22949 Tue Feb 11 12:06:59 -0800 2003 22 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 86043 I had a question about Cafe Fanny. I saw in the archives that it's gotten some pretty good reviews-food wise. I want to take my mom who's visiting us in SF to Berkeley on Saturday morning and get out by noon (hoping to avoid the traffic that will be coming for the Chinese New Year Parade). So, we'll want to grab breakfast and Cafe Fanny has been a place I've been wanting to try. However, I am curious about the set-up. There will definitely be three of us, possibly 5-getting there around 10am. I see from the website that there are tables outside and a bar inside. Can we get a table inside and sit down and relax with our food and coffee? Tables outside would normally be fine, but it looks like rain is heading our way. Thanks in advance for the advice. Tue Feb 11 12:06:59 -0800 2003 0 frantik 1 86047 There might be three or four tables in the parking lot area, but Fanny is essentially a stand up bar with takeout. (There's no table service). I wouldn't go there with five people or three people unless your expectation was to stand and eat fairly quickly. The millet muffins were always a favorite though. Tue Feb 11 12:26:29 -0800 2003 86043 0 Windy 1 86053 Fair weather definitely compliments this weird little institution (weird can be good). If anyone in your group is likely to get cranky about having to stand up - or fight/wait for a table, than this is not your best option. It is good fuel for an on the go mentality, as is ACME BREAD, right next door. A cinnamon walnut currant loaf with the New York Times is just about perfect. Another institution worth checking out with sit down service is Bette's Oceanview on 4th Street. Waits can be over an hour so plan on having a coffee and a pastry. Tue Feb 11 13:46:26 -0800 2003 86043 0 k. gerstenberger 2 86054 Hmmm...I think that Bette's would have to pay me to wait an hour. But I feel the same way about Boogaloos in the Mission. And they always mysteriously and consistently pack people in. Any other ideas for a sit-down place that's good for breakfast that doesn't have a massive wait and is in a relatively interesting neighborhood? Tue Feb 11 13:59:06 -0800 2003 86053 0 frantik 3 86058 Meal TIcket roughly at the intersection of San Pablo and Gilman is not cute, but the guy has a good rep. This is his second location. The huevos at Picante on Sixth are passable and they have seating for 250 -300. Jimmy Beans also on sixth has never blown my socks off, but they have a roof. Rick and Ann's up by the Claremont is a long wait. There's generally some food at the Berkeley Farmer's Market, but that might be a soak fest. Shoot down to Old Oakland and hang out at Cafe 817 - it's a bit like Fanny, but with seating. Tue Feb 11 14:28:56 -0800 2003 86054 0 k. gerstenberger 4 86061 OH, excellent! I was trying to think of the name of this place. (I'm 99.9% sure this is the place I'm thinking of anyway.) Not too long ago I stopped in for a coffee on my way to a meeting for work and had the most decadent mocha made with Scharfenberger chocolate. Thanks! I think we'll give that a try. Tue Feb 11 14:34:50 -0800 2003 86058 0 frantik 5 86063 yep Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/21246#75884 Tue Feb 11 14:38:31 -0800 2003 86061 0 vn 5 86071 Oh, please report back on Cafe 817, if you get a chance. I haven't heard enough about this place--and I can never seem to make it over there on Saturday mornings, though it's just a short bike ride from home. (They're closed on Sundays). I vaguely recal someone saying somethign about polenta for breakfast, which sounds *so* good. Enjoy! Tue Feb 11 15:42:41 -0800 2003 86061 0 Missy P. 6 86095 Caffe 817's menu at breakfast is short, but what they make is oh-so-good...I like the polenta with a poached egg [choice of one or two eggs]; they put bits of cheese in the polenta [telagio, I think] that melts into the warm polenta and adds a wonderful earthy flavor...there is also a croque madame-ish breakfast sandwich...the espresso drinks there are reminiscent of the best of North Beach...AND, as mentioned elsewhere, you can sit down and enjoy, rather than freeze your buns in a parking lot outside of Cafe Fanny [Cafe Frozen Fanny?]