For nearly three years, Devil’s Teeth Baking Company has been seducing Outer Sunset families, Ocean Beach surfers, and – more recently – tourists, with its all-American lineup of sweets and savories. Find giant ginger cookies concealing chunks of crystalized ginger, pie slices that erupt with seasonal fruit, and the famed egg, bacon, and cheddar breakfast sandwich served on a biscuit. Bargain prices make binging easy. (Where else does $5 buy a block of turkey sausage lasagna thick with ricotta and spinach designed to stuff at least two sumo wrestlers?) Plus, the tiny kitchen ensures consummate quality. “If it’s not selling, we have to take it off the menu,” says owner Hilary Cherniss.
The bakery’s success has prompted construction of a second eatery: Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company. Located one block from its namesake reservoir on Noriega between 24th and 25th, Cherniss hopes to open by October 2014. Visitors can expect house brews, burgers, steaks, fish and chips, or as Cherniss explains, “gastropub food done really, really well.”
For now, head west on the N Judah until you see waves, and check out these five items from Devil’s Teeth:
BLT ($5)
While the breakfast sandwich is the most popular item on the menu, I’m partial to the BLT. Both share two stellar attributes: big, buttery, tender biscuits and thick tongues of crispy-edged, chewy bacon. Baby lettuces, tomatoes, a streak of Dijon mustard, and mayo complete the standard. Make it even better with a fan of sliced avocado for an extra $0.75. If you’re not into buttermilk biscuits, try it on the house-baked sourdough, which you can also buy in whole and half rounds.
Chocolate Cake ($3)
If you grew up with homemade birthday cakes, the kind baked in a sheet pan and unceremoniously slathered with fudgy frosting, this is the star of your nostalgia dreams. Dark and moist cake with deep cocoa flavor that’s amplified by a strata of decadent ganache frosting, it requires a single accessory -- a chilled glass of milk. Devil’s Teeth serves Clover organic.
Cinnamon Roll. Photo by Alissa Merksamer
Cinnamon Roll ($4)
Cherniss learned the recipe for this behemoth caramel bomb from her Ukrainian grandmother. It has become a fan favorite. The sticky stuff paints each buttery coil and clings to your plate like amber slime should you attempt to pick it up. Sharing this sugar monster is a must. Be aware that it often sells out.
Doughnut Muffin ($2)
Think of this simple treat as a personal-sized coffee cake with a tight crumb and crisped top encrusted with granulated sugar and cinnamon that adds texture to each nibble. Pair it with a cup of Bicycle coffee, and dunk away.
Beignets ($1)
On Sundays, observe the chain of customers twisting out the bakery door and onto the parklet, and you may wonder why Cherniss doesn’t offer beignets more than just once a week. “Mostly because it’s just such a pain in the neck,” she laughs. Each is fried to-order, which can take 5 to 15 minutes depending on the line. The beignets move from the hot oil to a paper bag that’s been filled with powdered sugar for a quick but thorough shake. You’ll want to eat these tender doughnuts quickly before they lose their crunch.
