MARKET & RYE...BRUNCH OFF THE BEATEN PATH

I find myself on the 10 Townsend headed to the Portrero Hill neighborhood--just for something different. It's an area of town that probably bustles during the week but on weekends is relatively low key. So it is this particular Saturday when I walk by Market & Rye. This is one of two locations, the other being in West Portal, and in addition to catering seems the owner also used to do 3 Sum Eats food truck which is no longer and previously reviewed by me.

It's a currently quaint little space with some indoor seating and some outdoor seating, though they are currently expanding this location and will be able to seat many more inside. The specialize in baked goods you can see below.

They looked highly delectable and folks around me were eating them up so to speak, but I was hungry for more substantial fare and decided to chow off the brunch menu. (Plus I do enjoy a hearty dose of icing on my sweets which these did not currently have.) After much debating I chose the frittata special of the day. 

A mixture of egg, spinach, bacon (yeah!), tomato, parmesan cheese and onion served with a side salad and crispy potatoes sauteed with yellow squash and red bell peppers--all for $10. I have to say I was impressed as the dish proved to be heartier than I thought it would. Sometimes you go into a small place and you see the fancy descriptions on the menu and think possibly tasty but small portions. This place, however, was nicely portioned and tasty. From the carmelized onions to the salty smoked bacon to the bite of parmesan it all seem to come together and pleasingly as it were. Oddly the real star here for me were the peeled and roasted roma tomato halves on top. Cooking them brought out their bold sweet flavor akin to pizza sauce and mixed with the parmesan it was like a little egg pizza. That may sound icky to some folks but trust me--here it works really well and breakfast pizzas are not all that unusual. Plus with all the spinach and vegetables here you can feel you are eating healthy--it's a win win all around. The salad was a standard mix of mixed greens and a light vinaigrette so nothing truly different. The potatoes were mostly crispy as advertised and I liked that they were spiced up some with a hearty black pepper to add some kick that is then offset by the sweet red bell peppers and some yellow squash for more color. 

After finishing off the plate I felt not only full but like I had gotten my money's worth, which as folks who brunch out a lot in this town know, can be a challenge. They offer a fair number of brunch things to try out from pumpkin pancakes to duck hash to fried egg sandwiches and everything I saw coming out of the kitchen tempted me to eat it. A fact that makes Market & Rye a good place to get to for you and me and anyone else who may happen to be in the neighborhood.