When I walk by Andalu, it doesn’t invite me in. It’s one of those places in the neighborhood that just feels too new and too upscale. When I walk in I feel a little out of place. But wait, apparently it did invite me in, because here I am, on last Sunday, ordering brunch. The thing is, I really like eggs benedict. Sometimes when I’m hungry I’ll browse the Flickr pool. But it’s not easy to make at home and it’s not especially cheap. Especially at Pork Store, which is the nearest eggsbenedicteria to my home.
At Pork Store I have to shell out something like $13 for the dish and, sure, it comes with coffee and juice, but I don’t always want all that liquid. (their online menu says that the benedict is $8.95, but maybe that’s only at the Haight Street location, or I’m just plain wrong) Plus, there’re the lines and the scene (which is maybe a plus and a minus?) and the quality, which is just so-so, but what they don’t have in quality is definitely made up for in bigness.
Boogaloos also has the lines and the scene, their benedict is great, but also 5¢ more expensive than Andalu, and comes with fruit or hashbrowns, not both.
Valencia Pizza & Pasta has a pretty good and very filling benedict, and there usually isn’t much of a wait or a scene there. Plus you get a whole orange.
I had the eggs florentine at Weird Fish once, it was good, but smothered in sauce.
At Andalu the benedict is $9.95 (pictured above) and is delicious. The eggs were cooked into little orbs that squirted their warm yellow yolk all over the place when popped. Which is a good thing, I think. And the polenta fries (not pictured, we got those with the french toast, which was also very good, but I’m not talking about that) were great dipped into the hollandaise. The only downside to the food was that I was still a little hungry afterwards.
So, what do you think? Eggs benedict – overhyped? Is there a better spot in the neighborhood (under $10) that I left out? Or should I just eat at home more?
the best eggs benedict are at brenda’s, no question, they’re even worth the endless line.
I too love eggs benedict, and greatly appreciate this coverage.
I haven’t made it to Brenda’s yet (maybe I’ll go for breakfast tomorrow morning, thanks to albionite!), but the best eggs benedict I’ve ever had anywhere in the world has been at Canteen, Dennis Leary’s tiny restaurant on Bush St. The hollandaise was amazing! I’ve also had one of the three best dinners I’ve ever had anywhere in the world there. The eggs benedict haven’t been unbelievably awesome every time, but they have been great every time. I don’t think they’re quite under $10, but they are very reasonably priced for the quality of ingredients and preparation, definitely in the range of The Pork Store. Brenda’s and Canteen are out of The Mission, but this is all about the benedicts, no? Plus, Dennis Leary plays punk rock – or interesting scheit – in the mornings.
If I remember correctly, I’ve also had great eggs benedict on occasion at Universal Café (on 19th between Florida and Bryant). I don’t believe they’re always on the menu there, but there is usually a great scramble and a great hash of some sort with poached eggs on the weekend brunch menu. Plus sunny sidewalk seating! And very nice people… Former long-time staff became owners several years ago.
I did have great eggs benedict twice at Ebb & Flow on 18th & Guerrero, but I will never eat there again – the owners of the space began micro-managing the kitchen and attempting to downgrade the menu, and the chefs they had partnered with to change the concept and improve the quality walked out, along with other staff. Their departures were described publicly as amicable, and may ultimately have been so on a personal or social level, but it was definitely a case of owners not understanding certain levels of quality and how to create a successful business at those levels, and not following through on commitments and plans to do so. Too bad! (Don’t worry about the staff, though – they’re great, and were working again in better establishments almost immediately.)
Okay, please keep up the great food reporting on Mission Mission!
Has there been any eggs benedict street art?
My favorite benedict is at Mo’s in North Beach. Its a bit over your cap of $10 though.
The discrepancy between the online price and the menu price for Pork Store’s Eggs Benedict is attributable, I believe, to their practice of having different weekday and weekend menus. On the weekends, they jack the prices way up and add a few extras. So if you just want the Eggs Benedict at a reasonable price, without all the liquids, go Monday through Friday.
That Weird Fish picture is truly disgusting!
I have no other suggestions because, while Eggs Benedict (and Florentine, too, and also any variation involving smoked salmon) sound delicious to me in theory, my stomach has always had trouble tolerating hollandaise sauce — too rich. So now I just make the dish at home with a substitute sauce of plain, low-fat yogurt and dijon mustard (a pinch of curry powder is nice, too). If I’m feeling lazy, I have one of those plastic microwave egg-poachers.
PS: Or try this one…
Eggs Florentine
I think you’re right about the Pork Store thing, thanks Crank. And I’d try your hollandaise sauce but the dairy would destroy my sinuses.
OK… try this, then: If you have a food processor (or a useful substitute), throw in half a ripe avocado, a squirt of fresh lime juice, and a few drops of olive oil (a squish from the garlic press is optional — not everyone likes garlic in the morning). Puree. Instant “green eggs and ham”! Works on Canadian bacon or smoked salmon… not so much on spinach (but there, melted pepper jack cheese or smoked fontina is better anyway).
Sunrise Cafe on 24th at Folsom/Shotwell. Awesome, with good coffee, hardly ever a wait. Alba, who owns it, is a peach…
Actually, it super sucks. Stay away. You won’t like it.
Totally agree. Everyone stay away.
I really like Sunrise too, but the one time I had eggs benedict there, it was pretty sad. Maybe it was just an off day?
try the Squat & Gobble at 3600 16th st.
If you’re willing to walk up 24th street, Joe’s 24th St. Cafe has an excellent benedict. It’s like $10, I think. And the benedicts at Savor are lovely, though they don’t have the traditional Canadian bacon/ham option. Their florentine is nice. And the cajun hollandaise that comes with the crab cake one is pretty great, too.
Figured you’d be the one to give away my other secret Benedictery. If there’s a line, I’m blaming you, lady.
Hah! <3 We never make it to benedict until like 2 anyway. I decided the world can handle it.
it’s those hash browns I want right now….
The Blessington Benedict at the Phoenix is extremely delicious and under $10. I would die for a nonstop supply of that soda bread.
The best eggs benedict in town is, for my money, at the Bayside Coffee Shop: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bayside-coffee-shop-san-francisco
I’m pretty sure it’s $8-ish there. They serve giant glasses of fresh orange juice too. Get one.
The only breakfast food in the whole world that’s better than their eggs benedict, is this magical thing they call the “Corned Beef Hash Combo.” It’s like eggs benedict, except it has corned beef hash between the egg and the English muffin, and for no reason at all, it has a fried banana on the side.
It’s the most magical breakfast in the history of the world. Try it.
There are two places I go for super yummy eggs benedict. The top place is Le Zinc in Noe, and I’ve never had to wait in line. They are French, so they know what they are doing and the hollandaise is just like my mother makes. If you don’t like rich hollandaise and strong cappuccinos, this place is not for you!
The runner up is a little place in West Portal called the Village Grill. They are a good ol home style mom and pop place and the staff are super friendly and efficient.
I’d vote for The Liberties (22nd / Guerrero), where you can get yours with a potato pancake (pasty?) and your choice of a fine morning libation…