Get Across Town:
Mission Beach Cafe
By Susan Dyer Reynolds

OK ladies, the cat is out of the bag – Top Chef hottie Ryan Scott, still clad in his signature jeans, has landed in the sand at a charming bistro called the Mission Beach Cafe. Northside San Francisco has been of a fan of Scott’s cooking since we first discovered him elevating lunch basics like sandwiches, salads and soups at the now-defunct Myth Cafe. I loved Scott’s creative, clever food, and I still do.

It’s tough to pin down a dish – he shops daily for whatever catches his eye and the menu changes frequently – but Scott, just 27, isn’t afraid to take risks. He also uses subtle touches like pickling to bring out the best in his ingredients. Recent favorites included Champagne grape-stuffed quail with pickled beans and king trumpets; a homey delicata squash casserole with creamy ricotta; and seared duck breast with grilled peaches, baby Yukon golds, green olives, and hazelnuts.

I’ve always considered Scott’s soups some of the best in town (his carrot ginger with crispy sweetbreads is one of my all-time favorites). We sampled an addictive cauliflower puree with the surprise of full florets for texture; and sweet corn soup with avocado, tomato oil, and buttery house-made croutons.

Salads are also a specialty. Scott experiments with disparate ingredients, like refreshing watermelon and cherry tomato with basil, feta, sherry vinaigrette, and red onions; and heirloom tomatoes with cucumber, goat cheese, and mustard croutons drizzled with a coulis of cucumber skins.

Mission Beach Cafe also serves lunch and weekend brunch; they are well-known in the neighborhood for their baked goods, but Mission Beach huevos (eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce on corn tortillas topped with black beans, guacamole, and sour cream); ethereal soufflé pancakes; and custard-battered brioche French toast with grilled peaches, soured cream, and toasted hazelnuts, are must-tries. The burger, made with organic grass-fed beef from gold standard small producer Prather Ranch, is the best burger I’ve had this year. True to form, Scott adds those subtle touches, like his onion marmalade and tomato jam, to give it that extra oomph.

Mission Beach Cafe: 198 Guerrero Street (at 14th); coffee and pastries from 7 a.m. Mon.–Fri., lunch 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., Mon.–Fri.
brunch 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Sat.–Sun., dinner from 5:30 p.m. Tue.–Sun.; 415-861-0198, www.missionbeachcafesf.com

– S. Reynolds

Email: susan@northsidesf.com