San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
HELLO, BREAKFAST SANDWICHES
These 15 special morning treats are worth getting up for
In a perfect world, I would eat a breakfast sandwich every day. It’s a dish that’s never failed me — like a good Beatles song with simple, harmonious melodies. It can be as sparse as eggs, cheese and some kind of protein, but it doesn’t even need all of those to satisfy.
In the Bay Area, I’m hardly alone in my admiration. Local chefs have shown awe-inspiring mastery of the genre.
Many of the entries on this list run traditional, reaching for English muffins, brioche buns or sandwich bread. Others use different carby mediums, like Ono Bakehouse Berkeley, which uses a savory onion roll, and Breadbelly in San Francisco, which favors Filipino pandesal.
There are just as many egg preparations: Most like to stick to the basics and go with fried or scrambled, while places like Bartavelle in Berkeley prefer jammy, halved boiled eggs and Automat in S.F. features them steamed and wobbly.
Naturally, many of these restaurants and pop-ups cater to the morning crowd, closing as early as noon or 1 p.m.
Some even sell out within a few hours of opening. But worry not, I’ve included spots that offer breakfast all day, too.
Automat
Automat makes a sensational breakfast sandwich ($13) that is also perhaps the messiest entry on this list. Its richness reaches critical levels with herby pimento, steamy eggs, sausage and buttered sandwich bread. The melting cheese gets all over your fingers and face, but you probably won’t care; this sandwich has the capacity to dissolve the world around you, leaving only you and it. The sandwich is available only during the morning. Clear your schedule, hold all your calls, because you’re going to need a nap after eating this thing.
1801 McAllister St., San Francisco. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. automatsf.com or 415-296-6680
Bánh Mì Ba Le
The crusty rolls at Ba Le are like a sandwich cheat code. You could tear into one on its own and have a perfectly satisfying breakfast of crisp bread with a pillowy center. It’s even better with a custardy egg and peppery, crumbly meatball ($6.25). Pickled vegetables like daikon and carrots add crunch and acid, while the sliced jalapeños bring the spice. It has all the trappings of a certified banger breakfast sandwich. You’re likely to encounter a line but it moves fast, and although the bánh mì shop doesn’t offer any seating, there’s a park nearby.
1909 International Blvd., Oakland. 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday-Sunday. 510-261-9800.
Bandit
Fluffy brioche buns lay the foundation for Bandit’s breakfast sandwiches. The namesake bandit ($9.50) consists of a fried, runny egg, melted Muenster cheese, arugula, crisp bacon and piquant sriracha-spiked aioli. This is but one of the breakfast sandwich options, in case bacon isn’t your thing. Order it with hash browns in tater tot form ($5.50). The tiny, hillside breakfast sandwich shop has limited seating and parking, so consider taking public transportation for this one.
683 Geary St., San Francisco. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. daily. banditsf.com or 415-658-7780.
Bartavelle Cafe
The Bartavelle egg sandwich ($9) is my ideal, portable meal. This ready-made wonder contains a golden ratio of jammy-centered boiled eggs, mayo and mustard inside a crusty Acme baguette. It’s like a breakfast version of the “Mona Lisa’s” winking half-smile. Outside of that, Bartavelle has conquered the art of breakfast
with compelling baked goods and espresso drinks. Note: I’ve seen this sandwich sell out within an hour of opening, so the earlier you get there, the better your chances.
1609 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. WednesdaySunday. bartavellecafe.com or 510-524-2473.
Breadbelly
I like to think of Breabelly as a jack-of-all-trades operation, where everything — drinks, food and dessert — is exceptional. Yet the most radiant offering in my eyes is the egg salad bunwich ($14.25), a kingpin among all
other egg salads. Its ascension is achieved with rich egg salad spiced with yuzu togarashi, and tempurafried seasonal veggies (currently it’s squash kakiage) tucked into a plush pandesal, a staple bread roll of the Philippines. The crunchy tempura texture amplifies its splendor. It pairs well with a tart yuzu Americano ($7.25) or a citrus lassi ($8).
1408 Clement St., San Francisco. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ThursdayMonday. breadbellysf.com or 415-349-0969.
Devil’s Teeth Baking Co.
Devil’s Teeth, now with twin locations in the Richmond
and the Sunset districts, regularly summons breakfast seekers to the outer reaches of San Francisco. Of the two sandwich offerings, go for the special breakfast sandwich ($11.50); it’s constructed on a crumbly buttermilk biscuit with a combination of well-crisped bacon, scrambled eggs, pepper Jack cheese, avocado and a garlicky lemon aioli that keeps things lubricated. (The regular has cheddar and leaves out the avocado and aioli.)
3876 Noriega St., San Francisco. 7 a.m.-4 p.m daily. 415683-5533. 3619 Balboa St., San Francisco. 7 a.m-2 p.m. daily.
628-280-1974. devilsteethbakingcompany.com
Egg Pals
Egg Pals is the most recent egg aficionado to hit the breakfast scene with its delectable sandwich pop-up. The egg pal ($11) skews traditional with stiff planks of bacon and gooey American cheese, all brightened with pickled red onions. The surprise hit is the veggie sando ($10), which ditches the bacon for roasted, starchy delicata squash. Both sandwiches reside inside puffy brioche buns wrapped in glinting gold foil. Catch the Pals at its
latest pop-up, usually Ramen Shop in Oakland, or wherever it’s announced through Instagram.
