Mattina: A Great Breakfast on Bush Street

Mattina is at 2232 Bush Street, half a block off Fillmore in Lower Pacific Heights. Chef Matthew Accarrino runs it as an all-day café and restaurant — mornings Thursday through Sunday, lunch and dinner from Thursday onward. We went on a Thursday and had a really good breakfast.

The room is long and narrow with counter seating along the open kitchen on one side and banquette tables on the other. Cane chairs, warm track lighting, an arched doorway in the back. The kitchen is visible the whole time, which is a good sign. Before 10:30am on a Thursday it was quiet and easy to walk in.

The front room has large windows toward the street and a full bar for later in the day. It feels like a proper Italian trattoria that also takes espresso seriously.

Coffee is from Saint Frank. The specials board had a Candy Cap Mushroom Latte ($6.25) and a Honey Lavender Latte. The candy cap is made with mushroom syrup — Candy Cap mushrooms have a naturally sweet, maple-like aroma that works well in coffee without tasting savory. The honey lavender came through clearly without going soapy. Both were good. Standard drinks run from a $3.75 espresso or americano to a $5.50 latte or flat white.

The crespelle was the standout at $15. A crespella is a thin Italian crepe — Mattina’s is filled with Toma cheese and topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, a sunny egg, parmesan, and fresh herbs. It comes out flat and golden with crisp edges and cheese melted through the middle. The kind of dish you’d order again without hesitation.

The breakfast piadina ($16) came with beef, beans, tomato, and a sunny egg with crispy edges, finished with a bright herb sauce on top. The flatbread held up underneath without going soft. The combination of beef and beans in an Italian flatbread format works better than it sounds on paper.

We also ordered some of the forno pastries — the Cinna Bun and Maritozzo were both $6. The Maritozzo is a classic Roman sweet bun, split and filled with cream. Both were well-made and worth adding to the table. Mattina makes their pastries in-house and the quality shows.

The honest note: the morning was understaffed. Service was slow and a couple of things needed chasing. It didn’t ruin the meal, since the food is too good for that, but it’s worth knowing if you’re on a schedule.

Brunch runs Thursday and Friday from 10am, Saturday and Sunday from 9am. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar and café area. Reservations through Resy — $25 per person no-show fee. Happy hour Thursday to Sunday, 3–5pm. Note that a 6% operations fee is added to all bills.

If you want the shorter coffee version nearby, Native Twins is a trailer at the top of Lafayette Park.