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Cafe Myth - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
490 Pacific Ave(between Montgomery St & Osgood Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: Financial District
(415) 677-4289
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
John S. said: "Spectacular coffee, friendly staff and very good bagels... yes quality bagels in SF! That alone is reason to go. But seriously, the coffee rivals everything from Blue Bottle to Ritual. I think they use Illy and big props to the…" read more »
161 reviews for Cafe Myth
Review Highlights
"Me: Cuban Pulled Pork Panini Sandwich."
(in 7 reviews)
"Myth's bag lunch is one of the best lunch deals in town."
(in 32 reviews)
"The adult mac and cheese I've heard is amazing."
(in 12 reviews)
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161 reviews in English
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Review from Chris J.
Gilroy, CA
2/11/2008
I've been stopping in here daily since it reopened some short years ago. As appearances go, it seems in a constant state "still being set up." Not so much dirty, perhaps messy is a better describer.
If you get in after 12PM be prepared to wait a good fifteen minutes to order, as the line is usually to the door. Another ten-fifteen for actually getting your food, but once you get it (if you're not in a hurry) it's worth the wait. I haven't had an item that I did not love and the staff are always friendly and helpful. -
Review from Nish N.
11/2/2006
I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to get over to Myth Cafe but I finally did this rainy afternoon. The space is a modern one, but also with playful elements, like the frog statue above the cash register (he made me smile!). The seating is pretty choice, but I can see it being a little hard to find a seat at peak lunch hour. Still, with free wi-fi, this isn't a bad place to get some work done out of the office.
I would highly recommend getting a half sandwich and soup, you'll be filled up for sure. My Mediterrranean Tuna Sandwich was more complex than necessary, but served on a ciabatta roll, it was hard to find too much to fault. The real coup here is the Curried Butternut Squash Soup. Served with chunks of duck confit, it's a perfectly spiced meal itself. I'm thinking about it right now, should I go back?
You can get some of their housemade potato chips on the side as well, a nice culinary accessory to your lunch.
Erica G, if you're out there, someday I will go back and eat one of their powder jelly donuts. I hope that John Fogerty had it wrong when he said that someday never comes. -
Review from Kate V.
4/24/2008
I was thoroughly disappointed when Ryan Scott got kicked off of Top Chef last week. It makes absolutely no sense; they keep Nikki, who seems more interested in doing her hair and wearing aviators indoors than cooking and has consistently screwed up her dishes, but they kick off Ryan who's had at least a couple standouts (the Christmas Story quail breast??? I'd die to eat that) and is way, WAY hot?
You make me sad, Bravo.
So what makes me even MORE sad is that when I look up Cafe Myth on this thing--to find out what it is, where it is so I can go and savor the dishes of my reality tv show lover for myself and tell Padma to shove it--I come to find it's closed! Poor Ryan... first he gets the boot on TV, then his restaurant shuts down??? Let's hope he's moved on to something greater.
To Ryan, wherever you may be: Keep on, keepin' on, boy! I would have proudly enjoyed your "California Tailgating" pear dessert, and I'm sure you STILL blow all the chefs around you out the water, just like you did when you were 11.
PS. I love you. Will you marry me? -
Review from Melissa B.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2007
If this place did not exist, one of two things would happen to me:
a) I would be fat
b) I would starve
Myth Cafe is two blocks from my office. If there were no Myth, I would have to walk very far (ie to the Ferry Building) to get a clean, fresh, seasonal, high-quality lunch. And I am lazy. So that would not happen very frequently. Consequently, I would be stubborn, not eat lunch, and result in b), or I would just give up and eat Quizno's and be faced with a).
Both of the above options suck. Thankfully I can stroll down to Myth and order the same perfect salad and be all set. It's the mixed greens - I know what you're thinking, mixed greens salads tend to be boring mounds of crappy salad mix that only a borderline anorexic could love - but this version is filled with nice vegetables and apples and candied cashews and sometimes even pomegranate seeds and olives. Hmmm... it tastes more exciting than it sounds. But it's clean and healthy and that's what lunch is about for me. All the better to wreck my virtuousness two hours later with an enormous specialty's peanut-butter chocolate chip cookie (which show up at my office with dangerous frequency).
But the best things at Myth are the non-healthy ones. Like the perfect BLT that's also the size of my head. I demolished one of these on a particularly hungover Friday and was basically full for the next two days. Or the spicy, mayonnaisey chicken salad. Or the pork-overload pressed cuban sandwich. Or the deviled eggs (protein, right?) I've tried almost everything, and have never been let down.
Yes, i can't get enough. And it doesn't hurt that Chef Ryan is delightful and charming. What's not to love? -
Review from lulu p.
San Francisco, CA
6/24/2006
I have a sunburn after eating lunch here today.
