331 Cortland

When my friends said they’d found a waffle place in Bernal Heights, I expected we’d be walking into a waffle shop. Instead, we walked into this small marketplace containing a waffle shop and 5 other small businesses, selling a variety of delicious foods from piroshkys to sandwiches to rice bowls.
We learned this place is a «small business incubator,» where six small businesses can operate side by side, sharing tips, tools, and, of course, food. There’s no seating so bring your food to a park, and bring cash because not all vendors take credit.
5 stars for an interesting business model, friendly people, and diverse and delicious food.

Fantastic idea for a retail food space on busy SF retail strip. I’d love to see this concept expanded around town!
So far I have tried Paulie’s (NY-​ish, Jewish-​ish deli), the smoothie place (Green Lid?), the waffle place (Suite Foods), and the piroshki place (sorry, name escapes me). The Thai place offered an AMAZING soup sample that garnered it the next spot on my to-​try list.
I would say that there’s something for everyone here, and one could safely bring in a family or group and folks will be pleased. Not a gluten-​free haven (smoothies or Thai only, likely), but something for vegetarians and a wide variety of tastes represented.
Small marketplace with little food stalls inside representing some SF diversity. Encountered nothing but friendly and helpful proprietors/​servers, and it seems like truly the freshest of foods and ingredients.
Check it out! Especially at lunchtime! I think most vendors are there 8 – 5.

Need to show one of my favorite places to eat in Bernal some love. A lot of the Unilocal highlights are a bit out of date so here is an updated review. All the vendors: Suite Waffles, Paulie’s & Anda’s feature artisans chefs that have perfected their craft, focusing on one thing and doing it really well. Some days I crave different things so I love the variety, the lox and bagels at Paulie’s hits the spot when I’m missing NY style deli food, Anda’s is good comfort food and my hubs loves the waffle w/​a poached egg at Suite. I can’t wait for the new Thai place to open! I will update once I try. I also love that you can just make it a low key event, grab food, take it home or sit outside on the bench or take it to Holy Water down the St. Update: the Thai food is real deal & very fresh!

What a small, hole-​in-​the-​wall, marketplace! Stepping into this marketplace, I was expecting plenty of more shops within, but it is kept simple. With about 6 shops that caters to fresh and whole ingredients, the marketplace is snuggled right in and suits the Bernal Heights neighborhood.
Don’t expect to be dining or sitting around here. There is only a side wooden seat near the window and a public cemented seat surrounding a tree that is right outside of this place.
It’s a great spot to drop by and to pick out some mini pastries and fresh foods here!

If I could have breakfast here every Saturday or Sunday, I certainly would – unfortunately I don’t live in San Francisco, but this charming market helped make our stay in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights a great one. It’s a quietly colorful little group of different food vendors, each featuring a different, homespun vibe.
Standouts include one of the best kale smoothies I can remember, a delicious waffle spot (try the waffle with poached egg and sea salt), and a nice pierogi stand, too! All that and Blue Bottle coffee makes for a great breakfast.
Wish we had markets like this where I live – great neighborhood spot.

My favorite spot to get food on Saturday or Sunday morning. Anda has great Piroshkis and Pauline’s Pickles has beef brisket that would make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window.
It wouldn’t kill Pauline (if that is her real name) to smile a bit more. Other than that I have no complaints.

I love the entire concept of this place, even though some of the mini-​markets don’t really have what I want or need, I can see how it could be a totally cool place.

Nice mix of different foods. All of the vendors are nice. The pickles are the best.

Love this place. Wish it was bigger! Everything inside is delicious.

Nice place but El Porteño empanadas is not there anymore (as of September 2011, really). So, no empanadas, which were the only reason I’d go there…

This groovy place has been through its changes, but I always end up liking it and finding great things.
Gone is the sushi guy, boo hoo. .. but in his place is Spice Hound. Tammy is one cool spice-​girl who knows her stuff and is ultra fussy. Dare you to leave with buying just one!
The knife guy seems to have expanded, which is great. I’ve bought several knives from him.
Paulie’s Pickling is wonderful. Those pickles and horseradish are an addiction I’m proud to have.
I adore this concept of an emporium of food related vendors under one roof. I hope to see more spring up in every neighborhood.

