Both of my recent trips to San Francisco were for work. The first time I traveled alone, but last week I traveled with my whole office. It was super fun being there with my Boston crew, especially my co-workers who used to live in SF because they were a wealth of dining information!
On our last morning in town we took the recommendation of a co-worker and headed to Chloe's Cafe in Noe Valley for brunch.
Noe Valley is adorable. On a Sunday morning the sidewalks are buzzing with families on walks, kids on scooters and dogs prancing toward home.
Chloe's is on a quiet corner. You'll know you're getting close when you start to see the line out front. This place is popular!
One of the biggest draws is Chloe's sidewalk seating. For us east coasters, dining outside in December is such a luxury!
We gave our name to the hostess and were a bit daunted by all the names on the list ahead of us, but we only wound up waiting 20 minutes.
The hostess showed us to the very last table on the sidewalk patio and we happily settled into our sunny corner. With menus in hand, we began scanning the options.
To sip during the brunch, I ordered an Arnold Palmer. It was the ideal ratio of ice tea to lemonade.
After about 10 minutes of agonizing over sweet or savory (the weekly brunch dilemma) we all decided to get eggs.
Two of the girls ordered the smoked salmon, dill and capers scramble. It came with a side of potatoes and your choice of toast.
Though the scramble was packed with goodies, the girls told me, "The scramble was too salty and had way too many capers."
Despite the let down with the eggs, the walnut toast was a huge hit, especially when slathered in berry jam.
I also went with a scramble, mine starred avocado and jarlsberg cheese. I selected the rosemary potato bread for my toast.
Both of our scrambles came with home fries and Chloe's version is excellent. My co-worker commented, "These have exactly the right amount of crisp, which is very hard to achieve." It's true, there is nothing worse than a soft breakfast potato.
Despite the enormous portions, all three of us cleared our plates!
The whole time we were at Chloe's I kept thinking that it reminded me of somewhere in Boston. As we noshed it finally hit me - Cafe Luna in Central Square! Chloe's and Cafe Luna are alike in so many ways - long line, outdoor seating, huge portions and the freshest food.
If you find yourself in San Francisco over a weekend, definitely plan to brunch at Chloe's.