Now I look like a redneck lobster . . . but it was worth it. -
Review from Marsha Z.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2006
What a switch to my usual lunchtime digs--it's definitely more hip than the more simple, hole-in-the-wall, mom n' pop, fast food joints I'm used to.
Myth Cafe puts forth a nice use of space with clean, modern-looking decor. A fair amount of tables are placed outside; all are usually taken up by those wanting to catch the rays on a sunny day. If possible, grab the next best seat: By the window.
For $5, their Very Adult Mac & Cheese wasn't bad at all. I suspect they named it "Very Adult" due to it being less like the mac and cheese you're used to eating as a kid (e.g., that of the Kraft variety), and not because it's just too sexxxy for the young ones. It's worthy of a return trip, unlike their homemade truffle chips which were just okay--a tad too oily. I could easily satisfy my craving for potato chips elsewhere. Their veggie burger seems to be a hit, though, I have yet to try it out.
Prices are higher than I'd like, but are reasonable for the setting and the quality of food and service you receive.Listed in: The Requisite FiDi Lunch List
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Review from natasha s.
Oakland, CA
4/27/2007
4.5. Rounding up to 5.
Have been here a few times now, usually getting some form of turkey sandwich, and I've always been more than pleased. Picked up their bagged lunch today (that varies daily), which included a hefty portion of turkey on Acme bread, swiss and kumquat chutney. The chutney was really flavorful. The bag also included a tangy 3 bean salad of my favorites kidney, haricots verts and garbanzo with a lovely herb. And, most importantly, a ginger cookie -- crispy outside, chewey inside, buttery but not overly so and fresh ginger taste. The cookie definitely bumps this to a 5. But then I never met a cookie I didn't like. Strike that, a cookie I didn't eat.
All this for $6.46. The outside seating's nice on a sunny day. Friendly service. Usually, there's a wait during lunch, but came here a little before noon today, and the line was significantly shorter. Oh, and inquired, "Where in god's name are your donuts?" Apparently, they ran out in the morning :(.. tho they did have a giant fried sugar coated thing in the case, which qualified.Listed in: FiDi Chow Options
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Review from Connie C.
San Jose, CA
10/4/2007
I was so glad that my friend suggested coming here for lunch because I've been meaning to come here since I had a wonderful dinner at Myth months ago. At 1pm, the cafe was packed and had a line almost out the door. Fortunately, by the time we placed our order, a few tables had opened up and we got a nice one inside since we forgot to put on our sunscreen. What a great modern space and fun place to people watch.
The food took a good 15-20 minutes to come to our table, but it was definitely worth the wait. I had debated between getting the chili and lemongrass roasted chicken salad sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich, and I went with the chicken salad sandwich which was excellent. It came with pepper jack, mango, cilantro, avocado, and onion on an acme roll, and it was quite possibly one of the tastiest sandwiches I have ever eaten. My friend got the quiche and side of soup, which he also really enjoyed.
On such a beautiful sunny SF day, it was perfect for a cold treat after lunch. We saw the few flavors of ice cream they offered there, but decided to head over to Gaia instead and had our gelato fix there.
If only I still lived in the neighborhood or worked nearby, I would be there for lunch on a weekly basis! -
Review from Ben A.
Los Angeles, CA
3/23/2007
Ten things to know about the Myth Cafe:
1. Never enough seating, unless you like to eat lunch at 10:30 or 2:00.
2. Closes too early to serve the mid-afternoon coffee cravings.
3. The mac & cheese is good. But they need something sharper in the mac. If it's going to be that rich, it should be even tastier.
4. Bring sunglasses. For some reason the proprietors of Cafe Myth think it's funny to use shiny metal tables for the outdoor patio. The whole thing is a little vertigo-inducing.
5. The lunch crowd is remarkably more attractive than the people who go to the eateries two blocks away, at the Embarcadero Center. There's so much to say on that topic, but the reasons are too obvious to merit discussion here.
6. Pulled pork. Get it.
7. Deviled eggs. Don't get it unless you're in a group of seven or more. Most recently, my group of five split them, and we felt a little vomitous.
8. Salads. They're particularly unsatisfying as an entree. Even if they're big (the mixed greens come by the shit-ton), they're mono-flavored in an age of stereo.
9. Media. They have lots of it -- a panoply of newspapers on library-style rods, a flat screen TV set to cable news. I really love the newspapers, but because the Myth Cafe isn't open long enough to actually operate as a cafe, who gets to use it? The place is too crowded to actually read in peace.
10. Cucumber water is a great touch. I don't know why other places don't do this. -
Review from Kalina K.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2008
Since I didn't have classes today (woo-hoo!), I decided to sleep in. But, then my phone started to ring.
