Dottie's True Blue Cafe

Dan, London, and I had lunch together after class one rainy Saturday. Dan picked his best diner in the city: Dottie's on 6th St. in San Francisco. En route to the restaurant, Dan told us a bit about the restaurant. 

It's a jazz-themed restaurant whose owner opens up restaurants in struggling neighbourhoods where he could make a positive impact (probably including providing jobs for people in the area). I loved the concept because I used to discuss with chefs on rice varieties that they could use in their recipes that could improve the livelihoods of indigenous farmers. Dan also said that this venue was so popular that diners actually queue around the block in the mornings. But afternoons tended to be quiet.

When we arrived at Dottie's, I was already wowed. The interiors reminded me of speakeasies I've been to in Manila and the restaurants I've tried in New Orleans. They all hark back to the era of the Roaring 20's, I think, when women expressed departure from the Victorian female stereotype with short haircuts and less conservative dresses (I think the naked woman in the photo might have gone to the extreme end of expression). The brick walls and the lamps were also nods to that era. 

We shared a serving of French toast, which was a great idea because though it's so delicious, we all wanted to have room for lunch... which came in platters. I had zucchini cakes with poached eggs, marinara sauce, baked red potatoes, and fresh fruit. My lunch was so yummy! Dan was right... I could definitely see why this restaurant is so popular in San Francisco. 

I am sure that lunch was made extra delicious because I was having it with two classmates (at UC Berkeley's Data Analytics and Visualisation boot camp) who were foodies. Dan was giving recommendations about where the best breakfast places were while London was telling me about her favourite pho (which turned out to be Kevin's... I have to agree with her; Kevin's pho is delicious). 

Great food, great company. Perfect combination.