Grove Cafe

Sunday, April 29, 2007
Brunch with Lowell, Carolyn and Mal

Grove is a wonderful little cafe on the corner of Chestnut and Avila (between Pierce and Scott). We met Carolyn and Mal for a noonish Sunday brunch. There are seats on the sidewalk outside as well as benches along a large window that looks out into the street. You have to get in line to order your food or drinks, but they bring them to you at your seat.

AWESOME Bloody Mary's, thick and spicy with garnishes of spicy peppers, olives and green beans. They also come in a glass that has to be a foot tall. The food was equally impressive in size -- the breakfast burrito looks like a baby seal -- and you can ask for additional ingredients like bacon or guacamole. Carolyn and Lowell had Dave's Downfall (I think) which is a eggs benedict with avocado. Sides of bacon, salad and 4-cheese mac & cheese were nice too. (We might have overeaten). Our neighbors had some good looking coffee drinks.

Cute brunch place with great Bloody Mary's. Parking is a pain but it is the Marina.

2250 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 474-4843

Ottimista Enoteca-Cafe

Sunday, April 29, 2007
Late afternoon drinks with Carolyn and Lowell

Ottimista is a wonderful wine bar on Union Street in Cow Hollow (SF). There are covered seats with heaters on the patio outside in addition to their homey tables and wine bar inside. Their staff is super nice and helpful -- Carolyn and I could not decide between the prosecco and bubbly moscato, and the waitress let us taste both before bringing us a very healthy pour of our final selection (I love moscato, like dessert in a glass). Think our glasses were $8 and $9 each.

While we just had wine, it looked like they also had a nice selection of small and large plates. Also looked like they have a pretty good wine club with quarterly shipments and pick-up parties.

I like the concept behind their name. Per their site, "Ottimista Enoteca-Café gets its name from the Italian translation of the word 'optimist', chosen by owner and eternal optimist Melissa Gisler, who believes that at the wine bar, as in life, the glass should always be half full."

1838 Union Street, San Francisco, California 94123
(415) 674.8400