It was the BF. He very simply said, "Get up, I'll be over in 12 minutes. Get dressed for lunch, we're going to Cafe Myth."
"WOW," I thought, "This is the second time in one weekend that he's done this." See, we do many things together, but it doesn't always involve him taking me out. Something had to be up.
And, sure enough, something was up. But I'll get to that in a second.
We had gone to Myth (the restaurant) on the night of our 2nd year anniversary, during a visit to SF.
So, of course, I thought it was rather cute of him to get us to go to Cafe Myth just TWO DAYS before our FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
I wonder if anyone knows where I'm going with this.
So, we meet up. He doesn't smile. But I don't think too much of it.
It's amazing, the way he still gives me butterflies.
We sit down. Cute little place. I had heard about the sandwiches here, but had never tried one. I was already pondering the bag lunch, when Alessio quickly grabbed my hand.
"Kalina, I cannot hold this back any longer..."
And then the bastard broke up with me. Say WHAT?!
Unfortunately, the rest happened in sort of a daze. I didn't order anything, I got up and left.
The staff was really nice. One of the girls actually followed me outside to check if I was okay, as she had seen me rush out in tears. Then, another male member of the staff came out to check on the both of us. He then called me a cab.
It was really sweet of them both to do that.
I got in the taxi, and went home. Been here curled up with my two OTHER boyfriends Ben & Jerry ever since. (At least I know THEY'LL never leave me...)
(Un)fortunately, with the way things went down, I was unable to taste, or really observe anything.
Sigh, Two Stars for simply being the Myth, and another 10 for the caring staff. ( I wish I knew their names.) So, 12 stars overall for something that doesn't even have to do anything with the Cafe, or its food.
Maybe I'll eventually make it back there... In a million years! -
Review from The Other Jeff A.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2006
(Disclaimer: this review is based solely on Myth's bag lunch, which is the only thing I've ever had there.)
Myth's bag lunch is one of the best lunch deals in town. It consists of a sandwich, a side salad (pasta or beans, etc - not green) and a small dessert (usually a cookie) for $6.95.
At first you'll think you're not getting much food, but Myth's food is pretty rich; I can pack it away, and most of the time, I have to save the dessert for later.
Some of the bag lunch highlights:
- truffled egg salad sandwich
- chicken Caesar salad wrap
- potato salad with bacon
- bean salad with bacon (Yeah, slim pickin's for vegetarians.)
- house-made twinkie (Filled with real whipped cream. Yum.)
If you really want to splurge, get a bag of the house-made potato chips. Make sure to share them, though; they're delicious, and it's frighteningly easy to devour the whole bag. -
Review from meagan m.
New York, NY
6/12/2007
GET THE WHOOPIE PIE
It was amazing - this is where all of my 5 stars go. I had the half sandwich/half salad for lunch (chicken salad sandwich and mixed greens) which was all good - but the whoopie pie is where it's at. Decided to go for it on a whim after lunch with co-workers, and it was seriously the best thing I've ever had. I think I might have to go back and get another one tomorrow....seriously. -
Review from Ann L.
11/10/2006
I'm happy to say this place is Good! I wish I worked in SF because I would be eating here all the time.
My review is only for the bag lunch since I was in a hurry, but if I'm ever in the area M-F during lunch time I would so be eating here! Omg, the Very Adult Mac & Cheese looked good when I saw it on someone's table-enough for 2 ppl!
The wait is kinda long during noon, so I'd recommend going Early. They only have 1 register/cashier and he was working hella hard. My bag lunch was pretty cheap at $6.46 and since it's pre-bagged all he had to do was pull one out, take my credit card, have me sign it, and I was out of there.
They have glass cases in the front with desserts, plus an ice-cream case.
My lunch had: 1/2 a turkey/ham sandwich-lots of meat in it, mustard, lettuce. 1 small Bartlett pear, 1 small cup of Greek Salad-tiny bit of cheese, artichoke hearts, romaine lettuce, olives, and a tiny thing of dressing. Also a heritage cookie-more cakey with carrots, walnuts, and raisins. All were very good.
Bathrooms available around past the kitchen area, down a dark hallway. Women's had 3 stalls.
I'm listing the Myth Cafe lunch menu here because it's not online, don't know if it's the same always, I guess the bag lunch changes often. I don't know what they have for breakfast, anyone know?
