Tartine

San Francisco, with heaps of artisanal bakeries + artisanal cheesemakers + organic produce, is a great place to have brunch. To be fair, it's a great place to have any meal, but there's just something really great about lazy city brunches. So last Wednesday, sunglasses on and eyeliner applied, Keerthi, Katie (our resident Cracker!) and I tottered down to one of my favourite brunch spots.

Tartine is ostensibly a bakery, and certainly their bread and pastries are AMAZING, but to only label it as such fails to encompass the JOYS of their selection. Also on offer are more substantial selections including Croque Monsieurs, Pain de Jambon, and House-blend Muesli. The space itself is cozy, filled with large, wooden communal tables and smaller bistro tables-for-two. Looking around at the lack of seating (a common problem at Tartine, even on a weekday), we spied an opening at one of the handful of tables that line the sidewalk outside the restaurant, and chose to brave the slightly chilly San Francisco weather rather than wait for a table inside. I chose the Pain de Jambon, essentially a croissant filled with ham and Gruyere cheese.



Keerthi and Katie both opted for the Croque Monsieur, a hearty slice of dense artisanal bread topped with gruyere cheese and bechamel sauce. Katie chose the plain version while Keerthi opted to add thick slices of ham and spinach to hers. I took a picture of Keerthi's because it was prettier, but then I'm fickle like that.



And it was, really a very satisfying, if chilly, lunchtime.