Mike Berman’s Washington Watch

September 15, 2008 12:52 AM

Restaurant: Curbside Cafe

Curbside Cafe

2417 California Street
San Francisco, California
[Don't bother thinking about making a reservation]
Open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday - Sunday.
I went to Curbside with Bill and Suzie. It is quite small. Inside there is room for 24 people at tables for two that can been brought together for larger groups. There are also two tables out on the sidewalk that seat 2 and 3 people respectively. There is one bench that seats 2 people and the wooden chairs are not such that you would want to spend the afternoon on them.

There was one serving person who handled all of the action from greeting folks to taking orders and delivering up the food. He was in perpetual motion. However, when he was attending to a given customer he was attentive and unhurried.

Folks who appeared to be regulars simply came in and sat down at open tables without waiting to be seated.

At noon we were presented with menus that offered breakfast and lunch. Suzie had a vegetable salad topped with a chicken breast. Bill had an omelette with cottage cheese and tomato, rather than toast and potatos. I started with an excellent onion soup (lots of onions) and then had a grilled chicken sandwich with vegetables on a panini bread.

Among the offerings, 7 sandwiches, 5 salad combos, 7 salads, 3 entrees, 8 omelettes. One example of the entrees is scallops and shrimp on angel hair pasta.

The restroom is "modest." The doors say "Restroom" with male and female symbols. Walking in, you are in a room that is approximately 4 feet by 4 ft. It has a white ceramic commode and a tiny white ceramic wash basin set into a corner next to the commode. The refuse container between the commode and the washbasin overflowed with used brown paper towels. There is a dark floor of some composition and dark tiles up to about waist height. These are topped by one row of medium-sized, bright red tiles. The rest of the walls and ceiling are painted in a dark color.



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