Le Happy Hour @ Mazarine Coffee

I knew that this place had opened down the street from my workplace. It’s literally a 6 – 7 minute from where I work! However, with some other coffee shops around my area, it’s just easy to jump down there to grab a cup of joe. However, now I’m going to purposely walk over to Mazarine (I mean, it’s a nice walk).
Mazarine is SF’s new multiroaster — not only serving Ritual Coffee, but also other roasters as well. I thoroughly enjoyed how they stated that they wanted to treat coffee like the way you treat wine. I had myself a latte when I walked in (because I knew I was gonna be hella tired). GADAMN — that latte was EXCELLENT. Was absolutely smooth. I always judge a coffee by the amount of sugar I need. If I don’t need any sugar, then you know it’s going to be good.
Chef Justin Hilson killed it with the Coffee Roasted Beet & Quinoa salad! It was zesty, robust, crunchy and absolutely delicious. So too was the Burrata Spring salad — the peas popping in my mouth was not only delightfully pleasant but even more so an explosion of flavor! I finished my sampler platter off with half of a crusted Ham & Cheese Croissant. How in the world the chef got that crust like that I would love to know. Until he’s willing to share the recipe, I am to return for breakfast to have another.
Mazarine sources their coffee from roasters such as Ritual, Clash and Supersonic. The owner’s motto is to treat coffee the way you treat wine. If that does’t make you want to run out and sample a cup, then you just aren’t that into coffee.
There’s a few tables to sit at outside on Market Street. If the weather is as perfect as today was, then that is definitely where you want to be! The inside is just as appealing. In fact the soft colored walls contrast against stainless steel, glass and cement create a modern architectural beauty that is seamless in design. I liked how the blue wall tiles were designed to appear like shelves from the Biblioteque in France, to which Mazarine is named after. Great job designers!
If in the city meeting friends or co-​workers for coffee, breakfast, or brunch this should be a one of the places on your list to venture too. The food is amazing and the coffee will definitely keep you running until quitting time. Thank you for introducing me to Mazarine Abby S. I’ll be coming back for that crusted Ham & Cheese croissant!

It’s been 2 weeks since the YEE, but I’m still wired from this event.
I don’t attend YEEs often, but the few ones I do participate in are smaller in scale. And we already know that Abby does a marvelous job of finding up and coming spots.
The space is industrial yet warm, with a beautiful tile mosaic paying homage to their bibliotheque history back in Paris. The coffee is amazing! Ranging from pour overs, well made espressos, chai tea, etc even beer and wine to help you relax after a long day at work.
Chef Justin does magic with fresh, seasonal offerings of the Bay Area. Healthy salads and sandwiches were on hand for the tasting. The spring veggie salad with mounds of creamy Burratta was my absolute fave!
Thanks to Unilocal,Mazarine and Abby for letting us enjoy happy hour here. It’s different from my usual HH, but I loved it!

In the past, I was always a teensy bit apprehensive of Elite-​only events. I mean… what do you mean I can’t bring a friend! I actually have to go and MEET people?! A daunting idea, for one such as myself. But, fortunately, time and age has helped much in this area (that, and the free booze at these events).
Cautioned that there’d only be bites of food, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I noticed the piles of food upon my arrival, which only kept getting refilled. Definitely glad I showed up hungry, because I pretty much tried everything. Rather than breaking it all down, I’ll say this: everything was pretty darn tasty, but their sandwiches and their salads definitely stood out as particularly delicious.
I was going to leave my calorie consumption at that and my initial glass of rosé, but after talking to the owner, Hamid (who’s actually an engineer turned coffee aficionado turned café owner), it seemed a little silly to be at a coffee shop and, well, not try their coffee. And hey, as rarely as I drink coffee, I definitely enjoyed the darker, earthier blend that they carry at the shop! I can’t remember the name of the beans anymore, but it’s the same used in their nitro cold brew coffee, which also deserves mention: cold brewed coffee, stored in kegs, and served on tap with nitrogen, and coming out just a bit fizzy with a nice foamy head to it. While they’re not the only place to do this, it’s definitely been the first I’ve heard of or seen it, and the only one in the FiDi/​Downtown area, as far as I know.
We were also given samples of a pour over genmaicha that they’re still working on perfecting, but given how good it already was, I can only imagine that they’re really close. So, uh, yeah, I had a lot more caffeine than I was hoping to have, and, well, nevermind that I couldn’t sleep for the first three hours I went to bed. Totally worth it.
Oh, and yeah, I ended up talking to people, and made some awesome new Unilocal buddies, which led to a much longer night out than expected! Thanks again to Abby and the folks at Mazarine for setting this all up!

