I find myself out on Treasure Island quite a bit. It seems like a weird place to visit, but when they have a decent (and not overpriced) winery and a great distillery, it can be a fun day out to have a drink or two (or three or four) with an interesting view of the city. One Sunday we found ourselves there at the winery, and there was supposed to be a food truck (which got cancelled last minute), so we needed something to eat if we were going to enjoy our drinks. And while I do know of a great brunch location already on the Island, we were told several times that Aracely Café could possibly be even better, so we headed over there to see if the rumors were true!
There was a lot of interesting stuff on the menu that I wanted to try, and we ended up ordering a few things to share. They have a daily empanada ($8) that they rotate, and it was definitely something I was eager to get. We also decided on one sweet and one savory dish. There is also a fairly decent wine list, including some wine from the winery on the Island that we like, so we were pretty happy to have some Rosé with our brunch.
The empanada was definitely a winner for me with a flaky crust and tasty filling. Definitely something I’d probably get every time I visited. (Although maybe there would be something better next time, who knows?) The chilaquiles ($18) were also really well done, with a well cooked egg and flavorful toppings, including some ancho chile braised beef cheek. The real winner was the croissant french toast ($14) as it was served with some spiced apples, hazelnuts and a delicious dulce de leche cream cheese.
The food at Aracely Café really was elevated more than your standard brunch fare, which is good, because often I feel like the standard brunch fare is something I can do just as well at home. Given the food and the other interesting things on the menu, I could see coming back here every time I’m on Treasure Island, especially given we had some great and friendly service. It’s definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself out there for a visit or a special event!
Score: 4.5/5
Recommendation: French toast! And an empanada.
Aracely Café
401 13th St #312
San Francisco, CA 94130
