Cafe Myth

For those who long for Ryan’s deft hand in the kitchen, hope can be found here
The bluebottle coffee is an added bonus :)

I was thoroughly disappointed when Ryan Scott got kicked off of Top Chef last week. It makes absolutely no sense; they keep Nikki, who seems more interested in doing her hair and wearing aviators indoors than cooking and has consistently screwed up her dishes, but they kick off Ryan who’s had at least a couple standouts (the Christmas Story quail breast??? I’d die to eat that) and is way, WAY hot?
You make me sad, Bravo.
So what makes me even MORE sad is that when I look up Café Myth on this thing – to find out what it is, where it is so I can go and savor the dishes of my reality tv show lover for myself and tell Padma to shove it – I come to find it’s closed! Poor Ryan… first he gets the boot on TV, then his restaurant shuts down??? Let’s hope he’s moved on to something greater.
To Ryan, wherever you may be: Keep on, keepin’ on, boy! I would have proudly enjoyed your «California Tailgating» pear dessert, and I’m sure you STILL blow all the chefs around you out the water, just like you did when you were 11.
PS. I love you. Will you marry me?

Stupidly, Café Myth is closing. Okay, maybe not stupidly – I don’t know the reasons why, and probably they’re totally understandable, solid reasons. But it feels stupid, because the lunch service was (a) delicious, (b) consistently packed, and © probably poised to get a lot more buzz, now that Myth’s chef, Ryan, has appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef program.
I work about a hundred yards away from the café, and I’m going to miss it. Their coffee is, frankly, not any good, but the people serving it, the redoubtable Nadia and Zach, are warm, friendly, interesting people. I hope they won’t be out of jobs. Also, the morning snacks were amazing. A few weeks (months?) ago, they introduced Meat Scones. Now, not all the scones actually had meat, but they were all savory, and flavorful as hell. My fave was the bacon, cheddar, and scallion scone (sweet and salty all at once!), but the habanero and jack scone was another winner, as was the nicoise olive and goat cheese scone. These all sounded crazy to me at first, but I became positively addicted. The sweet stuff is delicious too, but the savory was out of this world.
And lunch was even more satisfying, whether you ate in or out. Aside from the entire lunch menu’s being available for take-​out – more on that menu in a moment – they also featured a daily bag lunch, which was an invaluable service for this neighborhood, full of professional offices and only a little ways from the Transamerica building. The bag lunch always had some kind of hearty lavash wrap (often dry and a bit dull, but never wimpy), a cup with some kind of salad, green or otherwise, and a satisfying sweet along the lines of a chocolate butterscotch cookie or homemade Twinkie. And all for around six bucks! That’s practically free for this neighborhood.
The sit-​down lunch was even better. Deviled eggs with scallion and bacon, dusted in paprika, made for a delicious starter. The Grown-​Up Mac & Cheese, while not exactly my cup of cholesterol, was a big fave. And the salad of winter chicory and roasted chicken, dressed with pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, and Asian pears, was phenomenal. It’s such a drag that this sort of quality food won’t be available anymore.
Anyway, it’s kind of a sad loss when a good place closes, and Café Myth had über-​friendly service, a crisp, contemporary atmosphere, and an unusually varied, unusually well-​executed menu. Prospects seemed high. I guess not.
Four stars rather than five, because I am bitter, almost as bitter as the coffee, which I confess I will not miss.

I’ve been stopping in here daily since it reopened some short years ago. As appearances go, it seems in a constant state «still being set up.» Not so much dirty, perhaps messy is a better describer.
If you get in after 12PM be prepared to wait a good fifteen minutes to order, as the line is usually to the door. Another ten-​fifteen for actually getting your food, but once you get it (if you’re not in a hurry) it’s worth the wait. I haven’t had an item that I did not love and the staff are always friendly and helpful.