I always love it when Unilocal throws YEEs not too far from the office! The YEE was a great way to end a Thursday night.
The coffee was strong and truly made brewed with love. The pastrami sandwich was my favorite even though I don’t even eat pastrami! Other yummy highlights were the burrata and kougin amann. Will definitely be back to Mazarine when in the area for some cold brew coffee and some nibbles. Thanks Mazarine staff, Abby and other Unilocal staff for hosting a wonderful and delicious event.

Another fun event to meet up with friends and try the offerings from a new venue! The staff was pretty attentive and nice to chat with. They have Ritual, one of my favorite coffees, so I was sold.
Thanks Abby and Unilocal for introducing me to Mazarine as I now have one more café in my go-​to list. And, they have HH!

I love that Unilocal leads us to great new places!
I walk by this joint every time I head from my office to the mall. I had never stopped in because I’m not a big fan of coffee after 5pm, but now that I know they have some extremely delicious food (the burrata salad was my favorite) and other drinks (BOOOZE!) I have no reason not to stop in!
This is also the only event where we really had time to talk to the owners, bar manager, and coffee connoisseur. I learned so much about everything on the menu and I really admire the knowledge and passion these people have for their trade! When I found out how technical making coffee was, I was blown away. I mean, I’d heard that water temperature, time, beans, and all that make a huge difference… but finding out how many circles of water you pour and such can change the taste as well, I was just like WHOA. Also, it doesn’t hurt that they have some cuties workin behind the counter :)
Thank you Unilocal and Mazzarine for hosting this event! I loved it

Love discovering new places! Meeting new Unilocalers and seeing old ones as well!
This event was fantastic in all the above plus the added very important find. Their awesome Coffee Roasted Beet and Quinoa Salad! Some places profess to call their creation a beet salad but fall short on delivering in quality and quantity. Mazarine rocked this salad! Its kale, cucumber, chèvre, pickled onion and espresso vinaigrette! Who does that? It’s an awesome dressing! It’s $ 10. Although we were spoiled and had an infinite amount of serving while attending this intimate YEE.
Turkey and Avocado $ 12 and the last but nonetheless yummy as well their Burrata and Spring Vegetable (TBD price).
Fig and Ricotta brioche, Avocado Toast and Ham and cheese croissant. All so delicious!
The much talked about Cold brew? It’s coffee injected with nitrous oxide. Looked like wine and to me was something new and not scary strong (I’m not a coffee drinker). I tried their decaf mocha. They use TCHO chocolate and the result is amazing with matching coffee art!
So flowing wine, beer and coffee? It’s rxactly what the doctor ordered! Plus s social and special group of Unilocal elites showed up. I love small groups. You get to meet more of them!
The very affable owner was present and apparently a coffee lover! Duh! His love for coffee and the desire for his patrons to drink it like wine without adding milk to it or sugar was expressed at the event. Because who drinks wine with milk and sugar right? Apply that to your coffee when you visit them.
Enjoy the very classy décor reminiscent of an old library in Paris. I almost forgot that a few feet away is one of San Francisco’s busiest street ever!
Thanks once again Unilocal and Abby! Thank you to Mazarine for treating us so good! I wish you well and all the best!

Who would have thought that my Nitro Cold Brew coffee would be nearly as strong as a beer? I can tell ya I certainly had a buzz after my tall glass. It was refreshing, non bitter and definitely caffeinated — the way coffee is meant to be! It was also an ideal accompaniment to the fresh bites that were served for our sampling pleasure.
Chef Justin Hilson killed it with the Coffee Roasted Beet & Quinoa salad! It was zesty, robust, crunchy and absolutely delicious. So too was the Burrata Spring salad — the peas popping in my mouth was not only delightfully pleasant but even more so an explosion of flavor! I finished my sampler platter off with half of a crusted Ham & Cheese Croissant. How in the world the chef got that crust like that I would love to know. Until he’s willing to share the recipe, I am to return for breakfast to have another.
Mazarine sources their coffee from roasters such as Ritual, Clash and Supersonic. The owner’s motto is to treat coffee the way you treat wine. If that does’t make you want to run out and sample a cup, then you just aren’t that into coffee.
There’s a few tables to sit at outside on Market Street. If the weather is as perfect as today was, then that is definitely where you want to be! The inside is just as appealing. In fact the soft colored walls contrast against stainless steel, glass and cement create a modern architectural beauty that is seamless in design. I liked how the blue wall tiles were designed to appear like shelves from the Biblioteque in France, to which Mazarine is named after. Great job designers!
If in the city meeting friends or co-​workers for coffee, breakfast, or brunch this should be a one of the places on your list to venture too. The food is amazing and the coffee will definitely keep you running until quitting time. Thank you for introducing me to Mazarine Abby S. I’ll be coming back for that crusted Ham & Cheese croissant!

