Beautiful Feet, Have you tried Café Jacqueline?

A wonderful, soufflé restaurant. Yes, almost her entire menu is made up of various soufflés with the exception being a few non-soufflé appetizers. A ceasar salad, I think, and a corn soup, at the time I visited. They were both tasty and just the right size. The soufflés we ordered were 1) corn and 2)cheese. Both were delicious and not too huge, but not at all small. (I wish I could remember the prices! I do remember it not being unreasonable, though.) Something interesting, and actually fun, was that we had to order our dessert soufflé when we ordered our entreé. We shared a chocolate soufflé for dessert. It was delish. I had heard that the Grand Marnier soufflé is to die for but I don't eat foods with alcohol in them. With a larger group(there were only two of us) I would have ordered another dessert as well.

The room is beautiful and romantic with a high ceiling and is in the storefront of an old SF-North-Beach-style building. The tablecloths were crisp, white cotton on simple wooden tables with plain wooden chairs. Very french kind of feeling to me... Just two beautiful, large vases of simple flowers sitting on a 1/2 wall that seperated the dining room from the waiters station. Then the kitchen is behind a large open wall/door. You must walk through the kitchen to get to the restroom in typical Big-City, Small-Restaurant style. The two waiters pretty much double-team the tables. I do remember the cute, gay one spending a teensy bit more time at our table. Hahaha. The Café wasn't at all pretentious. My "date" was my same-age female cousin who is not, well, she's not that well traveled, shall we say. She was very comfortable and loved the place. The wine list was simple. Nothing too fancy, I recall.

A restroom visit is a must so that you can see Madame Jacqueline making the soufflés. (You can also see easily into the kitchen, anyway, by looking over the 1/2 wall.) Mme is about 4'10" tall, her white/grey hair in a bun. This is a one-woman kitchen ... which explains why you must be patient with dinner. (Our meal lasted 3 hours! I have known people who were able to rush through in an hour). Her steel work-table shimmies back and forth, back and forth, as the mixer never stops. Please stop, watch and give her a kind word on your way back from the restroom. When I told her that I was a waiter for a competitor she graciously fit us in on a Saturday night, even though I only called the day before. Very nice since I RARELY get a Saturday night off.

Well, I guess this became more of a "review" than a suggestion but there you go. I would definitly return, though I am waiting to make it a date night.

(Hint, Hint)

Joe

Cafe Jacqueline
1454 Grant Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-981-5565



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"Ummm... just decaf for me, please."