First Street Cafe

The downside of the First Street Café in Benicia is that on weekends, when brunch rolls into lunch, the wait for a table can run to 20 minutes or half an hour. The upside of this is that it is well worth the wait. It really is that good, and this is coming from a person who can usually take breakfast or leave it. Having said that, I will now say without fear of contradiction that I would happily drive for hours just for a plate of their corned beef hash with two eggs and biscuits (a bargain at $9.25), a hash so light, so delicate that it defies description. The other good news is you don’t have to drive for hours; the First Street Café is no further than “old towne” (as they describe it) Benicia, just up from the waterfront.
    Long a favorite of locals, this storefront corner spot has become a destination for unpretentious gourmets in search of dishes that range from the traditional, like an almost perfect Caesar Salad ($5.25 small/$9.95 large), fresh grilled salmon with a pesto parmesan crust ($22.95) or a particularly well-executed flat iron steak with a mushroom, onion, port reduction ($23.95), to more semi-avant-garde dishes like the seared ahi appetizer dusted with black and white sesame seeds that give it a pleasant crunch when you bite into each piece ($13.95). It is served with a dipping sauce that will have you begging for the recipe (which they will give you; you will be shocked to find out how easy it is to make at home).
    Regulars—the numbers of which are legion—are quick to offer suggestions should you ask, or even if you don’t. Some have been coming to this popular spot literally since the day they opened the doors and it often pays to take their advice. No matter their personal tastes, almost every one of them agree that not ordering the Dungeness crab and artichoke spread ($12.95 and more than enough for two people to share as a starter) would be a grave error. It is served with slices of Acme bread and it simply drips with all sorts of good (if undeniably high calorie) things, including an honest abundance of crab. The open face sandwich ($12.95) made out of the same spread is good but personally I will opt for the unadorned dip every time. The same with the crab cakes (also $12.95). Are they good? Quite. But they also pale against the absolute decadence of the spread served solo.
    Pasta dishes—there are usually at least a dozen—are all made using fresh pasta from Berkeley’s Pasta Shop, one of the best sources for quality pasta anywhere. They range from the standards such as a mostly traditional—why do, well-intentioned people keep insisting on introducing vegetables to the dish?—pasta carbonara ($14.95) and a filling tortellini Bolognese ($16.95), to the chef’s take on a Cajun fettuccini ($15.95) tossed with chicken.
    If all of this makes you thirsty, they have a nice and well-priced selection of wines by the glass, a wine list that, if not long is appropriate for the fare they serve. There are almost 20 beers on the menu, ranging in price from $3.25 to $7.25, with most priced at the lower end of the spectrum.
    An added bonus if you go on weekends are the biscuits. Light and airy, they are finished with a dollop of honey on the top that bakes into the dough. The scones are another favorite. Like the granola mix, fresh berry crisps, cookies, brownies, bread puddings, cheesecakes and other desserts, plus jams, cranberry sauce and salad dressings, they are all made in-house. Even the orange juice is freshly squeezed, which in my opinion adds points to any restaurant, no matter the size, price point or level of sophistication.
    Luckily with so many good dishes to choose from, the service lives up to the food. It is that mix of friendly and professional that is increasingly difficult to find, no matter where you go. They will gently but enthusiastically guide you through the menu, and will almost certainly mention the Belgian waffles (toppings vary, usually $5.95) and will urge you to try their famous sour cream apple pie ($5.95) for dessert. If you still have room, and have a partner ready to share, it’s an awfully nice way to enjoy a great meal at one of the Bay Area’s little culinary treasures. —C.N.

First Street Café, 440 First Street, Benicia (707) 745-1400.

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An entertainment note: Upstairs @ the Café offers wine (and flights of wine not available downstairs) and appetizers—and entertainment—three nights a week: Thursday and Friday from 5 p.m. until the music stops (or by midnight); on Saturday it starts at 6 p.m. If you’re looking for nightlife in Benicia, this is a good spot to start—or end—the evening. Check their website, firststcafe.com, for a schedule.

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