|
Classic S.F. French bistro at the southern gates of Chinatown. Authentic bistro tables inside and out, with a bent towards foreign tourist accents that also flock to the international newsstand. Slow service is only good for lingering over an issue of "Paris Match." This café had a major redesign in 2005 - for much the better, with a zinc bar, the magazine rack moved to the back, and much better espresso. They replaced their cheap twin Astoria machines with a less cheap three-group La Spaziale. The also replaced America's Best Coffee with a far better blend in Philadelphia's famous La Colombe. They serve it with a relatively generous, and very un-French-like, medium-dark brown crema - poured in a tall brown ceramic cup (from Germany's Caffé Ti Amo) with a quaint spoon. With a woodsy, herbal flavor and a mildly warm serving temperature. This location was once known for faint rings of crema and a slightly bitter tobacco flavor due to their inferior equipment and bean choices. Today they are one of the most improved SF cafés of 2005 - you can now actually drink something besides a café au lait with the cat-sized milk bowl here. And as often happens, paradoxically, when places improve their espresso: the price per cup dropped 50¢.
|