There’s nothing greater than walking into a café and feeling right at home. The staff did a great job in educating us about the items on their menu and were extremely hospitable (and passionate about what they do here). I must mention how delicious the quinoa-​beet salad was! I also really enjoyed the hummus sandwich. I never got a chance to try the famous avocado toast, or the fig brioche, which means I will definitely be back! I like how Mazarine has a wonderful story behind it, inspired by a majestic library in Paris. This theme carries out throughout the café, and they even have a fun wallpaper of books in the restroom. It was great conversating with other elite members over a delicious cold brew, and IPAs on tap. I’ll be strolling in here the next time I find myself downtown.
Thanks Abby and Unilocal team members!

Last night, I dreamed a dream of ricotta fig honey toast. I kid you not.
Le Happy Hour was such a wonderful Unilocal event, organized and hosted by Abby and the amazing crew at Mazarine. The event was lively yet intimate and vivacious. There were delightful bites and great drinks abounds. Service? Genial, knowledgeable, passionate. Food? Incredible, delicious, decadent. I had a great time, and will definitely be sharing my love for Unilocal and Mazarine with my friends! See you again soon.

What a glorious spread of food and drinks! Huge thanks to Abby and Mazarine Coffee for their incredible hospitality. I had been to Mazarine before to check out their nitro cold brew (smooth like buttered beer and potent as any espresso) but had passed on the food.
Boy oh boy the toasts! The avocado toast and the ricotta and fig toast on fluffy light brioches were the stuff of foodie dreams. You must not pass on them if you visit Mazarine.
The roasted coffee beet salad with drizzled espresso balsamic was delicious as were their pastries from Starter Bakery. You can’t go wrong with the buttery light madeleines or the trendy kouign amanns.
I’ll be sure to be back with more friends in tow for the amazing toasts.

Going up on a Thursday! I had SO much fun meeting the folks from Mazarine, getting to pick Jason’s brain on SF coffee and local roasters, and finding new Elite friends while munching on delicious treats like the Fig & Ricotta Brioche and dat Avocado Toast. This was my first Elite event for 2015, and I couldn’t be more inspired to try and make it out to the next event! Special thanks to Abby and her squad for putting on a wonderful event!
ps. the Unilocal ice cube swag = on point!

Happy hour is the best hour… especially at Mazarine Coffee!
HAPPY HOUR DRINKS
— Check in swag was ice cube tray. So rad!
— Coffee: espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, drip coffee, chai, pour overs, and more
— Beers: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Scrimshaw Pilsner, Boont Amber Ale, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
— Various wines
HAPPY HOUR FOOD
— Coffee Roasted Beet and Quinoa Salad: I didn’t know «delicious» and «healthy tasting» could work together until I ate this!
— Burrata and Spring Vegetable: Love love loved all the ingredients in this dish — english peas, basil arugula pesto, raw and roasted asparagus, and spring onions with sourdough
— Warm Pastrami: Can’t go wrong with pastrami sandwiches. They looked awesome in photos!
— Hummus and Avocado Sandwich: yum!
— Ham and Cheese Croissant: Amazeballs! The croissant was perfect on the outside and light/​airy on the inside.
It was really cool learning about the history of how this coffee shop got its name. The staff here are amazing and their smiles really brightened my day! :) Another thing I loved was the postcards. So artsy fartsy!
David C. and I got to meet a lot of cool Unilocalers, especially Shirley V. and Johnny W. We hit it off pretty well and hit up Local Edition afterwards. Cheers to new friends!
Thank you for an awesome event, Abby S. and the Mazarine Coffee Team. You guys rock!

A very relaxing Happy Hour of a different kind — we’re talking coffee, not booze!
(Although, to be fair, beer and wine were available, too)
Mazarine opened their doors to Unilocal Elites only this Thursday evening and served us great snacks (the warm sandwiches were delicious!) and allowed us to taste their coffee selection. I tried a cup that sells for $ 7 normally and fondly think back of the distinct flavor and richness. They serve Ritual beans among other local favorites.
I liked the little history lesson on the business — Mazarine resembles a French library!
Thanks for putting together such a fun event — great making new friends and mingling with fellow Unilocalers!

Thank you Abby for organizing and Mazarine for hosting a great Unilocal Elite Event! My fellow Unilocalers and I were definitely impressed with the quality (and the amount) of food there was!
I’m one of those people that loves to try a little of everything on the menu food-​wise and there was quite a bit to sample. On the menu were various toasts, sandwiches and salads — all freshly made and delicious. My absolute favorites were the Warm Pastrami (mmm warm and gooey), the Fig & Ricotta Brioche (perfectly sweet) and the Ham & Cheese Croissant (buttery and flaky). I’m not a huge bread person, but I loooved their sandwich/​toast breads.
Drink-​wise, they have a variety of coffee, beer and wine. I only tried the nitro cold brew and it was AMAZING. So light and smooth, and almost milky/​frothy without any added milk. And none of that bitterness or acidity you often get with coffee.
The staff were super friendly and the space is clean and sleek. I’ve never noticed the place before while walking down Market, but I definitely plan on coming back!