i love to shop at farmers markets, so I was drawn to this marketplace when it first opened last year.
It’s a house converted into a marketplace shared by multiple vendors. Parking is very difficult to find, so I’ve only visited a few times. I think it’s a great resource for this neighborhood, which doesn’t have many nearby supermarkets. Get cutlery and scissors sharpened, and buy prepared foods like: sushi, vegan baked goods, empanadas. great for lunch and early dinner, or for catering a party.
The place is open 10am-​7pm daily, but each vendor has their own custom hours. For example, the cutlery guy closes at 6pm, and is closed on Sundays. Paulie’s Plickling (sandwiches and half sour pickles) is closed on Tuesdays. Ichi Sushi is closed on Wednesdays. The empanada vendor is open daily but closes @6pm.
The sushi is great (on a separate review), and the sandwiches are good too. Love the empanadas
from El Porteño. Last time I also got a lemon alfajor,
short bread cookies filled with a tart lemon marmalade.
I still remember my first visit, among other things I bought roasted beets and guacamole from Della Terra Organics,
delicious stuff. The super nice lady gave me juicy melon slices to sample. Sadly, this small fresh produce vendor left already. Spice Hound (
) a salts and spices shop, replaced it sometime ago. The newest addition last month (replacing Sour Flour and Wholesome Bakery) is Special Request, a gluten-​free vegan desserts vendor. ** Update: This vendor has departed also.
** Update for June 2011:
Only Paulie’s Pickling (sandwiches) and Bernal Cutlery remain from the original group of vendors. Both have expanded into the space that El Porteño left. There are now 3 new merchants on the right side: Spice Hound, Anda Piroshki, and Big Dipper Baby Food (organic baby food).
** Update for 2012:
Big Dipper Baby Food (left in Sept.) was replaced by Eji’s Ethiopian (vegan food) starting in Oct.
** Update for 2013:
Bernal Cutlery has departed (moved to Mission area), replaced by Suite Foods waffle shop, with sweet and savory Liege waffles in June. And starting 6÷25÷13, the marketplace will now be closed on Tuesdays.
Hours:
Wed-​Mon 10am-​7pm
Closed Tuesdays

I like the idea here having small businesses sharing one space. There were a lot of options but we mainly came here for the El Porteno empanadas. We were a little distracted by the other items there coz t’hey looked good and fresh!
I’ll definitely come back here to support the other businesses.

I really wish I still lived in the area, 331 Cortland is very representative of the area, where everything is cute, small, and very local. You don’t see Starbucks or any fast food in the area. It really gives you a feeling of a nice small neighborhood community which is not present in the other San Francisco neighborhoods.
I must say though, things are a little on the pricey side, but I do believe you are paying for the quality. The only thing I tried was an empanada from El Porteno. The empanda was delicious but not that cheap at close to $ 4. I wanted to try some of the baked goods from Wholesome Bakery but the prices made me turn away, maybe next time when I find a source of income.

Really cute 6 vendor market; everything looks fantastic and everyone is super friendly. I’ve only indulged in the empanadas but they’ve been perfect every time! The carne one is amazing — go try it! They’re not cheap, about $ 4 each but they are worth every penny!
Today, hubby bought a jar of pickled jalapenos at the stand next to Il Porteno and he said they were spectacular; we almost tried a donut at the bakery but we ran out of cash :((Definitely next time!

Have you had one of those days when you found a forgotten about $ 10 dollar bill in your pocket & then parked at a meter that *still* had time on it from the previous car that was there? Finding 331 Cortland reminds me of one of those days – just one good thing after another.
Bella Terra Organics, Bernal Cutlery, Pauline’s Pickling (sandwiches), ICHI Lucky Cat Deli (sushi), El Porteno & Wholesome Bakery; I love how this «various local vendors under one roof thing» is becoming a more commonplace practice in the city. There’s a reason I frequent places like Rainbow Grocery, the Ferry Plaza & (any) farmer’s market for my edibles – I can get all my favorite things in one place.
So far, I’ve tried:
* El Porteno handmade empanadas $ 3.75 each.
– fugazzetta– onions, oregano & aged cheddar
– mushroom-​2 kinds of mushroom, shallots & a cream sauce
Small bites of vegetarian deliciousness. Buttery, savory & the perfect snack. I loved both, but have the ultimate fat-​ass complaint; I wish they were a bit bigger.
* Wholesome Bakery
– oatmeal cookie sandwich– obviously, i prefer desserts that aren’t vegan (because I’m not a vegan & I *do* taste the subtle difference in taste & texture) but my cookie sandwich was good enough to make me want to try their other sweet offerings.
No seating. Bring cash (many of the vendors do not take credit cards.) Great place to pick up a quick, cheap lunch to-​go in the Bernal Heights neighborhood.

