Tartine. Bakery and Manufactory
There's no other place like Tartine. Thanks to Chad Robertson, the world started to look at sourdough bread in a different way – with appreciation and dignity. There was sourdough before. Due to the perfect climate, it has always been in the culture of SF, but he somehow made it more unique, more appreciated. At Tartine, on the corner of Guererro and 18th, people order their bread, which has been a staple in SF for many years. Locals (and not only) go there to have a morning croissant, lunch sandwich, afternoon tea, and all-day pastries and bread. All our previous trips took as here many times – for the Saturday bread bakeoff, for tastings when working on an article, to get morning croissants, or just to stop by for coffee.
I remember in 2016 when they were expecting us: our table was full of... everything. I took a bite of lemon tart and melted along with it, then took a mouthful of chocolate cake, just to melt again. All the while I counted the layers of that perfectly baked croissant, wishing to know the art myself one day. The first time we got so many cakes that we ate them for several few days after. This time, we were in line for croissants, kougin aman, and bread because the day before, we finally visited the Tartine Manufactory, the heart and soul of Tartine nowadays. You can just run in for bread, but that would not be too smart as you have to sit down for a drink and food. Arriving just before the menus changed from lunch to dinner, we sipped our drinks (the girls had to get used to shrub culture here), waiting for it to arrive. Bread appeared with local butter and disappeared in a minute – no surprise as bread is what they are most famous for. The menu is not extensive and might change daily, but it captures all of the season’s treats. You can order country bread with different kinds of creams, the smorgasbord is on the menu all the time, and then there are mains from salads to warm dishes, mixing the taste of SF with Asian, Mexican, and European. Every bite is (maybe a bit overpriced) pure pleasure and contributes to the well-being of the local growers, farmers, and community.
Story and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s
Flying with Turkish Airlines
