There aren't a lot of choices in the Levi's Plaza area for workers who need to grab a quick breakfast, speedy lunch or that much-needed afternoon coffee. Earlybird Cafe, which opened April 13th at 151 Union St., serves up all of this and more with the philosophy that "good food should be accessible to everybody," according to owner Amie Bailey. The grab-and-go counter cafe, wedged in a semi-hidden breezeway, took over from Pip To Go.
Earlybird Cafe serves a couple hundred people a day from businesses around Levi's Plaza and the northeast waterfront/Embarcadero, as well as folks from the FiDi who want to get out and "stretch their legs, get lunch and get back to the office in time," Bailey said.
"We do a focused menu really well," Bailey said. "Everything we put across that counter is absolutely delicious and spot-on." Choices include a soup of the week made from local, seasonal, organic ingredients; three side salads and three entree salads; four pressed sandwiches and two "cool" sandwiches; and breakfast items, coffee drinks and cold-pressed juices available anytime.
Though the menu changes slightly every other week, Bailey said customers already are attached to a few favorites that will never change. Two of the best-sellers are the grilled cheese with tomato jam, made with Belton cheddar and whole milk mozzarella on toasted levain with mustard, cornichon and a small green salad ($6.50), and the Greek yogurt ($1.75; 25 cents more for honey and 75 cents extra for seasonal fruit or granola).
Bailey seeks to balance the line between keeping things within reach and offering the best quality at that price point. Side salads are $3.95, entree salads like the kale and quinoa, Southwest salad or Asian chicken salad are $9.95–$10.95, and sandwiches are $5.95 (for the breakfast sandwich) to $8.50 (for a tuna Niçoise sandwich).
About 95 percent of products at Earlybird are sourced from California. Bailey buys coffee from Highwire Coffee Roasters out of Oakland, which roasts in small batches, and grinds beans right before brewing. Baked goods come from Batter Bakery, bread is from family-owned Semifreddi's, bagels are by Baron Baking out of Oakland, cold-pressed organic juices are from Urban Remedy and meats are from Niman Ranch and Mary's Free Range Chicken.
Bailey was the in-house executive chef for the Williams-Sonoma dining program right there in the development prior to forging out on her own. Because it's small, "It's a really great way for me to get my feet wet in having my own brick-and-mortar," she said. She already has plans to expand into Oakland, where she lives.
Cafe hours are 7am–4pm Monday–Friday. There's no seating yet, but Bailey plans to put out a few tables and chairs, and there are benches in the plaza and across the street in Levi's Plaza Park.