Starters:
Carrot-Ginger Soup-w/ mint cream & crispy sweetbreads $5
*Curried Butternut Squash soup-w/ duck confit & cilantro $6
*Housemade Truffle Potato Chips-w/ citrus gremolata & parmigiano reggiano $3.5
*Deviled eggs-w/ bacon, hungarian paprika & chives $3.5
*Roasted tomato, smoked mozzarella & thyme quiche $3.5
*Very adult Mac & cheese-w/ vermont white cheddar & parmesan brioche $5.5
Salads
*Mixed greens-w/ bartlett pears, candied cashews & white balsamic vinaigrette $6.5
*Little gem salad-w/ watermelon radish, fines herbs, Danish blue cheese & black pepper candied pecans $8.5
*Pickled beet salad-w/ asian pear, goat cheese, almonds & verjus vinaigrette $8.5
Fennel-crusted ahi tuna w/ haricots verts, nicoise olives, egg & cucumber-lemon vinaigrette $9
Sandwiches & Plates
Petite Mediterranean tuna sandwich plate-w/ charred fennel, orange, watercress pesto & hummus $8.5
BLT-w/ applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, roasted tomato & romaine on grilled levain $9
Chili & lemongrass-roasted chicken salad sandwich-w/ pepper jack, mango, cilantro, avocado, & red onion on acme roll $9
Cuban pulled pork panini sandwich-w/ ham, swiss, & aioli on ciabatta $8.5
Turkey & avocado-w/ pear & quince chutney, house mustard & swiss on acme roll $8.5
*Myth Cafe's homemade 5-grain veggie burger-w/ lettuce, tomato, red pepper marmalade & goat cheese on toasted focaccia bun $8.5
Sid's Roast beef-w/ crispy shallots, horseradish-lemon aioli & fontina on toasted baguette $8.5
Half turkey, chicken or tuna sandwich-w/ soup or green salad $8
*Roasted tomato, smoked mozzarella & thyme
Quiche-w/ green salad or carrot-ginger or butternut squash soup $7
*These items either are vegetarian or can be made so upon request
Myth Cafe
490 Pacific Ave (@ Montgomery)
SF CA 94133
415-677-4289
http://www.mythsf.com
They take Credit Cards!
Only open M-F 8am-4pm so breakfast and lunch!!! -
Review from Jill K.
Rockville, MD
4/17/2007
Mmmm...
I've been here a bunch of times and everything I've had is excellent... Some of the things I've tried...
-Hearts of romaine with quinoa and creamy Meyer lemon vinaigrette
-Mixed green salad with strawberries (much more interesting and delicious than it sounds)
-Roasted beets with goat cheese
-Turkey sandwich on Acme baguette
-Open-faced petite tuna sandwich
-roasted asparagus with prosciutto.
All of it has been wonderful! I've also tried some tastes of the potato leek soup, the roast beef sandwich, and the Cuban sandwich (mmmmmm). Myth cafe is a cute, casual spot. A teensy pricey for an informal lunch, but consistently delicious and high-quality, fresh ingredients. 5 stars.
*****UPDATE 5/9/06*****
Chef Ryan Scott deserves an extra star for amazing service. When the WiFi wasn't working, he personally came over and sat down at our table and tried to help get it running. As if this wasn't sweet enough, when the network was still down, he brought us cookies to apologize for the inconvenience. How rad is that?!?! -
Review from Heather F.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2006
Starbucks so wishes they could make coffee and muffins like the ones at Myth Cafe. Lucky for us, Myth Cafe graces San Francisco with its transcendant muffins (huckleberry with lemon zest, anyone?) and perfect drip coffee in cute little European-size cups. I would dock them one star for not opening until 8 a.m., but they'd earn it right back with an extra star for selling delicious fresh fruit and yogurt muesli to-go.
Update 10/4/06: Must. Try. Ginger. Scones. Trust me!Listed in: I Heart Breakfast!
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Review from Stellah D.
New York, NY
10/8/2008
For those who long for Ryan's deft hand in the kitchen, hope can be found here
http://www.missionbeac.../ The bluebottle coffee is an added bonus :) -
Review from Brad C.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2006
Myth, from mythos, identifies a sacred story or narrative containing supernatural, divine or heroic beings, arranged in a coherent system, passed down orally, and linked to the spiritual or religious life of a community.
This story takes place in Jackson Sq., and is certainly divine.
A pleasant space with lots of light and an area for outdoor seating would earn this place stars even without excpetional food. But the food is what makes it almost supernatural. I had (with some help) the turkey avocado sando, the chicken salad sando, deviled eggs and the mac n' glutton. All were great. Especially heroic were the two sandwiches, served on cloud-soft hero bread and balanced perfectly with no skimpage on ingredients. Simple, affordable and delicious.
Myth Cafe seems poised to become an integral part of the spiritual lunch life of this community. -
Review from Kyla B.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2007
mmmm, I wish this place was closer to my Union Square office! I am in love with their salad (*mixed greens). Carrots and cucumbers shaven so thinly that they curl just so to resemble flower petals... just a touch of fennel and lovely thin green beans tossed with just the right amount of perfectly blended dressing... yeah, I think its love : )
p.s.- if you get a salad to go, ask them to toss the dressing before boxing it up. -
Review from Ashley H.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2006
This fantastic little cafe is located at the heart of Jackson square, perfect for an office lunch or even lunch date. The paper-bag lunches are simply fantastic, with a larger item, small side and dessert included for less then $7. The one downside is that there is no posting of the mystery bag lunches online or available over phone during busy lunch hours, so sometimes the hike up Montgomery might backfire when they serve something a little too imaginative.
