Agua Fresca @ Sutter Cafe (SF)

[Melanie Wong]

Monday I stopped at Sutter Cafe, tucked into the elevator lobby of the Sutter entrance to the Sutter-Stockton garage, to get a beverage. The menu board listed aguas frescas --- cantaloupe, lime or watermelon --- so I ordered one even though there were none to be seen anywhere. The Chinese lady who took my order then went into the back, and soon I could hear chopping and a blender whirring. The quality was limited by the winter watermelons available now, but it was as good as possible at this time of year, made to order and with just a small touch of sugar. At $2 for about 8 ounces, it hit the spot.

The cafe proudly displays the rec from "7x7" for the chicken tamales. The mag's piece explains that the Cantonese proprietress used to live in Mexico City and learned to make tamales there. It's clear she picked up something about aguas frescas too.

LoriSF's tamale rec (June 2007) -
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/416159#2707843
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/417609#2717493

7x7 Best of 2007
http://www.7x7.com/content/best-eat-d...

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Sutter Cafe
330 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA

[hhc]

Sutter Cafe is in the lobby area of the Sutter/Stockton Garage, next to the elevators. It was dark and closed, but I saw the Asian lady and she opened the door for me. I asked what days and hours the shop was open & I said I was from Fremont and I guess she felt sorry for me and asked if I wanted a chicken tamale.

Of course I did. So she heated me up one. It's smaller than a regular size tamale and cost $2.25. I thought it was ok. The dough is kinda thick, but I liked that it had olive, chicken, and peppers.

I also asked for an Agua Fresca $2. They have cantaloupe, lime, watermelon. I picked watermelon. It was nice, not too sweet.

My total was $4.25. I paid in Cash and ate my tamale outside by the closed ticket counter.

Hrs: M-F 9am-5:30pm, Sat 11am-5:30pm

[grayelf]

We had the tamales last Monday as a snack and found them to be excellent, with nice firm uncrumbly masa and a slight gravy to the stuffing that added to the overall experience. Beat the pants off the really sad "organic" tamale we tried the next day at the small FP farmers' market. I can't believe I spaced on getting an agua while we were there, though. Next time...

[katya]

Sounds like a find! And that's my go-to downtown parking garage.

[grayelf]

Bless you, Melanie, for mentioning you visited Sutter Cafe on a Monday! Once again, Chowhound to the rescue as I'm trying to ascertain which restaurants I want to visit are actually open Monday. I will add the lime agua to my order now as well...

[Melanie Wong]

With no seating, do you consider it a "restaurant"?

[grayelf]

Good point, and good info since I never picked up on that point. Chicken tamales to go, I guess :-).

[Melanie Wong]

I was in the garage again this morning. Sutter Cafe has six chairs and three tiny tea tables, so you could eat in.