Marlowe

Prior in making our way over to SFO for our flight back home (well to Seattle, and then driving home), we had a bit of time in the morning to burn.  So instead of heading down to the lounge for breaky, we took the short walk down 4th to Marlowe for brunch.  According to most lists on the internet, Marlowe does some pretty good brunch for the Bay Area. Fortunately for us, we made a reservation as the place was pretty busy right from opening.  The place isn't very big with a smattering small tables with a communal long table near the front.

For myself, I decided to have the Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich with Caesar ailoi, bacon and field greens.  Consisting of 3 medium-sized chicken strips, the sandwich was balanced in terms of bun to meat ratio and flavor.  The bun was soft, yet robust enough to hold everything inside including the crunchy and moist chicken.  I thought the crispy bacon was impactful while the greens were bright and Earthy.  The side of fries were thin and crispy.  Viv ended up with the Smoked Dungeness Crab & Rock Shrimp Benedict with jalapeno, poached egg, herbs, frisee and spicy Hollandaise.  The big crab cake underneath was mostly full of crab that was neither fluffy nor dry.  There was a mild amount of spice as well as the usual natural sweetness.  It was crispy and held up well to the runny egg and tart spicy Hollandaise.  The salad surrounding it was fresh and acidic.

My daughter had the Smoked Salmon Bagel with English cucumber, roasted baby beets, creme fraiche, cornichon and dill.  Although it didn't sound like a great deal of food, it really was sporting a crispy bagel with creamy creme fraiche mixed with tart and salty cornichon.  On top of that was tangy and Earthy thick-cut beets, shaved paper-thin cucumbers, plenty of fresh dill and of course buttery smoked salmon with black sesame seeds.  For my son, he was drawn to the 3 Buttermilk Pancakes with smoked butter, crumbled bacon and maple syrup.  This was the best dish of all since the pancakes were large and fluffy as can be.  The butter was impactful while the salty and smoky bacon complimented the real maple syrup well.  Nothing much to complain about this meal as the food met our expectations and was well-executed.

The Good:
- Food prepared properly
- Nice space with good service

The Bad:
- A touch pricey