La Terrasse - French fare in the Presidio

One of our favorite places to go for Sunday brunch is La Terrasse, a French eatery nestled in the historic Presidio. They have a lovely patio with umbrellas and heat lamps with a scenic view of the Bay. La Terrasse offers simple, satisfying, consistently good food in a relaxed atmosphere.

Our three year old daughter enjoys coming here after her swimming classes nearby because the greet her with a big, warm welcome, often give her a coloring book with crayons and sometimes turn their bar TV to the cartoon channel. She loves their wood fired mozzarella pizza, sans basil, as well as their French toast smothered in maple syrup.

At lunch and dinner, this place makes delicious classics including rainbow trout almondine over spinach, nicoise salad with grilled ahi tuna, and mussels in garlic/butter/white wine Pernod sauce.

They make interesting cocktails like the Golden Gate ($10) which has champagne, cointreau, brandy and orange and lemon juices.

Some of their best dishes:

Smoked Salmon Benedict ($14). This is my favorite kind of eggs benedict here although the crab and California (bacon/tomato/avocado) are good, too. The salmon is plentiful and topped with tobiko caviar. Underneath sits a large poached egg sauteed spinach, the perfect amount of Hollandaise sauce and a soft brioche.

French Toast ($12). The crunchy, chewy bread makes this dish so unique. I'm not even a big fan of French toast in general, but this one is absolutely addicting. The batter consists of Brandy, sugar, milk, and vanilla. It's sweet but not too sweet, and leaves you wanting more, even if your brain tells you you're full.

Huevos Rancheros (I don't recall the price). They added several Mexican style brunch items a few months ago. This tasty one has two eggs prepared your way with black beans, salsa, diced potatoes, cheese and two flour tortillas (I substitute corn tortillas).

Cheeseburger ($15),$13 without cheese. A big beef patty on a hearty bun with onions, tomatoes, lettuce and your choice of gruyere or roquefort cheese. It comes with french fries which can be substituted for a small green salad.