Urban Tavern Goes Brunch

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov

Weekend brunch in San Francisco is so much more than a meal. It’s a great excuse to sleep in, to skip the gym, to wear a sundress, to forget makeup, and to drink hard liquor with mixers in a great company.

People rarely go to brunch with their bosses, business associates, or helicopter in-laws. Late mornings on weekends are reserved for close family, friends and lovers, and that’s that.   

There is hardly a self-respecting restaurant in the City by the Bay that wouldn’t do brunch these days.

Urban Tavern, a downtown restaurant by the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, recently joined the trend by offering a weekend brunch menu and a free parking to go with it, which on itself is a commodity in San Francisco. 

A large dining room at Urban Tavern features green design in many aspects – it is low lit, with exposed overhead beams made of reclaimed wood from an old farmhouse, and antique mirrors on the walls. A centerpiece that separates the bar area from the dining room is a striking multicolored metal horse, created by Doug Owen. It consists of various salvaged parts from agricultural machinery, like a radiator from a retired tractor, or a rusty propane tank. Cozy booths in the dining room sit from two to six, and usually fill out quickly every night at dinner time. In the bar area, there is a long communal table made out of a single tree trunk, polished and finished, with a naturally occurring heart-shaped knothole in the middle.

Intended a gathering place for the hotel guests and San-Franciscans alike, the restaurant accommodates parties and events from 10 to 360 people for birthday celebrations, weddings, corporate lunches, and conferences.

As for weekend brunch at Urban Tavern, it’s a work in progress. The menu, created by Executive Chef Colin Duggan, is now served every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., along with the regular lunch items.

My Chicken & Waffles Benedict from the brunch menu consisted of cheddar Serrano waffle, breaded and fried chicken breast, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. My dining companion ordered The Stackable from the regular lunch menu – a Painted Hills burger with butter lettuce, tomato, house pickles and potato onion fries. The fries were served in a no-ink “newspaper” printed on parchment paper, which was a nice touch, and they tasted good, too!

My favorite part of the brunch was a cocktail created by a kind bartender to my order. Since our waitress warned me that they ran out of watermelon for their most popular St.-Germain based drink, I asked for anything else that would include elderflower liquor. My no-name cocktail was wonderfully refreshing in a tall glass enlivened by fresh strawberries and cucumber slices and topped with prosecco.   

 Other items on the new brunch menu include Lemon Griddle Cake Cannoli (fresh fruit, Bellwether Farms ricotta cheese, pistachios and maple syrup for $11.00); Egg White Frittata (goat cheese, roasted vegetables, tomatillo salsa and an heirloom tomato salad for $14.00); and a Fried Egg Sandwich (bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and smoked aioli on a ciabatta roll for $13.00).

Urban Tavern is located at 333 O’Farrell Street in San Francisco. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Call (415) 923-4400 or visit www.urbantavernsf.com.