelier" is the French word literally meaning "something to hold candles", Mr. Bing.
[3] Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day, numéro trois:
"Tartine" is a fancy French open-faced sandwich. It is simplement the diminutive of "tarte" (a small pie).
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