Heirloom Cafe: Dinner in the Mission

Heirloom Cafe sits at Folsom and 21st in the Mission. The room is spare — wood tables, warm light, not loud. It fits maybe 40 people.

Heirloom tomato salad on whipped ricotta with arugula, cucumber, and pickled red onion — Heirloom Cafe, San Francisco

The tomato salad came first — heirlooms on a thick bed of ricotta with arugula, cucumber, and pickled onions. It was late September tomatoes, which still hold up, and the ricotta gave it substance. A good opener.

Grilled whole squid with broccolini and aioli — Heirloom Cafe

Grilled squid over broccolini with what tasted like a garlicky white sauce underneath. The squid was properly charred without going rubbery. The broccolini soaked up everything underneath it.

Sliced hanger steak over green grain with corn succotash and compound butter — Heirloom Cafe

The hanger steak came sliced over freekeh or farro (can’t be certain) with a late-summer succotash and compound butter melting across the top. It was straightforward and well-executed, with no unnecessary complexity.

Birthday dessert at Heirloom Cafe — chocolate pot in a waffle cone cup with whipped cream and a lit candle

The kitchen sent out a birthday dessert: chocolate in a waffle cup, whipped cream, a candle. They didn’t announce it loudly. It arrived and that was that.

The menu runs $18–$36 for mains. The room stays calm on a Tuesday evening. It’s worth a reservation. See our Mission District Guide for more neighborhood restaurants.