I love brunch, and I love tasting menus, so when I saw on social media that Hilda and Jesse was doing pop-up brunch tasting menus, I got really excited and wanted to go. Sadly, I don’t really get out for brunch that often, so I got even more excited when I saw that Hilda and Jesse moved into a permanent location in North Beach that was easily accessible from my house by bus! And yet, I still never managed to get around to making a reservation. Finally, my friend was in town visiting, and wanted to have brunch with someone else he knew, so I randomly (and drunkenly) brought up Hilda and Jesse and everyone got excited, so we decided to make a booking for Sunday to finally check it out.
It’s a really cute restaurant with a lot of bright colors. It definitely feels warm and welcoming when you walk in, and all the servers were also incredibly friendly. We were shown to our table, and while they have an a la carte brunch menu, we were definitely on board with a tasting menu. They provide a three course menu ($49), or if you are as excited about a brunch tasting menu as I am, they offer an adventure menu ($85). Both tasting menus can also be accompanied by a beverage pairing ($40/$65). Of course, we knew we were going to have an adventure, so we went for that, plus beverage pairings. As it was brunch, I also ordered coffee. It also turns out they are open for “brunch for dinner” several nights a week, although you may be limited to the adventure menu with some optional add-ons. They’re even open on Monday nights in case you can’t find another restaurant for that night.
First up were the amuse bouche, one of which was their avocado toast and the other their beach snacks. The avocado toast is served on tempura sweet potato with a horseradish cream, and it was definitely a pack of flavor. The beach snacks are crispy sourdough with pumpkin and smoked trout roe. As I love fish eggs, this dish was also a winner with a ton of flavor. My mouth was thoroughly amused, and it was paired with a delightful sparkling wine that we all enjoyed immensely.
Up next they brought out some roasted squash. It looked so delicious and inviting, and the squash was well cooked and there was just enough sweetness to really bring the whole dish together. After that was the fish course which consisted of fish on top of mushrooms in a cashew milk sauce with espelette pepper oil. The plate looked fantastic, but I was slightly dubious of the combination. My concerns were dumbfounded as it was by far one of the best fish dishes I’ve ever eaten. I hate to say it but fish is not something I usually enjoy as it can be tricky to cook and often the flavors are bland. This fish was perfectly cooked, and the mushrooms added such an earthiness, and the small bits of citrus on top just popped with everything having an amazing combination of flavors. Add in delicious white wine pairings to both dishes, and so far the meal was on a roll.
Finally they brought out a family style main consisting of grilled rib eye and an apple salad. I was very surprised at the dish, but the server told me that the chef liked my vibe, so really wanted to treat us well. I’m not sure what I did, but I’m not complaining as honestly the service was so fantastic that it just felt warm and natural to be chatting with the servers and giving off good vibes. Everything about this course was a winner for me. The beef was delicious, the sides were also great and a bit unusual. There was a bit of meat on the bone, and we worked hard to cut it off. (To be honest, if we weren’t having brunch with someone we just met, someone at the table probably would have picked it up and chewed on it.) Add on a great red wine to match with it, and everyone at the table was happy.
At this point we were told it was time for dessert, but if we felt the need to add on their signature dish, we could do it. Their signature dish? A stack of pancakes with a cranberry and smoked maple syrup topping ($18). Since we actually hadn’t had any sort of breakfast food (except maybe avocado toast), we all were definitely willing to give it a go. And it turns out that they really were worth getting. The pancakes are light and thick (obviously a ring was used), and the maple syrup was luscious and smoky. The cranberries gave it a nice zing, and I definitely felt like I wanted more than the half pancake I got to share with the table. We added on an additional drink pairing that turned out to be a small bottle of red Asti from Italy. The fruitiness really paired well with the pancakes. Finally, for dessert, we had a rye pudding with ice cream and some little bits of something fried. This was a stellar dessert, as the rye pudding had that earthy wheat flavor that only rye brings to a dish.
Both my friend (and his friend) were as blown away by the food and drink pairing as much as my husband and I were. The service really was top notch, with just enough chat and explanation to make you feel really cared about. Add to that dish after dish of interesting and delicious food, and Hilda and Jesse really won me over. It’s probably the best brunch I’ve ever eaten, even if the food isn’t your traditional brunch food. But who cares when it is so good? Or if you are a stickler for tradition, dinner may be the time to go (but make sure to have the pancake for dinner anyway).
Score: 5/5
Recommendation: Pretty much everything, but don’t miss out on the pancakes!
Hilda and Jesse
701 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
