Tartine Bakery

Reviews 4

TI

Tiffany Cheung

Like most other popular SF places, Tartines usually has a line out the door as customers patiently wait for their turn to be helped by the workers. Tartines is located close to Dolores park and Bi-Rite, so it seems like theres always people coming. They also have an open kitchen area where you can peek into as youre waiting to enter Tartines, which I thought was really nice. My friends and I had our hearts set on the banana cream tart, but they sadly informed us that it was all sold out, even though we had just seen a few minutes beforehand! I ended up ordering the lemon tart instead. And even though it was good, I was still really bummed about missing out on their banana cream tart! Lemon Cream Tart: If youre into lemony things - lemon bars, lemon cookies - youll definitely enjoy the lemon tart. I like lemon, but its not super amazing to me. The lemon cream filling wasnt too sour nor was it too sweet. It had a good consistency to it. The shell of the tart was crispy, which gave a bite to the lemon tart as you dug into it. Its topped off with some unsweetened cream to balance the lemon flavor of the filing. Honestly I wouldnt order this again if I came to Tartines a second time. Morning Bun: I ordered this to-go and ate it two days later and it was still delicious! Their morning buns are pretty popular, and I can see why! Made with cinnamon, sugar, and orange, this delightful breakfast snack really gives you a reason to wake up. The bread had just enough cinnamon and sugar; I couldnt taste the orange. I would get this again. Croissant: Its huge - but youd probably expect it to be big at $4.20 a piece. I tried a little of the croissant and thought it was tasty, but nothing special. The bread was flaky and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Croque Monsieur: They ask if you want this to be heated up, and if youre eating it at the store - you should eat it warm. It makes the flavors come out much better than when its eaten cold. I tried a little of this, and thought it was tasty. Theres ham and cheese along with other herbs - super yummy, but at almost $10, I wouldnt reorder it again. I believe my friend also ordered a savory croissant, which she thought was good. They serve other breads, pastries, and coffee at Tartines, too. Theres limited table seating, so grab one when you can. tl;dr - The food is definitely good, but keep in mind that it can get quite pricey. I would recommend the morning bun and Croque Monsieur. And Ill be back to try that Banana Cream Tart! Service was pretty friendly, but they seemed to be trying to get through customers as quickly as possible. Theres utensils, plates, water, etc.if youre dining at Tartines. If youre into bakeries, I would definitely suggest visiting Tartines!

LE

Lena Cardell

We finally visited Tartine on a rainy day (pro-tip, shorter lines in the rain, but also less room to sit) only to be underwhelmed. Everything here overflows with richness, and the portions are enormous. The combination makes for a queasy aftermath, even when you dont eat more than half your lunch :( The pastries are better than the sandwiches, and the coffee is better than the pastries. Lets start with the weakest: The sandwiches arent worth trying. They start with pretentiousness and end with a surprisingly tiresome flavor. Three bites and we were both done, continuing only to avoid a massive waste of food. We tried the Pepper Turkey with Broccoli Rabe Pesto and the Almond Pecorino. The former was okay, the latter just wasnt good. Rheas, a deli around the corner from Tartine serves a better panini on the very same, admittedly delectable Tartine Country Bread. The pastries are much better, but still not as good as anything my friends and I have made ourselves. Perhaps stick to the tricker productions like croissants and eclairs. Avoid the overcooked cookies and lemon bars. The coffee is delish. You can skip the line if this is all you want, but you may as well just head on over to the nearby Four Barrel since thats Tartines home brew unless youre looking for espresso. Tartine adds a unique citrus and cardamom twist to their espresso drinks which is quite delightful. Tartine is a place that seems to measure reputation to its long line, so I dont expect to see much improvement in the service or the seating. Expect to wait...forever on a sunny weekend day...just shy of that in the rain. Bring a companion to fight for a sliver of table and expect to have your food delivered 20-30 minutes after making it through the eternal line. Expect to quickly learn how difficult it is to carry heavy plates across the crowd as you bus your own table. Most people simply succumb to getting everything in to-go boxes because its so difficult to determine if youll have seating and to maneuver the bussing process, despite the typically environmentally conscious bent of folks in SF.

HO

Hopson Review

Though their ingredient quality standards seem to vary (how much though we dont know – very few specifics* are disclosed), the quality of taste and preparation at Tartine is anything but wavering. In this regard, we have been consistently impressed, and if for no other reason Tartine is more than deserving of their stellar reputation. Quite literally every single item weve enjoyed here has been simple, delicious, and incredibly compelling. Cookies, rochers, tarts, pies, sandwiches, gougères, croissants, and bread - everything is almost unbelievably good. Subtle details elevate otherwise ordinary selections to a near divine status. The single edible flower that adorned our lemon cream tart for example, lent a prismatic, grapefruit-y punch to the creamy citrus profile which stunned our pallets with its intense and unexpected potency. While Tartine is perhaps most famous for their bread, be warned that this is not the location to get said bread. Its there only for a very short window of time, and they tend to have a pretty limited selection. Go to Tartine Manufactory if youre looking for a loaf rather than clog up the line here only to be met with disappointment. Funny as it may seem (seeing as pastries are their main deal at this location) the pickled carrots which come as a side with the croque monsieur are probably our favourite thing here. By no accident, their texture and flavoural complexity (not to mention temperature contrast) fit lock-and-key with the sandwich they sit beside. Its an inspired pairing, impossible to describe the intricacies of. Just trust us. The wait times are usually (though not always) as bad as the other reviews suggest. 15 minutes is the norm, and less is a treat. However long the wait though, Tartine is well worth it. *Note: We do know for sure that all of their flour is organic, and that theyre keen on using lots of locally grown ingredients from small farms. Googles description though – Organic ingredients provide the makings for breakfast pastries, hot pressed sandwiches & coffee – is grossly misleading.

GO

Golden Rules of Wine and Travel

I initially read about Tartine Bakery in Michael Pollans new book "Cooked". Then, I read about it in Julys Vogue (US). This lead me to believe that the universe wanted me to eat here. I mean, two different sources?!? Twist my arm, Universe. Tartine was opened more than 10-years ago by Chad Robertson and his wife, Elisabeth Prueitt. Since then, they have opened Bar Tartine. Simply put, the bread they make is CELEBRATED. Robertson has even spelled out the recipe for it in one of his cook books, but most would rather buy the bread (it is fairly intimidating to see 38-pages dedicated to one bread recipe). At Tartine, they make about 250 loaves a day and they sell out. I got to Tartine just before selling began and it was an energetic environment, to say the least. You can buy a half or full-loaf, but you need to make your reservation three days in advance and pre-pay. I did not place an advance order for the bread and ordered two croissants instead (I figured croissants would be more manageable in my hotel room). I made it to the counter just before there was a line out the door. The Croque Monsieur looked amazing, but they also have other hot sandwiches like Humboldy Fog Goat Cheese and Pecorino & Almond. The kitchen stayed very busy to keep up with the demand for bread and sandwiches, but the line didnt get smaller; other people would just get into it. While watching the gluten-filled mob, I kept over-hearing conversations that all seemed to start with: "when you are from the mission..." There is a lot of pride about being from this area and locals are particularly proud of Tartine. A place that sells breads and simple bakery items like this seems like a very San Franciscan idea and success story. When I come back to the Bay Area, I will make an effort to make an advanced reservation for the bread. I am persuaded by the reviews, but also the croissants I bought were AMAZING. They were very large, delicious and I am 99.9% sure that my hotel cleaning lady ate one of them. Who could resist?