St Francis Fountain
Dreamsicle – Milk, Orange Juice, Vanilla, Vanilla Ice Cream, Orange Sherbet, Whipped Cream, Cherry on top
Warm Brownie
French Toast Delight – Yogurt, Granola, Apples, Bananas, Strawberries, Pineapple
Exiting east out of Knead and waltzing down 24th Street towards Dynamo Donuts it was with long-held interest that I once again passed by St. Francis Fountain and with daily selections less than inspiring from the small storefront at 2760 I finally decided to quell my curiosity, a short walk back just one block landing me at a two-top in the 1918 soda fountain. Kitschy in décor with toys and trading cards from my youth available for purchase in a glass case while booths and tables sat tightly spaced juxtaposing the Formica bar it would be mere moments before I was greeted by the diner’s lone server and confirming hopes of an ‘all-day’ menu my order quickly took shape, a duo of childhood favorites readied at the counter along with French Toast arriving less than ten minutes later. Eschewing coffee in favor of things far sweeter it was in the classic Dreamsicle that my indulgence began and with Mitchell’s vanilla ice cream beneath a hefty scoop of orange sherbet plus just enough liquid to make the concoction sippable through a straw memories of meals at Friendly’s as a youngster came flooding back, a warm wedge of brownie delivered simultaneously equally worthy of reminiscence in its sheer simplicity – a lack of ‘artisan’ details oddly satisfying given the setting. Already all smiles as patrons aged five to seventy-five slowly began to trickle through the doors it was with my drink still half-full but the brownie long gone that my two slices of griddled sourdough next arrived and buried beneath a mountain of granola, fresh fruit, and tangy yogurt there was only one thing to do – a $1 supplement of pure maple syrup quickly flooding the plate adding an exclamation point to my ‘delight.’
RECOMMENDED: Dreamsicle, French Toast Delight
AVOID: The Brownie, while tasty enough, is priced a bit steep at $2.50 given the fact that the quality is similar to that from a box.
TIP: Undoubtedly a diner but never pretending to be anything more it is important to visit St. Francis with appropriate expectations – sure prices are higher chains such as Friendly’s serving food of arguably similar quality but part of what you’re paying for here is history and the experience, something that shouldn’t always be quantified in dollars and cents.
http://www.stfrancisfountainsf.com/