Other food, especially sandwiches, adult mac and cheese, and soups are delicious as well, just more pricey. Which is why this place is perfect for you to ask your hot coworker to take you there... -
Review from Chris Y.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2006
I'm only writing this review based on the Chocolate Croissant I have had here on a few occassions, which is, as far as I'm concerned, the best I've ever had.
It manages to somehow be chewy and crisp at the same time, with a perfectly balanced flavor of slightly sour dough and bittersweet dark chocolate. I don't think I've ever had one like it before. Usually the chocolate croissants I've had in other places are dry and hardened, like they were baked a day ago, but this place always has them tasting fresh. -
Review from Wakako U.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2006
I appreciate a hand made veggie burger, but this is more like a beanie burger. I saw whole kidney beans in my patty. No thank you. Also, the veggie patty is mushy so if after you assemble your burger and try to cut it in half, all the veggie patty squeezes out from the side and you're left with a big pile of mess.
Plus, why don't they have french fries? -
Review from Jeremy P.
Westwood, CA
4/2/2006
********************
__Update, Update, Update__
Rachel and Elana are both gone. Ryan is still there, the menu is still great, and now they have dinner.
Had dinner there. It's a great place to stop if you are going home from work, in the neighborhood to do whatever people do in this neighborhood and want a good, fast and inexpensive meal, or just hanging around.
Okay - so this is my quickie dinner review. Remember, the menu changes.
*Heirloom tomato salad - big thumbs up, great tomatoes and mozzerella.
*Myth Cafe Sliders - everyone loves hamburgers. Everyone loves sliders. The combo is great, with the high class danish blue cheese and Meyer lemon that complement well.
*Braised chickent thighs - a nice hot dish, with chicken that falls off the bone. Makes a good meal.
Oh, and you can't miss the deserts - homemade mini twinkies, oreo cookies and an ice cream bar with Whopper malt balls!
********************
The perfect office lunch spot, that just keeps getting busier and busier. The staff is great - Chef Ryan's menu is great, he's a super-nice guy; Rachel is fun to annoy, and everyone loves Elana (she's gone for a day, and just listen to the guys get all freaky asking where she is).
I am not a turkey fan, but love their turkey avocado sandwich with kumquat chutney. You can't get higher praise than that.
The jelly donut - pure donut nirvana. The donut holes are also fun to pop during breakfast with Diet Coke.
Had the pecan torte last week - heated it in the microwave at work, and ate that for lunch. Hey, we all need to spoil ourselves once in a while, and that was my exquisite sugar high. Pecan pie is my weakness, and I had to control myself from going back there and buying the rest.
Just renamed it Myth Cafe, after the partner restaurant. Should see some cool changes on the menu, and hopefully more tables. ;) -
Review from Sita B.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2006
Updated review:
Chef Ryan rocks. He saved me by coming up with an order of 200 handmade truffled potato chips at the 11th hour. Literally called him 4 hours before the event and he pulled it off with delicious results. People like fried things, love potatoes and die for truffles.
Past review:
Ahh the days when Myth Cafe was new and unnoticed. Now you have to suck it up and wait line when you want delicious Bourgeoise grub at fair prices. Ahi Tuna salad is stellar, the white chocolate coconut cookies are a-mazing, along with everything else in that pretty little case.
The sit-down menu still makes this the best place for a lunch meeting in the area. The food impresses you and your client's tummy. -
Review from Tina P.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2006
After hearing friends talk about Myth cafe for months, we finally drop by for lunch a few weeks ago. Despite an expensive parking ticket, the food is definitely worth it, even with the $50 expired meter surcharge. The carrot ginger soup with crispy sweetbreads had me raving for weeks to everyone I know. The roast beef sandwich with the crisp fried shallots, loads of med rare roast beef, horseradish lemon aioli, and fontina was perfection, even for my purist fianc who typically picks out all the "extras" from his sandwiches. Best of all, the prices were completely reasonable for the portion size.
Our 2nd visit today sealed the deal. We took a seat at the counter directly looking into the small kitchen since the cafe was packed and no clean tables were available. While we waited for our food, we were able to peer into the kitchen and watch the chefs at work. A tall man in chef's whites (whom we later learned was Chef Ryan) served our food and jokingly apologized about the small portion of the roast beef sandwich. I got the carrot ginger soup again but ordered the open faced tuna sandwich. The tuna sandwich is really more a non-traditional bruschetta.....chopped tuna, parsley, fennel, red onions, olive oil, nicoise olives, housemade mayonnaise and orange juice over an arugula pesto and a white bean puree all piled on top of sliced french baguette. Yum!
