BOULETTES LARDER >

Recent months have seen the closures of Camino, Yuzuki and Duna. These were iconoclastic restaurants that perhaps pursued paths more about craft and ideals than, well, economics. Boulettes Larder is the originator of this genre. Every morning, Amaryll Schwertner works alone in the open kitchen at Boulettes Larder, methodically poaching and scrambling eggs. She is never in a rush, nor is she particularly nonchalant. She’s just … expert, doing the dance she’s done thousands of times before. When the dish of poached eggs arrives at your table, they are perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned. Everyone should experience a perfect egg in their lives. As the yolk spills onto the tender braised greens and the preserved lemon and green chile pulse through your palate, you understand why. The big question: Do you want to spend $30 on breakfast? Despite its cushy chairs, not everyone may see Boulettes Larder as a particularly comfortable restaurant. Some may see the room as a serene cocoon away from the bustle of the Ferry Building, while others, especially first-time visitors, may be ill at ease with its distinct formality. Servers, clad in black, move like chess pieces around the room, filling water glasses and delivering French presses (the smallest coffee option, $7) to each table. It’s dead silent, save for quiet conversations and the occasional cracking of eggs.

The best time to go: Weekday breakfast. Make it an occasion and go in to work late one day. Consider it a pilgrimage to one of San Francisco’s most non-replicable dining experiences. Because when Schwertner decides to say goodbye, there will not be another like it. Order: Poached eggs ($16.50) and coffee. A side of Acme toast with butter and jam ($7) if you’re feeling spendy.

1 Ferry Building, San Francisco. 415-399-1155 or www.bouletteslarder.com. Breakfast and lunch Tues.-Sat. Brunch Sun. Reservations and credit cards accepted.

— P.L.