This is the future of doing business.
Get one space, house multiple vendors. Less overhead for the vendors, more variety for the consumers. Win win!
331 Cortland hosts 6 business, where you can buy anything from produce to sushi to empanadas. There is even a knife-​sharpening section which is a great convenience for any home chef.
El Porteno makes delicious empanadas, and I am lucky to have sampled them all! My favorites are the beef and the mushroom, but you really can’t go wrong with any flavor.
Ichi has a tiny case filled with fresh fish and Japanese specialties. One standout is the shiso pesto pasta — delicately flavored noodles that will leave you wanting more.
At the bakery counter, I sampled some freshly-​brewed almond chai (excellent), lemon lavender bread and banana maple bread from Wholesome Bakery. Ingredients for not-​your-​average afternoon tea party!
The produce section has prettier than a picture produce that tastes wonderful, too. Get an heirloom tomato that tastes like summer and fresh green beans that snap in your mouth.
There is so much to try here that it calls for multiple visits — I will be back to try the pickled treats from Paulie’s and some nigiri from Ichi. And of course to stock up on empanadas…
One stop shopping for all that is local, organic, and delicious. The future is now!

I visited this «local, artisan» marketplace looking for lunch. It’s tiny, with one aisle and 6 counters but you can get a fairly wide variety of treats. There isn’t any place to sit and it’s sparsely decorated.
* Della Terra Organics: organic produce in baskets, didn’t browse
* ICHI Lucky Cat Deli: Raw fish on display, including something from Hokkaido, looked interesting
* Wholesome Bakery: homemade beverages, Sour Flour bread and cookie sandwiches — I think it’s vegan so I didn’t try.
* Pauline’s Pickling: Cali-​Jewish deli with four sandwiches to choose from (brisket, egg salad, chopped liver, house cured salmon), a case full of salads (potato salad, quinoa salad, pasta shells, grilled slaw), pickles, tapioca pudding and beverages.
I ordered the House Cured Salmon sandwich ($ 8, includes choice of side salad:
) which is made to order with your choice of bread (wheat, rye, poppyseed — from Cottage Bakery). I chose the wheat roll. The sandwich has the cured salmon (smoky, a bit salty), a creamy spread of cream cheese with capers, cucumbers, pickled red onions and shredded lettuce.
It was a bit like a salmon & cream cheese bagel only fresher — but in some ways worse because the bread ruined it. It was cold, hard, dense, and dry. The bread to fillings ratio was off (too much bread). I liked the tangy crunchiness of the pickled onions. The grilled slaw made with cabbage & carrots was interesting — crunchy, fresh with some grilled flavor.
* El Porteno (Organic) Empanadas: More variety and a more delicate/​thinner crust than Chile Lindo. They had ham & cheese, mushrooms, chicken, etc. The pollo and carne ones had raisins and/​or olives (ick).
The crust of the mushroom/​champinones one ($ 3.75) was very thin, light and buttery (yum) and it was filled with locally grown mushrooms, crème fraiche (not much of it, hard to discern) and shallots:
. Delicious and great for mushroom lovers but soooo small. If you take it home, reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes.
* Bernal Cutlery: knife sharpening
There isn’t much that’s lunch size (other than at Pauline’s) unfortunately, so it’s more of a snack spot.

So far, I’ve sampled the empanadas, a sushi roll with seaweed salad, & nettle tea. Al l were tasty and delicious. It’s not cheap but not exorbitant either.
I look forward to some produce, a deli sandwich, and eventually, remembering to lug my kitchen knives over so they can get a nice tune-​up!
But seriously, I am very happy to have our own little Bernal Heights Farmer’s Market!
This is a great lunch or snack option if your in Bernal Heights or work from home.
San Franciscans love to keep it local and Bernal residents, even more so! I have no doubt this will be a great success.
REQUEST: Outside benches!

I’m so glad this place opened! Now I can enjoy empanadas and egg-​cream sodas in one spot.
331 is a group of small, local businesses under one roof. The space is light airy, and inviting.
The produce is fresh, local and organic. We had strawberries and blueberries the other day, and they were sweet and delicious. The sashimi was super-​fresh, super yummy, and very reasonably priced
The sandwiches look great, but I haven’t tried them yet.
Bernal Cutlery has a great display of knives for sale, and Josh does the sharpening right there in the window on a wheel set into an old organ housing. Very cool.