Chef Ryan came out of the kitchen as we were finishing up our meal and produced a glass filled with ice cream and a bottle of soda and declared that we were to try his experiment. -- a creme fraiche ice cream and blueberry soda float. (He really must've been a mind reader because I had just been lamenting to my fianc that there was no way I could have room for dessert but that ice cream sounded amazing since it has been so hot the past few days). I took the opportunity to ask him what was in the tuna sandwich, and he brought out one of his sous chefs to tell me the ingredients since "it had been a few years since I created the recipe and this sous chef is really the one making it now"
We have eaten our way through the finest and worst in San Francisco over the years, yet this was the first time that a chef has stepped out of the kitchen to charm the pants off of us. We're nobody special -- just typical food loving San Franciscans. I applaud Chef Ryan for his obvious skill in the kitchen, and also for his gracious and wonderful customer service. We were wowed by both visits and are now definitely loyal followers!! Now if only Chef Ryan would be willing to stay open for lunch on weekends!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Karen C.
San Francisco, CA
4/26/2006
I love Myth Restaurant. One time I was there I ordered a pumpkin soup with duck and hazelnuts, which was amazing! I always wished I could just get that soup for lunch since I work around the area. But unfortunately the restaurant isn't open for lunch.
Well now I have a close alternative with Myth Cafe. I went for lunch just recently and got the Carrot-Ginger soup with Mint Creme Fraiche and Sweetbreads. Yes, you heard me right, sweetbreads for lunch... yummie crispy cow brains in soup. Definately worth checking out! I also got the 3 Cheese sandwich on brioche with purgla butter. Although quite good, I think that if I didn't run as much as I do, I'd get a heart attack eating the whole sandwich. My friend got the Ahi Tuna salad, that was delicious but puny - only enough to feed a super model with a coccaine addiction. :)
I was staring at all the sweets and the home made ice cream, but I'll have to save it for another time. Now if they would only serve that foie gras pasta they have at the restaurant, I'd be having lunch here almost every day. -
Review from Cathy H.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2007
For the longest time, I wanted to book business group luncheons at Myth. Just waiting for that one day they would serve lunch. The remedy was to open a yummy cafe. I strolled in with a friend, and immediately my broody mood lifted into light and happy spirits.
We looked around for the hot item of the day, and most people were nibbling on the house made truffle potato chips with tangerine gremolata and parmigiano-reggiano. Over the course of the lunch, my mind, tongue, and soul became addicted to these chips and the freshly grated mild cheese on top. So yummy! Trumps Lulu Petite's (Ferry Building) and Arlequinn's (Hayes Valley) homemade rosemary chips. Then I munched on the grilled 3-cheese sandwich on house brioche with plugra butter. The brioche was a heftier bread without all the loop hole air pockets baked into it. This was a must to keep in the stretchy cheeses. And this is the first for me to try plugra. Thanks for constantly refining my taste buds. Now I'm spoiled.
Lalee lalee lalee. Next time I want to sit outside on the mini patio, basking in the sun. Work? What work? This place puts me in too good of a mood (is there such thing?)! -
Review from Sharon R.
Oakland, CA
3/31/2006
This spot was closed for more than a year, allegedly for renovations-- and re-opened with not much more than a new paint job and an abbreviated and over-priced menu. Then something happened (new chef?), I guess several months ago and it totally transformed into a very diggable lunch spot.
Almost everything on the menu sounds good to me. Though my favs are the fennel crusted ahi tuna ( a spendy lunch at $9, but most everything else is cheaper) and the ever-changing potato salad. The black and white cookies are super-deluxe and took me back to my youth.
And if I liked PBJs I would be totally seduced by their $3.50 gourmet PBJs complete on swirl bread with slices of banana, granny smith apples, pomegranate something or other and honey.
My only sort of criticism is the random sprinkling of meat in like everything on the menu. And I am a total carnivore. But we're talking hardcore meat like bacon, duck, and sweet breads here, in things that would otherwise be totally veggie friendly. So vegetarians make sure you read the fine print. -
Review from Tan H.
San Francisco, CA
7/11/2007
I recently rediscovered this place due to the 'Legend of the Delicious Sandwich' a coworker was eating during a meeting.
I tried to figure out which place he got it from, and after unsuccessful attempts at 1) Madelines, 2) Mixt Greens, and 3) Manhattan Hub, I finally caught word it was from Myth (the Roast Beef on the Acme roll...to die for.)