Absolutely everything was amazing and perfect, loved loved loved it.
From the deviled eggs, any salad is amazing, truffle chips!, hearty sandwiches, and the amazing cookies (my friend even commented that the coconut with white chocolate was the best cookie she’s ever had! now thats a statement!). It will be a sad day when Ryan leaves that kitchen, but he’s left a great mark!
I’d go back any day.

Since I didn’t have classes today (woo-​hoo!), I decided to sleep in. But, then my phone started to ring.
It was the BF. He very simply said, «Get up, I’ll be over in 12 minutes. Get dressed for lunch, we’re going to Café Myth.»
«WOW,» I thought, «This is the second time in one weekend that he’s done this.» See, we do many things together, but it doesn’t always involve him taking me out. Something had to be up.
And, sure enough, something was up. But I’ll get to that in a second.
We had gone to Myth (the restaurant) on the night of our 2^nd year anniversary, during a visit to SF.
So, of course, I thought it was rather cute of him to get us to go to Café Myth just TWO DAYS before our FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
I wonder if anyone knows where I’m going with this.
So, we meet up. He doesn’t smile. But I don’t think too much of it.
It’s amazing, the way he still gives me butterflies.
We sit down. Cute little place. I had heard about the sandwiches here, but had never tried one. I was already pondering the bag lunch, when Alessio quickly grabbed my hand.
«Kalina, I cannot hold this back any longer…»
And then the bastard broke up with me. Say WHAT?!
Unfortunately, the rest happened in sort of a daze. I didn’t order anything, I got up and left.
The staff was really nice. One of the girls actually followed me outside to check if I was okay, as she had seen me rush out in tears. Then, another male member of the staff came out to check on the both of us. He then called me a cab.
It was really sweet of them both to do that.
I got in the taxi, and went home. Been here curled up with my two OTHER boyfriends Ben & Jerry ever since. (At least I know THEY’LL never leave me…)
(Un)fortunately, with the way things went down, I was unable to taste, or really observe anything.
Sigh, Two Stars for simply being the Myth, and another 10 for the caring staff. (I wish I knew their names.) So, 12 stars overall for something that doesn’t even have to do anything with the Café, or its food.
Maybe I’ll eventually make it back there… In a million years!

Got the bag lunch. It was good, and cheap. That works well for me. I liked the ambiance, but someone in our group went and got the truffle potato chips. As truffles are mushrooms, and mushrooms are evil, that takes a star away from this place… I’d go back for the bag lunch, as long as there were no mushrooms…

Maybe I got the wrong thing. I just grabbed their bag lunch — and it was awful.
Turkey wrap with fontina cheese and arugula pesto. Halfway through the wrap, I started pulling out all the cheese bc it was SO salty. As I continued to eat the wrap, I realized it wasn’t the cheese — it was the pesto that was ridiculously salty.
Kidney bean salad with chedder cheese and bacon vinaigrette. Pretty good, until 4 bites in. It was wayyyyy to hearty for a lunch side salad.
Chocolate chip cookie. The best part. It was a good cookie. But, don’t expect the giant ones they have in the display case, it’s a smaller version.
Overall, service, as stated in other reviews, is really slow if you get something made and not the bag lunch. Food was lackluster.

Eh. It was fine, but I was not impressed.
I got the butternut squash and quinoa salad. It was quite good with good ingredient proportions. The portion was large enough to fill me up even though it was just salad. I also got a chocolate chip cookie, which was yummy. If I rated on my food alone, I would give an extra star.
I didn’t like the selection. Menu items that are either vegetarian or can be made vegetarian are indicated with a star. There were no sandwiches with stars, so I had to get a salad or starter, which seemed odd. Also, the bag lunch special (which is a much better deal than ordering off the menu) was advertised both inside and outside, with different things. When I went to order, I was told that the outdoor advertisement was wrong. Well, that’s not very nice! Why keep the paper sign up, if that food is not available?
It was a bit pricey, though not too bad for financial district. My salad and cookie came to $ 11.12. My coworkers got the bag special (includes side and cookie) which was only $ 6-​something. I wish the bag special had had a yummy vegetarian choice. My coworkers with the bag special both didn’t like the sandwich though.
There’s a long wait if you don’t get the pre-​made bag special. That’s fine for good food, but it definitely takes away from the convenience factor and is unusual for a lunch place.

