Sometimes the best plans are the spontaneous ones, right? I'm a planner, but Jole and I try to keep a go-with-the-flow attitude as much as possible. So this year for Father's Day we went out for an unplanned brunch at a restaurant he'd been dying to take me to—Little Skillet in SOMA. Even Mia ate there before I did on a daddy-daughter date!
Little Skillet is the perma-pop-up sister restaurant of Farmerbrowns (where we had brunch last Father's Day, coincidentally) inside Victory Hall & Parlor. Given that pedigree I had no doubt the food would rock, and I was equally blown away by the space—its cavernous by SF standards! Since it was Father's Day the room was full of groups in varying sizes and strollers were omnipresent, but never felt crowded. The front room has a huge bar, the counter to order, and seating for at least 50, and the back room has another bar, a huge corner booth (perfect for containing squirrley toddlers), and tables galore.
I'm sure the bar vibe kicks in as the day goes on, but at brunch I felt like we were in any other restaurant. We went early enough to miss the hangover brunch crowd, but it got busier as the morning went on and we left just as a huge wave of hungry folks came in! Luckily we snagged the corner booth, so Mia had enough room to spread out and take off her shoes, and she was so comfy she even nursed a bit.
I ordered the Skillet Pancake, a cornmeal pillow baked and served in a mini cast iron skillet topped with fruit, candied nuts and honey butter. It was hot, sweet and hearty, even without the syrup it came with. I couldn't finish it Jole went for the fried chicken and cheese grits—he typically goes for waffles but tried something new and I think he wished he stuck with his favorite! Mia loved the grits and between our two meals we had enough for her with leftovers.
Mama Says: Beat the crowds and head to Little Skillet early enough to spread out with the kids over a big Southern breakfast. If you're a fan of Farmerbrowns you know what to expect, and if not you're in for a treat!
Little Skillet
360 Ritch Street (In SOMA)
San Francisco, CA 94017
Stroller Friendly? Yes
High Chairs? Yes
Takes Reservations? No
Changing Tables? No