The Corner Store

Photo by Patrick

The Corner Store, Brunch, Lone Mountain
May 1, 2016

P:
Classic Benny
Cheddar Grits
Fresh OJ

J:
Cambridge House Smoked Salmon - potato pancake, tartar sauce, red onion, poached egg
Sophia Loren (cocktail) - Espolon tequila, Campari, grapefruit, lime, agave, ginger beer


Notes:
The Corner Store is a cute little spot that opened up a few years ago; we've been there a handful of times, and only for brunch, if I'm not mistaken.  It's usually pretty busy on the weekends, but we happened in late that day, so the place was quiet.  We sat in the tented patio area on that beautiful, sunny, not-too-cold San Francisco afternoon, and it was one of those moments you wish could last forever.

Patrick's biggest complaint about this place is that they over complicate things; he thinks the food is good, but he often finds himself wishing there was 1 less ingredient in every dish.  This time he went with the Classic Benny: toasted English muffin served open faced and topped with ham, poached eggs and hollandaise.  The hollandaise looked a little thin and the eggs were maybe a touch overcooked, which meant more of a jelly-like yolk than an oozy one, but it was a satisfying, uncomplicated dish.  Served on the side were new potatoes that had been lightly crushed before pan-frying, resulting in home fries with a thick, craggy, golden brown crust - damn good and hard to resist - perhaps it's a good thing the portion wasn't generous.  Sadly, the cheddar grits were a bit of a disappointment.  They were very good, cooked to the proper texture and consistency, rich with the savor of a hearty chicken broth, but no cheddar cheese flavor to speak of, and that is what got me excited about them in the first place.  Ahem, CHEDDAR grits.  Sigh.

Now, I love their Cambridge House smoked salmon dish, and may never need or want to order anything else here.  It's a well-composed mix of flavors, textures, and temperatures.  The flat, shredded potato pancake is a little oily and not crispy but for a bit of the edges, but if you've been keeping up with me, you know I don't discriminate much when it comes to the potato.  Draped over the warm pancake are thin slices of buttery, textured, lightly smoked salmon that just melts in your mouth.  A pile of peppery arugula sits over the salmon; the dressing on the arugula smacks more of herbed creme fraiche than it does tartar sauce, and that's not a complaint, but an improvement.  And when you cut into that poached egg nestled on top of everything, and warm egg yolk oozes everywhere, it becomes this mess of loveliness.  Everything in this dish just works for me.


We like this place.  I have a particular fondness for places with (somewhat, in this case) outdoor seating.  It's hard to say if we'll ever give dinner a shot, but at the very least well come back for brunch.  Preferably on one of those beautiful San Francisco spring days.