I was so glad that my friend suggested coming here for lunch because I’ve been meaning to come here since I had a wonderful dinner at Myth months ago. At 1pm, the café was packed and had a line almost out the door. Fortunately, by the time we placed our order, a few tables had opened up and we got a nice one inside since we forgot to put on our sunscreen. What a great modern space and fun place to people watch.
The food took a good 15 – 20 minutes to come to our table, but it was definitely worth the wait. I had debated between getting the chili and lemongrass roasted chicken salad sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich, and I went with the chicken salad sandwich which was excellent. It came with pepper jack, mango, cilantro, avocado, and onion on an acme roll, and it was quite possibly one of the tastiest sandwiches I have ever eaten. My friend got the quiche and side of soup, which he also really enjoyed.
On such a beautiful sunny SF day, it was perfect for a cold treat after lunch. We saw the few flavors of ice cream they offered there, but decided to head over to Gaia instead and had our gelato fix there.
If only I still lived in the neighborhood or worked nearby, I would be there for lunch on a weekly basis!

I recently rediscovered this place due to the ‘Legend of the Delicious Sandwich’ a coworker was eating during a meeting.
I tried to figure out which place he got it from, and after unsuccessful attempts at 1) Madelines, 2) Mixt Greens, and 3) Manhattan Hub, I finally caught word it was from Myth (the Roast Beef on the Acme roll… to die for.)
My first encounter with Myth Café wasn’t as promising… I got the bag lunch, but it turned out to be mediocre from all angles.
But everything off the traditional lunch menu is delicious. I challenge you to find another spot downtown that is solid in sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and free water (cucumber!).
I’d say Myth Café is that ringer during pickup basketball games who’s obviously the best player on the court.

GET THE WHOOPIE PIE
It was amazing — this is where all of my 5 stars go. I had the half sandwich/​half salad for lunch (chicken salad sandwich and mixed greens) which was all good — but the whoopie pie is where it’s at. Decided to go for it on a whim after lunch with co-​workers, and it was seriously the best thing I’ve ever had. I think I might have to go back and get another one tomorrow… seriously.

I have to say that the hype didn’t let me down this time… Myth Café is good!
There were many things on the menu that I wanted (and will now return for), so it was hard for this girl to make up her mind. I decided to go with the ½ tuna sandwich, ½ corn soup. Both were well executed and delicious. The tuna salad was healthy (Mediterranean style not mayonnaise-​y) and served open-​faced on baguette. The soup was a good portion for lunch and complete with croutons. I loved my cucumber (also a choice of lemon) water while I waited in line.
The negative was that I got my food to go and there were some bits of olives in my to-​go container, but no olives in anything I was eating. I hate when mysterious food ends up in my lunch.
Oh, and I was also disappointed because I couldn’t order ½ salad and ½ soup. This needs to be added to the menu. I really felt like soup/​salad, but at Myth this cannot be done for under $ 20 (way too much for lunch).
I loved the concept of the «brown bag» lunch option (sandwich, salad, dessert), but I didn’t like what was offered. This option, however, is a deal at under $ 10.

Went here for a lunchtime threesome. Ran out of those special bag lunches by the time I got there at 1:30. Settled for a half turkey with salad. Lunch portion was just right. Fancy-​like mixed greens salad was light. Toasted sandwich tasty. PIckle made me happy. Housemade truffle potato chips sprinkled with parmigiano reggiano (learned something from Cheese School!) were salty but so badly good. Pulled pork sandwich hearty enough for the biggest meat eaters out there. Cucumber or lemon water available. Going after the lunch rush and sitting outside makes for a perfect FiDi respite.