My first encounter with Myth Cafe wasn't as promising...I got the bag lunch, but it turned out to be mediocre from all angles.
But everything off the traditional lunch menu is delicious. I challenge you to find another spot downtown that is solid in sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and free water (cucumber!).
I'd say Myth Cafe is that ringer during pickup basketball games who's obviously the best player on the court. -
Review from Mariangela S.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2006
Yum! Sat outside and enjoyed the fabulous weather along with the delectable deviled eggs w/bacon & paprika, the cold corn soup with avocado mousse, and the petite tuna sandwiches w/white bean puree, orange slices and shaved fennel - served open face like tartines. Everything was super fresh
Was eyeing the housemade twinkies, rice krispie treats and ice cream the entire time. We decided to share the housemade rocky road ice cream which was delicious!
Only wished I worked a little closer!Listed in: For Ladies Who Lunch
-
Review from sha n.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2007
I Heart Myth Cafe...
Almost everytime I've been here there has been a ridiculously long line and not enough seating, but who cares when lunch is this good!
Their food is consistently great. The meals are well-portioned and they use super fresh, high-quality ingredients all for a reasonable price!
One of the best things on the menu is the Cuban Pull Pork Panini, which is super duper amazing... So full of cheesy meaty goodness that I had Vic get it the next time around and with his mouth still full, he said something to the effect of "I keep trying to find something they could improve with this sandwich... and i can't. I think it's the perfect sandwich." (For those of you who watch Friends... I think if we were in a police ride along and some cars backfired making us think we were being shot at...I'm pretty sure Vic would save the sandwich and not me.)
Also, the Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad is great! It was so pretty I hardly wanted to eat it, but then i tasted it and got over it. Perfectly crisp and refreshing... Definitely try it... apparenty it's seasonal so you'll be sorry if you miss out!
I'm a huge fan of their deviled eggs and I also love the truffle potato chips, last time they were sold out of the prepacked bags, so when I ordered some to go, they gave me a double, maybe even triple, order in a box!
Anyway, if you're anywhere remotely close to this place, you HAVE to give it a try... lucky for me it's only two blocks away=) -
Review from laura g.
San Francisco, CA
3/7/2007
Delish!
Great dishes - soups, salad, mac & cheese.
Thoroughly enjoy this lunch spot. -
Review from Whitney F.
Washington, DC
2/7/2008
Absolutely everything was amazing and perfect, loved loved loved it.
From the deviled eggs, any salad is amazing, truffle chips!, hearty sandwiches, and the amazing cookies (my friend even commented that the coconut with white chocolate was the best cookie she's ever had! now thats a statement!). It will be a sad day when Ryan leaves that kitchen, but he's left a great mark!
I'd go back any day. -
Review from Clay S.
Oakland, CA
3/14/2008
Stupidly, Cafe Myth is closing. Okay, maybe not stupidly--I don't know the reasons why, and probably they're totally understandable, solid reasons. But it feels stupid, because the lunch service was (a) delicious, (b) consistently packed, and (c) probably poised to get a lot more buzz, now that Myth's chef, Ryan, has appeared on Bravo's Top Chef program.
I work about a hundred yards away from the cafe, and I'm going to miss it. Their coffee is, frankly, not any good, but the people serving it, the redoubtable Nadia and Zach, are warm, friendly, interesting people. I hope they won't be out of jobs. Also, the morning snacks were amazing. A few weeks (months?) ago, they introduced Meat Scones. Now, not all the scones actually had meat, but they were all savory, and flavorful as hell. My fave was the bacon, cheddar, and scallion scone (sweet and salty all at once!), but the habanero and jack scone was another winner, as was the nicoise olive and goat cheese scone. These all sounded crazy to me at first, but I became positively addicted. The sweet stuff is delicious too, but the savory was out of this world.
And lunch was even more satisfying, whether you ate in or out. Aside from the entire lunch menu's being available for take-out--more on that menu in a moment--they also featured a daily bag lunch, which was an invaluable service for this neighborhood, full of professional offices and only a little ways from the Transamerica building. The bag lunch always had some kind of hearty lavash wrap (often dry and a bit dull, but never wimpy), a cup with some kind of salad, green or otherwise, and a satisfying sweet along the lines of a chocolate butterscotch cookie or homemade Twinkie. And all for around six bucks! That's practically free for this neighborhood.
The sit-down lunch was even better. Deviled eggs with scallion and bacon, dusted in paprika, made for a delicious starter. The Grown-Up Mac & Cheese, while not exactly my cup of cholesterol, was a big fave. And the salad of winter chicory and roasted chicken, dressed with pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and Asian pears, was phenomenal. It's such a drag that this sort of quality food won't be available anymore.
