CONFESSIONS OF A                                                                  
     
RESTAURANT WHORE
A San Francisco Girl's Down and Dirty Adventures in the Culinary Playground

Thursday, October 28, 2004

Just for ME (Mabel's Just For You Cafe -- San Francisco, CA)

Dogpatch. It's on the other side of Potrero Hill in the area that treads the fine line of cute/sketchy. Every time we are there, we comment about how it's just waiting to become prom queen.

Over in this quasi-neighborhood is Mabel's Just for You Cafe. Just for You used to be on the "acceptable" side of Potrero Hill at 18th and Connecticut (I think). We'd go for breakfast/lunch from work sometimes. It was a tiny hole in the wall with a counter and a table for three. It was on these trips that I discovered a) the louisiana hot sausage (if you haven't been paying attention, I love spicy food) and b) the fan-fucking-tastic cornbread. It's amazing. Plus, they have a nice sassy attitude (no cell phones, no kissing).

Here's the best part: When they moved to Dogpatch, they got tons more room and started making beignets. I shit you not. They make beignets. They are everything you want them to be -- fluffy with a perfect amount of sugary goodness. And they rule. We get an order no matter what. Usually everyone orders a breakfast and we get beignets on top of that.

Be prepared for a wait. It's a fun wait, though, with interesting people and dogs and babies. And you can have coffee while you wait.

I've never, ever eaten anything there that I didn't love. The eggs are fantastic. We have friends who live for the oatmeal pancakes. The Mexican specialties are perfect. Jon got some huevos rancheros with a green "yowza" sauce. It was heavenly. I love the hot chocolate -- it's got some nice cinnamon-y goodness in it.

Eating breakfast there represents everything I love about this city: great food in an unexpected place, diverse people and opportunities to connect. Hmmmm...maybe we'll go on Saturday.

xoxo
Joy

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."
--La Rochefoucauld

3 Comments:

Blogger Sam said...

you haven't had their sucky eggs benedict and gruesome grits, have you?
Like the beignets though.Like the beignets, oh yes.
And erhmm, there is nothing at all wrong with the Dog Patch side of Potrero. It's where the best and most cosmopolitan people in the city live, dhaaaaling.

6/02/2005 5:13 PM  
Blogger Joy said...

I *loathe* hollandaise so I haven't had the unfortunate experience of their benedict. Nor the grits (I usually sub in fruit, 'specially 'cause I like my taters shredded and not cubed).

6/02/2005 5:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who's Mabel? :-)

I have lived on both sides of the Hill, and they're both great. I miss the guys who started Just For You, and I miss the counter. Oh well. Chez Maman is a nice addition to 18th.

The only side worth getting is the home fries. Trust me.

3/09/2007 1:53 PM  

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