If you follow me around FB, Twitter and Instagram, then you know I’ve been away for the last few weeks. The reason for my trip the States was two-fold. I went to attend the annual International Association of Culinary Professionals conference in San Francisco, and then stopped in New York to visit family, friends and (big news coming soon) publishers.
Playing catch up now on the blog, I’m going to try to start filling you in on San Francisco. Believe it or not, I’d never really spent any real time in SF. Yes, it’s the foodie capital of the universe, but it’s also a long way away from Rome. So I decided to arrive four days before the conference began, and eat/do/see as much as possible.
Of course I’d done my research, and there were about a dozen places that kept popping up on all the lists I gathered from friends, forums and blogs. And one place showed up on every single one: The Mill. It was even on the list of places in the neighborhood that the owner of the apartment where Evan (who was with me on this trip) and I stayed left for me. “Great place for breakfast. Get the toast.”
Ok. I knew SF was going to be exciting and new in terms of food. But really. Toast? Everyone was telling me to go get toast?
Of course, it wasn’t really all about the toast. The Mill is a joint venture between a baker (Josey Baker. Really. That’s his name) and Four Barrel Coffee. So it’s bread, coffee and toast. But really great coffee. And some of the best bread in SF, which is saying a lot.
The place just opened in February, and is minimal, stunning and really just the kind of place you dream of finding for breakfast. Which Evan and I managed to do a couple of times. There was lots of coffee variations to choose from, but we never went beyond cappuccino.
The toast? It’s a whole production in the back. There’s a ‘toast girl’ manning an array of toasters ready to load slices of the daily loaves. The toppings change and include changing specials like butter and maple syrup on ‘wonder bread’ or rye topped with cream cheese. I couldn’t tear myself away from the almond butter (house made) which is too bad, since I’m regretting not having experienced the cinnamon toast. Which I have a feeling must be the best cinnamon toast ever. Because this is San Francisco, and such things exist.
The Mill
736 Divisadero Street
415.345.1953
Daily 7am-9pm
Not only do I yearn for Rome, or Umbria, or Florence, or Venice, or Positano when reading your posts, but now I really, really, really, want to go back to San Francisco just to have toast!
How could toast look so blimin good? Now I have to hop across the bridge (we live in Oakland) and have some…
I’m with About Lat Weekend — going to leave the East Bay and fine this Holy Grail of Toast, stat.
From someone who is obsessed with toast, thanks for this post! First Omnivore Books, now The Mill… so many reasons to visit SF!
We’re heading to SF in July for a holiday. Now i know where I’ll be having breakfast! Thanks for posting it!
Sometimes being in “Portlandia” just seems so right. I am so jonesing for some of that toast right now!
The Mill’s toast & coffee fix is just two blocks away, but I guess the grass is always greener on the other side:
wish I could just step out the door for an espresso granita at Tazza d’Oro right now 🙂
Thanks for all the kind words. Come back any time. xoThe Mill
Yes, best toast ever!