Check https://www.instagram.com/eggpals/ for pop-up dates.
Hash N Dash
The 408 Smash ($11) is like the offspring of a sausage egg McMuffin and a smashburger. This scrumptious breakfast package employs the smash technique, squashing ground pork (sourced from Cream Co.) on a hot flat-top grill for maximum meat browning To add more flavor, thinly shaved onions are added to the sizzling pork, quickly frying and caramelizing them. The smashed pork and grilled onions go between a toasted English muffin along with spicy mayo and maple syrup. Make sure to add jalapeños (50 cents). Note: The San Jose-based pop-up sells out quickly, so go early.
Check https://www.instagram.com/hashndashsj for pop-up dates.
Kantine
The menu at daytime Scandinavian cafe Kantine is a breakfast head’s dream, with many baked goods, great espresso-based drinks and a thrilling grovbirkes sandwich ($14, $16 with both cheese and ham). This eyecatching, flaky pastry is
crowned with a symphony of seeds. It serves as the vehicle for soft scrambled huevos, molten havarti cheese and smoky ham. I tend to avoid croissant sandwiches because they often disintegrate into flakes, but here the laminated pastry keeps its composure.
1906 Market St., San Francisco. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. daily. kantinesf.com or 415-735-7123.
KaoKao Grill
Perhaps the most affordable entry on this list is the gloriously smoky KaoKao sandwich at just $6. Contained in a toasted English muffin are house-smoked, sweet char siu, egg scrambled with green onions, and cheese. This snacky Hong Kong-style sandwich advertises the might of the char siu — which you can get in a bigger portion later in the day at the Chinese barbecue-devoted restaurant — but it’s impeccable on its own. Accompany it with crunchy cucumbers ($7.50).
2993 College Ave., Berkeley. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. WednesdaySunday. kaokaogrill.com or 510-960-0851.
Kefa Coffee
The Brian’s sandwich ($13.95) from Kefa is in the running for one of the best cross-sections in the Bay Area. Stacked in between an English muffin are eggs scrambled with spinach, crunchy bacon, avocado and melted Swiss cheese. All sandwiches are wrapped in paper and cut in half — the better to admire that neat collection of yellows and greens. If you’re seeking more spice, ask for hot sauce packets. Keep in mind that the cafe closes early at 1 p.m.
422 29th Ave., Oakland. 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Saturday. kefa-coffee.com or 510-2613400.
Michoz
Every weekend, pop-up Michoz slings breakfast sandwiches and pollo a la brasa bowls from Hidden Cafe in Berkeley. Parked right in front of Strawberry Creek Park — great for an impromptu picnic — it’s a charming setting for a weekend brunch. Make it even better with the Mich-muffin ($12), a well-toasted English muffin sandwich skillfully honed with Peruvian flavors. It consists of spicy, house-made sausage, cheese, microwave-steamed eggs and pickled chiles that bring piquancy and the lush “everything” aji sauce, a luminous yellow Peruvian sauce made of mayo and peppers.
1250 Addison St., Suite 111, Berkeley. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. thehiddencafe.life/michoz or 415-855-1029.
Model Bakery
Model Bakery makes airy, buttery English muffins that are touted as one of “Oprah’s Favorite Things” (a powerful if somewhat mysterious stamp of approval). They’re fried in butter and are used for loaded breakfast sandwiches. My favorite is the sausage ($10.50), which has eggs, pepper Jack cheese and is flavored with a toasty, earthy red pepper aioli. This breakfast configuration might appear to be simple but the superb muffins improve on the form substantially. Grab a pack (four for $10) to make your own at home.
644 First St., Napa. 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. 707-259-1128. 1357 Main St., St Helena. 6 a.m-4 p.m. SundaySaturday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 6523 Washington St., Yountville. 7-11 a.m. Monday, 6:30 a.m.-noon ThursdayFriday. 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. themodelbakery.com
Newkirk’s
Newkirk’s in Potrero Hill brings East Coast-style fried-egg sandwiches to San Francisco. You can find bodega classics like the holy trinity of bacon, egg and cheese ($9.95) or the pastrami counterpart ($9.95), subbing out the pork for stacks of smoked beef. There are 10 sandwiches to choose from, with different proteins like sausage, salami and mortadella. All sandwiches come on squishy, poppy seedtopped Kaiser rolls. Make sure to ask for a side of lacto-fermented hot sauces, which introduce welcome acidity and heat.
1002 Potrero Ave., San Francisco. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. 9 a.m.-2 p.m Saturday. newkirkssf.com or 415-962-7695
Ono Bakehouse
The Bay Area has few Hawaiian bakeries, so Berkeley’s Ono Bakehouse is a welcome breath of island air. There, you can find stupendous baked goods like Berkshire pork buns ($3.50) with snappy-skinned hot dogs, pastel-aesthetic Queen Emma cake — a layered, colorful cake flavored with tropical fruits — and a lilikoi (passion fruit) pound cake. Equally enticing is the super savory bacon and egg sandwich on an onion roll ($7). The spiral layers of the garlicky and oniony roll are smeared with garlic paste and scallions, adding tons of flavor to the sandwich.
1922 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. onobakehouse.square.site or 510898-1325.