4.5. Rounding up to 5.
Have been here a few times now, usually getting some form of turkey sandwich, and I’ve always been more than pleased. Picked up their bagged lunch today (that varies daily), which included a hefty portion of turkey on Acme bread, swiss and kumquat chutney. The chutney was really flavorful. The bag also included a tangy 3 bean salad of my favorites kidney, haricots verts and garbanzo with a lovely herb. And, most importantly, a ginger cookie — crispy outside, chewey inside, buttery but not overly so and fresh ginger taste. The cookie definitely bumps this to a 5. But then I never met a cookie I didn’t like. Strike that, a cookie I didn’t eat.
All this for $ 6.46. The outside seating’s nice on a sunny day. Friendly service. Usually, there’s a wait during lunch, but came here a little before noon today, and the line was significantly shorter. Oh, and inquired, «Where in god’s name are your donuts?» Apparently, they ran out in the morning :(. tho they did have a giant fried sugar coated thing in the case, which qualified.

Ten things to know about the Myth Café:
1. Never enough seating, unless you like to eat lunch at 10:30 or 2:00.
2. Closes too early to serve the mid-​afternoon coffee cravings.
3. The mac & cheese is good. But they need something sharper in the mac. If it’s going to be that rich, it should be even tastier.
4. Bring sunglasses. For some reason the proprietors of Café Myth think it’s funny to use shiny metal tables for the outdoor patio. The whole thing is a little vertigo-​inducing.
5. The lunch crowd is remarkably more attractive than the people who go to the eateries two blocks away, at the Embarcadero Center. There’s so much to say on that topic, but the reasons are too obvious to merit discussion here.
6. Pulled pork. Get it.
7. Deviled eggs. Don’t get it unless you’re in a group of seven or more. Most recently, my group of five split them, and we felt a little vomitous.
8. Salads. They’re particularly unsatisfying as an entrée. Even if they’re big (the mixed greens come by the shit-​ton), they’re mono-​flavored in an age of stereo.
9. Media. They have lots of it – a panoply of newspapers on library-​style rods, a flat screen TV set to cable news. I really love the newspapers, but because the Myth Café isn’t open long enough to actually operate as a café, who gets to use it? The place is too crowded to actually read in peace.
10. Cucumber water is a great touch. I don’t know why other places don’t do this.

I’m happy to say this place is Good! I wish I worked in SF because I would be eating here all the time.
My review is only for the bag lunch since I was in a hurry, but if I’m ever in the area M-​F during lunch time I would so be eating here! Omg, the Very Adult Mac & Cheese looked good when I saw it on someone’s table-​enough for 2 ppl!
The wait is kinda long during noon, so I’d recommend going Early. They only have 1 register/​cashier and he was working hella hard. My bag lunch was pretty cheap at $ 6.46 and since it’s pre-​bagged all he had to do was pull one out, take my credit card, have me sign it, and I was out of there.
They have glass cases in the front with desserts, plus an ice-​cream case.
My lunch had: ½ a turkey/​ham sandwich-​lots of meat in it, mustard, lettuce. 1 small Bartlett pear, 1 small cup of Greek Salad-​tiny bit of cheese, artichoke hearts, romaine lettuce, olives, and a tiny thing of dressing. Also a heritage cookie-​more cakey with carrots, walnuts, and raisins. All were very good.
Bathrooms available around past the kitchen area, down a dark hallway. Women’s had 3 stalls.
I’m listing the Myth Café lunch menu here because it’s not online, don’t know if it’s the same always, I guess the bag lunch changes often. I don’t know what they have for breakfast, anyone know?
Starters:
Carrot-​Ginger Soup-​w/​mint cream & crispy sweetbreads $ 5
*Curried Butternut Squash soup-​w/​duck confit & cilantro $ 6
*Housemade Truffle Potato Chips-​w/​citrus gremolata & parmigiano reggiano $ 3.5
*Deviled eggs-​w/​bacon, hungarian paprika & chives $ 3.5
*Roasted tomato, smoked mozzarella & thyme quiche $ 3.5
*Very adult Mac & cheese-​w/​vermont white cheddar & parmesan brioche $ 5.5
Salads
*Mixed greens-​w/​bartlett pears, candied cashews & white balsamic vinaigrette $ 6.5
*Little gem salad-​w/​watermelon radish, fines herbs, Danish blue cheese & black pepper candied pecans $ 8.5
*Pickled beet salad-​w/​asian pear, goat cheese, almonds & verjus vinaigrette $ 8.5
Fennel-​crusted ahi tuna w/​haricots verts, nicoise olives, egg & cucumber-​lemon vinaigrette $ 9
Sandwiches & Plates
Petite Mediterranean tuna sandwich plate-​w/​charred fennel, orange, watercress pesto & hummus $ 8.5
BLT-​w/​applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, roasted tomato & romaine on grilled levain $ 9
Chili & lemongrass-​roasted chicken salad sandwich-​w/​pepper jack, mango, cilantro, avocado, & red onion on acme roll $ 9
Cuban pulled pork panini sandwich-​w/​ham, swiss, & aioli on ciabatta $ 8.5
Turkey & avocado-​w/​pear & quince chutney, house mustard & swiss on acme roll $ 8.5
*Myth Café’s homemade 5-​grain veggie burger-​w/​lettuce, tomato, red pepper marmalade & goat cheese on toasted focaccia bun $ 8.5
Sid’s Roast beef-​w/​crispy shallots, horseradish-​lemon aioli & fontina on toasted baguette $ 8.5
Half turkey, chicken or tuna sandwich-​w/​soup or green salad $ 8
*Roasted tomato, smoked mozzarella & thyme
Quiche-​w/​green salad or carrot-​ginger or butternut squash soup $ 7
*These items either are vegetarian or can be made so upon request
Myth Café
490 Pacific Ave (@ Montgomery)
SF CA 94 133
415−677−4289
They take Credit Cards!
Only open M-​F 8am-​4pm so breakfast and lunch!!!

