Mmm, Tartine... It's so small for such a well-know...

Mmm, Tartine... It's so small for such a well-known and popular place, hence the line going out the door. According to my friend, that wasn't even that long of a line. We were there at about 10:30, so probably between the regular breakfast and lunch crowds. The wait was OK with me, as it gave me time to drool over the pastry case and peruse the menu. We ordered the wild mushroom Croque Monsieur (accompanied by two intriquingly spicy pickled carrots), ham and tomato quiche, and the brioche bread pudding with berries, along with a couple of coffees. You pay at the counter and take your number to a table and they bring out the food to you. We ended up sitting at a communal table, but that was cool; it felt like I was at a friend's place or something. Everything was extremely delicious--can't find fault with any of the items we got. I don't know how they make their quiche, but the egg part was so silky and smooth! It was an awesome breakfast. I just wish it wasn't so cramped in there, but that's the price you pay. They also ask that you bus your own tables, but that's not a big deal. I also dug the artwork on display--no safe little pretty pictures just because it's a cafe. There were these cool giant paper cutouts of rather ghoulish-looking humanoids hanging from the ceiling (see my photo) as well as various works on paper all over the place. I forgot the name of the artist, but I really liked his work. One of the many great places I got to visit during my time in SF.