Café Jacqueline—A Living Treasure of San Francisco

In the city where so much depends on good luck, you are lucky if you’ve already been to Café Jacqueline, and you are lucky if you still haven’t. Those who tried chef-owner Jacqueline Margulis’s dreamy soufflés, will cherish the sweet (and savory) memories for a long time, maybe forever, and those who are planning their special occasions there, will have a rare opportunity to get in touch with the sweetest side of the city’s history herself. Opened in 1979, this one-of-a-kind intimate restaurant consistently delivers the most romantic evenings for couples in love, birthday girls and boys, and anniversary veterans by putting up its one-woman show night after night in its tiny kitchen. Disguised as an unassuming storefront eatery, the single room with only a dozen tables opens up into a fairy-tale experience. Everything speaks to the very soul of a French food lover. The ambience is simple and heartfelt: wood floor, white tablecloths and napkins, intricate chandeliers, candles and fresh roses on every table. You surely will wash your hands before eating, so on your way to the washroom, located in the back patio, you’ll have to pass the gnome-size kitchen, and that’s where you’ll have a chance to see her—the fairy God mother, clad in white chef’s coat and toque, standing behind the enormous wooden bowl, filled with eggs, holding a magic wand, whipping her cloud-like soufflés, to deliver cloud 9 to your table. Her menu is concise, yet exceedingly tempting. Some items have been on it for decades. Café Jacqueline’s salads and daily soups are notorious for their seasonal freshness and careful execution, and its onion soup is probably the best in the world, but various main course and dessert soufflés are the main draw. Most are made with Gruyere, while some use Brie in delectable combinations of seafood, mushrooms, asparagus, and what not, always bursting with freshness, always unforgettably tasty. Yesterday, on my beloved daughter’s B-day, Matthew Weimer, our waiter, set the mood by greeting our small party at the door, offering to keep our flowers watered, pouring champagne, and asking if we wanted to keep it refrigerated until the next toast. We had a wonderful time catching up, while waiting for our lobster soufflé (serves 2, but enough for 3), which was silky-smooth, with chunks of lobster meat incorporated in it. An apricot soufflé for dessert (serves 2-4) came with fresh apricot slices on top, and adorned with a birthday candle. Jacqueline works her magic in so many subtle ways: you wait for your heavenly food, and it becomes a feast, you share, and your love for each other grows with every bite, you come here for a special occasion, and you meet several other beautiful people, born on the same day as you. A word of warning though: please come in piece, bring only the people you love, don’t rush, forget the outside world, and be happy. If you are lucky, you’ll have a chance to tell your grandchildren one day, I was lucky enough to see Jacqueline cooking, and to taste her soufflé. Café Jacqueline serves dinner Wed-Sunday, 5:30-11 p.m., offers a well-selected wine list, and recommends reserving your table in advance. Street parking is difficult, but worth every step from a far-away location you can find within 2-4 blocks. 1454 Grant Ave., at Green Street. 415-981-5565.