I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long to get over to Myth Café but I finally did this rainy afternoon. The space is a modern one, but also with playful elements, like the frog statue above the cash register (he made me smile!). The seating is pretty choice, but I can see it being a little hard to find a seat at peak lunch hour. Still, with free wi-​fi, this isn’t a bad place to get some work done out of the office.
I would highly recommend getting a half sandwich and soup, you’ll be filled up for sure. My Mediterrranean Tuna Sandwich was more complex than necessary, but served on a ciabatta roll, it was hard to find too much to fault. The real coup here is the Curried Butternut Squash Soup. Served with chunks of duck confit, it’s a perfectly spiced meal itself. I’m thinking about it right now, should I go back?
You can get some of their housemade potato chips on the side as well, a nice culinary accessory to your lunch.
Erica G, if you’re out there, someday I will go back and eat one of their powder jelly donuts. I hope that John Fogerty had it wrong when he said that someday never comes.

It’s a little far to walk from my place for breakfast (because I need my food NOW), it was a wonderful lunch. I was wondering how much the menu would be, since it’s attached to a higher priced restarant.
So, I had the Cuban sandwich. (about $ 8) It was a little salty, but it’s supposed to. What I loved was that it was never dry. The way that they cooked the meat rendered it utterly juicy. The coffee that I had was deliciously silty (the way I like it) I split the mac and cheese (big bowl for $ 5) with my lunchmate. It was a perfect mix of creamy and sharp, and the noodles were just the right consistency. My friend got the sweet corn salad (there are better things on the menu), and the rocky road cookie. While novel, the cookie was a little dry, the melted marshmellows looked pretty cool. Great presentation, decent price. I’m definitely going back for the turkey sandwich and deviled eggs, and will also have to try their breakfast. Mabye then will give it an extra star.
Love the location, it’s nestled in amoungst the old brick buildings between north beach and downtown. Great place to impress someone.

any place that offers a classy «bag lunch» for $ 5.99 including a sandwhich, a salad, and a cookie or homemade twinkie is alright with me!
Definitely a yuppie crowd, I usually take a salad and some «adult» mac and cheese and sit in the park by Safeway.