Anyway, it's kind of a sad loss when a good place closes, and Cafe Myth had uber-friendly service, a crisp, contemporary atmosphere, and an unusually varied, unusually well-executed menu. Prospects seemed high. I guess not.
Four stars rather than five, because I am bitter, almost as bitter as the coffee, which I confess I will not miss. -
Review from Melanie C.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2006
I think it's the only kick-ass, mostly organic, gourmet, quick-service lunch place in the Jackson Square area. In fact, yes, yes it is.
Lots of variety. We three ate again like pigs to try lots of dishes. (Note the increase of fat pig hog eating lately.)
But first, you must try Chef Ryan's homemade Oreos.....
Savory: The BLT is amazing on grilled levain. The homemade veggie burger is awesome. Eat with a knife and fork.. Wonderfully crumbly, served on a (too-)chewy foccacia roll with goat cheese, melted white cheddar?, red pepper marmalade, romas and greens. The thick carrot ginger soup with crispy sweetbreads and mint cream = awesome too. Deviled eggs.. awesome too. Served with bacon, hungarian paprika, and chives. Fennel seed-crusted ahi nicoise. Awesome.
Nice outdoor and indoor seating. Only wish they had a bigger kitchen to speed up the food-making-process.
My sis is going to post pics later today... -
Review from Hannah K.
1/3/2008
Maybe I got the wrong thing. I just grabbed their bag lunch -- and it was awful.
Turkey wrap with fontina cheese and arugula pesto. Halfway through the wrap, I started pulling out all the cheese bc it was SO salty. As I continued to eat the wrap, I realized it wasn't the cheese -- it was the pesto that was ridiculously salty.
Kidney bean salad with chedder cheese and bacon vinaigrette. Pretty good, until 4 bites in. It was wayyyyy to hearty for a lunch side salad.
Chocolate chip cookie. The best part. It was a good cookie. But, don't expect the giant ones they have in the display case, it's a smaller version.
Overall, service, as stated in other reviews, is really slow if you get something made and not the bag lunch. Food was lackluster. -
Review from serena l.
San Francisco, CA
6/1/2007
I have a funny relationship with this place. I've had some really delicious food here (ie the veggie burger which is no longer on the menu, the deviled eggs, the tuna dish, the cookie) and I've seen some food that looks realllly good but I never get because it looks reaaallly bad for me (ie the mac n cheese and the plugra butter grilled cheese).
But then...I've also had some really odd things...some random salad/fruit combos, this sweet corn soup, this corn quinoa salad (which sounded good, but the lettuce wasn't even cut up and it was just complicated to eat).
But even with say, 1/3 of my orders being a miss, or just a bit strange...and even though the place is freaking expensive, I still love it. Maybe it's the ambiance? Maybe it's because I feel like their food combos *should* work so even if it doesnt taste normal I still believe it? That's real power over me. -
Review from Emily D.
San Francisco, CA
6/26/2007
Do not go to Myth if you are in a hurry, broke or both.
I strategically plan my lunch outings for 1:30 or later, allowing plenty of time for the FiDi restaurants to get into their post-lunch lull. I went to Myth at 2pm, shelled out over $11 for corn soup with avocado mousse --one of the surprisingly few vegetarian options -- and a piece of raspberry coffee cake, and was still waiting for my meal at 2:20. After sipping my way through three glasses of the complimentary cucumber water -- nice touch -- and trying to conjure up a good excuse for my impending late return to work, my soup finally arrived. It was superb, and was beautifully presented in a large tureen. The coffee cake turned out to be a disappointing end to the meal -- it was dry and bland.
Overall, this is more of a place to go on a laisse faire Friday afternoon rather than a snarf-down-and-run weekday. -
Review from jay h.
11/10/2005
It has a fancy pants cafeteria look with stainless steal tables. They serve fancy pants sandwiches, fancy pants soup and fancy pants salads during lunchtime.
The open faced tuna w/ swiss on foccacia was really good actually and the turkey avocado sandwich w/ apple chutney gave it the sweetness that goes so well with turkey.
I liked it....a little pricey but it's locale wouldn't have it otherwise. -
Review from phil h.
4/4/2006
*update 7/24/06*
I picked up the bag lunch today...definitely tasty and well worth the $5.95! For that you get half a sandwich (today was a chicken salad wrap) a small salad (cous cous) and dessert. Such a bargain-I can't believe that I work three blocks away and this was the first time here for lunch.
Original review-
Stopped in today for a latte on my way to work-great coffee, can't wait to go back and try some of the amazing pastries (the doughnut holes looked great!) -
Review from Nikki M.
5/17/2006
any place that offers a classy "bag lunch" for $5.99 including a sandwhich, a salad, and a cookie or homemade twinkie is alright with me!
Definitely a yuppie crowd, I usually take a salad and some "adult" mac and cheese and sit in the park by Safeway.