. Tue Feb 11 22:31:49 -0800 2003 86071 0 Paulie 4 86081 Funny, I think Meal Ticket is darn cute inside! It has a clean and cozy atmosphere, enlivened with Latin American-y tchotchkes and wall-hangings. You order your food at the register and they bring it out to you, but other than that it's a nice place for weekend brunch. The food isn't extremely interesting (less so than La Note or Venus, I would say), but it's hearty, well-prepared, and good quality. Tue Feb 11 18:16:28 -0800 2003 86058 0 Alexandra 3 86059 Venus Cafe and La Note -- both on Shattuck -- are good for breakfast/brunch. Venus is a little more casual. Tue Feb 11 14:34:42 -0800 2003 86054 0 Ruth Lafler 4 86064 I was just thinking about La Note. I've never been there, but I heard it was good. What have you tried? Here's the citysearch review which makes it sound wonderful. They even seem to have items that would fit in on my diet (although looking at their menu, the more delicious sounding items are what caught my eye). Link: http://bayarea.citysearch.com/review/1029522/editorial/?cslink=cs_profile_tabs_editorial_review Image: http://www.lanote.citysearch.com/23.jpg Tue Feb 11 14:58:23 -0800 2003 86059 0 Stanley Stephan 5 86065 here Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/18913#61538 Tue Feb 11 15:04:15 -0800 2003 86064 0 vn 5 86069 I haven't actually eaten at La Note -- I've just heard good things. Thanks, BTW, to "vn" for being so quick to add follow-ups with links on several occasions recently. Welcome, vn! I hope you introduce yourself some day. Tue Feb 11 15:27:25 -0800 2003 86064 0 Ruth Lafler 6 86083 (blush) i'm shy, but i know how to search for the good stuff Tue Feb 11 18:27:02 -0800 2003 86069 0 vn 5 86073 I ate at La Note recently. I thought the atmosphere was charming, and the stick baguettes particularly nice, although I did have to ask for jam. I was less impressed with the food (I had the omelette de pomme de terre), and the tea. Tue Feb 11 17:15:39 -0800 2003 86064 0 Windy 1 86055 I third those opinions, and would like to add that the outside seating is north-facing, so even on a sunny day it can get pretty chilly. Also, on a Saturday morning the wait for their poached eggs (admittedly pretty tasty) can be 30 minutes, which could drive you insane if you're sitting outside in the cold waiting for your first meal of the day. AND, every time I go I have a craving for a pain au chocolat and they sell out pretty early. Tue Feb 11 14:01:17 -0800 2003 86043 0 Alexandra 1 86104 I love Cafe Fanny and would go there anytime, no matter the temp, no matter the crowd I was with. I discovered Fanny on my last trip to SF from cold cold Philadelphia...you all don't know how lucky you are to have a place like Cafe Fanny. What a delicious treasure. Wed Feb 12 11:40:33 -0800 2003 86043 0 sara 1 86108 Cafe Fanny is a 500 square foot facility. The wait is terrible, the seating is not good - especially for a group. It's not a place I'd go to relax. But these guys aren't selling atmosphere. The egg salad, homemade jams, and sandwiches are fantastic. The Cafe Au Lait is sensational. If I'm hungry - definitely worth the wait. Curiously, it is nestled next to Acme Bread and a wine merchant. I took my friend there, and he started speaking French to me (I don't speak it). He was a bit lost in the realm of wine, freshly-baked bread, and a wonderful breakfast/lunch. Alice Waters and Jim Maser got the menu down pretty good. Wed Feb 12 12:11:32 -0800 2003 86043 0 Erick 2 86159 The wine merchant is Kermit Lynch and he has quarterly outdoor lunches with simple but delicious French vineyard cuisine (served with great wines) cooked on outdoor grills by chefs from Chez Panisse. These are the few times when there is loads of outdoor seating set up and you'd actually be able to order easily from Cafe Fanny to compliment the Kermit meal. :-) Thu Feb 13 01:28:47 -0800 2003 86108 0 Wendy-san 3 86169 Thanks. I've bought wine there, couldn't quite remember the name. Thu Feb 13 12:14:16 -0800 2003 86159 0 Erick 1 86146 I don't recall seeing it below, but I think it is important to point out that Cafe Fanny is Alice Waters' OTHER restaurant. Perhaps that is why folks are willing to line up for the food! Wed Feb 12 19:31:05 -0800 2003 86043 0 Paul H 2 86156 Jimmy Bean's, at 6th & Gilman, has good breakfast food (if not quite Cafe Fanny caliber--or price), indoor seating, and is in the same neighborhood if you're driving. It's also small, if you like that cozy feeling. Thu Feb 13 00:15:25 -0800 2003 86146 0 Nathan Landau