Café Fanny/Acme Bread Company: Simple Bay Area Pleasures

Outside Cafe Fanny and Acme Bread Co.
Credit: amorimur. http://www.flickr.com/photos/amorimur/2412911226/

Few meals have been able to compare to my recent epic Tolani experience. Living in the SF Bay Area, however, gives me ample opportunity to try to discover a meal that compares. And, though I haven’t quite met Tolani’s equal yet, I have been eating some pretty delicious food along the way. Two examples: Café Fanny and Acme Bread Company. As next-door neighbors, these North Berkeley eateries pack a mighty one-two culinary punch, so to speak. Café Fanny serves breakfast and lunch, with freshly baked baguettes and bread from Acme next door. They also serve wine from their (other) next-door neighbors, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants. Their lovely outdoor area is the perfect place to enjoy good food in the sunshine, and observe people in the long line coming from Acme next door. Acme itself is a wonderful place, filled with all the enchantment that fresh-baked goods are supposed to instill in eaters.

Acme Bread Co.'s Adorable Poster. Credit: http://www.acmebread.com/

I first discovered these two gems when I met up with of my relatives for breakfast and at my uncle’s suggestion, we checked out Café Fanny. I ordered Poached Eggs with vinegar and oregano on levain toast, which was pretty delicious in and of itself; although, being the curious eater that I am, I couldn’t help but try some of the other dishes that were ordered. By far, my favorite had to be the baguette with organic butter and honey. It was so simple and so delicious. In other words, it was the best kind of food: the kind where the ingredients speak for themselves. I also enjoyed the fruit and organic yogurt along with the baguette, also a very simple, but very delicious and healthy addition to breakfast. Afterwards, we got a few baguettes from next door and, at the recommendation of the woman in front of me, I got an apple turnover. One bite in and I was in love. It was so flaky and buttery, but not too buttery, and its filling was sweet, but not too sweet. Someone put a lot of care into making that turnover and it showed, that much I could taste.

So, so good.
Credit: ParlaFood. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7205884@N07/4904429972/

I went back to Café Fanny a few days ago, this time for lunch and it was just as good as breakfast. I ordered the Baked Goat Cheese with garden lettuces and levain toast with a peach iced tea to drink. It was a refreshing lunch, to say the least. The lettuce was only seasoned with a little bit of salt, taking a back seat to the baked goat cheese, which was the true star of the meal. I would never have thought of baking goat cheese, but it was so delicious, I wondered why I hadn’t heard of it sooner. While, overall, the meal blew me away, being nitpicky, I could have done with a little less goat cheese and/or a little more lettuce. The goat cheese was delicious but powerful…it needed a stronger supporting cast, in my humble opinion. Besides that nearly negligible complaint, the meal was fabulous. My boyfriend, Ben, also had a good meal from the tastes I got of it anyways. He ordered the Chicken sandwich, with savory yogurt dressing, fennel and greens and Café au Lait to drink. While not as good as mine, his meal was pretty delicious. The Café au Lait was to die for (and, coming from a person who generally steers clear of coffee, that is something).

Baked Goat Cheese with garden lettuces and levain toast. Peach iced tea. 

After the meal, I couldn’t resist getting another apple turnover and Ben got a chocolate croissant and a baguette from good ol’ Acme. We also got the chance to check out Kermit Lynch’s shop a little more this time, although I still haven’t tried anything from there yet. Next time, for sure…as I plan to return to this little culinary corner as often as possible.