Of the many things to do in San Francisco, brunching might be one of our favorite activities in the city by the bay. Whether you decide to munch on millionaire’s bacon at Kitchen Story or bite into toast topped with Lucky Charms at HomeSF, there are loads of places to chow down in the home of the Golden Gate Bridge. If sipping spicy cocktails in the morning is your jam then you may want to head over to Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco.

 

A photo of Diane's original mixer at Diane's Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California. The Diane's classic consists of garden ripe tomatoes, herb of lovage, olive brine, Tabasco, horseradish, vegan Worcestershire sauce, lemon, lime, a touch of honey and Tito's vodka.
The Bloody Mary Gets a Makeover Complete with a Bacon Wrapped Date and a Fresh Orange at Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California

 

Diane’s Bloody Mary is housed inside The Mina Test Kitchen. World renowned chef Michael Mina opened the 1,600 square foot spot as a foodie laboratory of sorts. The test kitchen is a place where the Michelin-starred chef and his staff can explore flavors and try out various new restaurant concepts. It’s a win-win. You get to explore dishes without a Michelin-sized price tag and the Mina Group relies on its guests as foodie guinea pigs before unleashing fresh menu options across its vast array of restaurant holdings (from his award winning namesake Michael Mina in San Francisco to Prime Grill in Dubai).

Mina’s wife, Diane Mina, opened up her ode to Bloody Marys in the family’s pop-up space after perfecting her mix of Russian heirloom tomatoes, a five peppercorn blend and a host of spunky spices at home. At first we were dead set on taking our Bloody Mary down the spicy pepper route (you can choose from two options for your cocktail, either Diane’s original mixer or dirty Diane’s jalapeño mixer), but our waiter informed us that the original mix tends to pack more heat. We gave Diane’s original mixer classic Bloody Mary (made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka) a whirl and also tried the Bloody Maria (again with the original mixer, but this time made with Espolòn Reposado Tequila). Both were wonderful. Next time we might have to taste test the Bloody Dutchman (which is made with Citadelle Gin).

 

A photo of a shot glass filled with freshly squeezed chilled lemon juice on the table beside a Bumble Bee brand container filled with knives at Diane's Bloody Mary restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Rise and Shine – A Free Shot of Chilled Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice Kicks Off Every Meal at Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California

 

As you scope out the menu (which has everything from mock champagne made out of ginger ale, pineapple and grape juice to heritage pork posole), you’ll likely have a special delivery arrive courtesy of the servers at your table.

 

A photo of the L.I.E. Long Island egg sandwich at Diane's Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California. The sandwich consists of a pan fried organic egg, thinly sliced country ham and American cheese on a kaiser roll.
Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies – The Delicious L.I.E. Long Island Egg Sandwich at Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California

 

Of the many tasty bites our poor overworked bellies attempted to digest that morning, the pan fried organic egg sandwich was the winner hands down.

 

In addition to Diane’s Bloody Mary, here’s a list of other neat little local spots we love across the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

From the perfectly light and fluffy kaiser roll to the thinly sliced country ham, it’s a breakfast sandwich we hope to see on our plate again sometime in the very near future.

 

A photo of a plate full of Diane and Michael's backyard breakfast at Diane's Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California. Diane and Michael's backyard breakfast is a dish that consists of traditional laffa bread (which is denser and chewier than pita bread), two organic eggs, a well dressed avocado, stewed tomatoes and peppers, harissa hummus and a zippy yogurt dressing. An additional protein option of thick cut bacon is also on the plate.
Fit for a Foodie King – Diane and Michael’s Backyard Breakfast Plate at Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California

 

Diane and Michael’s backyard breakfast is a dish that consists of traditional laffa bread (which is denser and chewier than pita bread), two organic eggs, a well dressed avocado, stewed tomatoes and peppers, harissa hummus and a zippy yogurt dressing. (We added the optional extra helping of thick cut bacon as well.)

 

Clearly we’re big breakfast fans. Curious about some of the other crazy brekkies we’ve taste tested around the globe? Here are some of our favorite brunch places in the world.

 

Michael Minna’s dishes often feature nods to his Egyptian hometown of Cairo which is why it isn’t surprising to see Middle Eastern options like laffa and hummus living happily beside menu roommates like toasted pain de mie.

 

A photo of the harissa chicken shawarma at Diane's Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California. This dish consists of two pitas filled with grilled chicken, avocado mash, hummus, cucumber, radish, red onion and tangy yogurt.
It’s a Wrap – The Harissa Chicken Shawarma at Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California

 

Another interesting breakfast / brunch / lunch offering at Diane’s Bloody Mary is the harissa chicken shawarma. Two pitas filled with grilled chicken, avocado mash, hummus, cucumber, radish, red onion and tangy yogurt make this option almost two full meals for the price of one.

 

A photo of a bowl of the lovage fries sits on the table beside a yellow flower and Heinz ketchup at Diane's Bloody Mary in San Francisco.
Fry Me to the Moon – Lovage Fries at Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California

 

After our neighboring table ordered a round of lovage fries, we quickly began salivating like Pavlov’s pooches. Despite being dangerously close to gut busting territory, we were unable to resist temptation and just had to order them. They were fried to a crisp crunch and, even though we couldn’t move afterwards, the fry order was totally worth it. Whether you’re looking to drown your case of the Mondays in an ocean full of Bloody Marys (or a bucket full of fries) an epic brunch at Diane’s Bloody Mary might be just what the doctor ordered. If you live far from San Francisco, you can test your bartending skills at home and order a set of Diane’s Bloody Mary mixers online from Williams Sonoma.

 

A photo of the outside of Diane's Bloody Mary from the sidewalk in San Francisco, California.
Diane’s Bloody Mary in San Francisco, California

 

Diane’s Bloody Mary
Address: 2120 Greenwich Street
San Francisco, California 94123
Hours: Breakfast, Lunch and Brunch Thursday Through Sunday 9:00am to 3:00pm
Phone: (415) 625-5470
Email: diane@terramina.net
Pricing (All in USD): Signature Bloody Marys $9.00 to $14.00, Cocktails $9.00 to $13.00, Mocktails $6.00 to $8.00, Toasts and Things $10.00 to $13.00, French Toast $11.00, Omelette $18.00, Salads $10.00 to $15.00, Burger $16.00, Lovage Fries $6.00, Hand-Cut Scones $4.00, Cookies $6.00, Bottle of Diane’s Bloody Mary Mix $16.00