So much food! One of the few events where there was a steady stream of food coming out of the kitchen to feed us hungry Unilocalers! This event did what it exactly aimed to do… I will be back for sure.
Great service– employees and owners were down to earth and very patient in explaining their menu.
Fresh ingredients– from salads to hot and cold sandys to pastries and toast. Everything was tasty and delicious.
Coffee– ordered an iced latte and the nitro cold brew. Very smooth and made to order.
Excited to come back to this very cute café!

This was my first Elite event in the city, my first event in two years, and I can definitely see what I have been missing out all this time!
The food and drinks were all delicious, but my winners of the night were definitely the mocha with TCHO chocolate (rich, fragrant, dark, delightful, recommended by Justin the barista), hummus avocado sandwich (packed with the hummus flavor!), GRILLED CHEESE (gouda, gruyère, and a combination of other cheeses topped with pesto and IT IS SO DELICIOUS), and the German pilsner that made me reminisce back to the good olé college days.
If I had one complaint about the night, it would probably be that the chai latte left more to be desired. While it certainly gave off a nice cardamom aroma, it tasted like water to me.
Wonderful ambience, great company to talk food with, and excellent customer service also!
The hosts of the night were magnificent in putting this together. Thank you CM Abby S. and Jason for hosting this event! I certainly hope this East Bay guy can come to more events in the city in the future!

Thank you thank you Mazarine Coffee’s Jason, both Justin’s, Monica, and the rest of the awesome team for hosting the Unilocal elite event tonight. Thank you Abby and Sarah from Unilocal!
I really hope everyone had a bite of the Hot Pastrami Sandwich and a cup of the hot TCHO Mocha.
Wow! I’ve been on the hunt for the best Hot Pastrami sandwiches all over the city and who would have know the chefs at a local coffee shop on Market St would be true winners! Pastrami was so on point — bacon-​y, smokey, warm, cheesy, and the bread!
TCHO Hot Chocolate Mocha was so rich, bold, and dark. Just the way I like it!
My other personal favorites were the Avocado Toast, the Fig & Ricotta Brioche, Roasted Turkey Sandwich, Veggie & Hummus Sandwich, and the Red Cabbage & Roasted Turkey Salad. Breads were all super fresh and airy. Veggies were bright colored and crunchy. Cheeses were creamy and delicious!
And lastly, the service! The Mazarine’s team have amazing service. Everyone was super friendly and knowledgable of all their foods and recipes. Thank you again for a great night and hosting this wonderful event! I will definitely be coming back!

My first Unilocal Elite Event in San Francisco was so fun and delicious, not to mention a cinch to get to with only a block’s walk from the Montgomery BART Statiom.
Special kudos to Abby S. and her Unilocal Community Crew! They were so on the ball with regards to everything, from getting our name tags to making sure we got enough « Unilocal-​tastic» swag. A fun night was had by all, as we Unilocalers both new and old from all four parts of the Bay Area (SF, East, North & South Bay) got to sit down and enjoy each others company and get to know each other over delicious salads and sandwiches, and eye opening coffees, teas, wines and beers.
Special thanks to owner Hamid Rafati and manager Jason Miller for being so kind and gracious in making this evening so wonderful by getting us whatever we wanted in terms of food or drinks, including any type of alcohol they had on their menu. They really made each and every one of us feel like a valued customer in their brand new venture, which is only about four months old in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District. Here’s to their continuing success in what can be a tough business!
When we got there we were treated as royalty. As we were allowed to order any coffee or tea on the menu. (And they kept serving all evening long!) I tried a small sample of the Nitro Cold Brew in a shot glass. That one definitely had me at alert all evening long. Then it was another sample of the decaf, followed by a Chai Iced Coffee, the Cline Mourvedre Rose and a Hot Cocoa made with organic TCHO Chocolate to go! As I said, manager Jason Miller and his crew made us feel more than welcome!
As for the food we were treated to a sumptuous buffet of all of the fixings. There wasn’t a single dish I could say I didn’t think was truly delicious and cooked with unique flair and thoughtful and beautiful presentation. In particular I thought the Avocado Toast with Chèvre, Sliced Radish, Chives, Parsley, Maldon Salt & Pepper all served on Toasted Brioche tasted amazing.
I also thought the Fig & Ricotta Brioche with Bellwether Farms Ricotta, Fig Jam, Lavender Honey, Maldon Sea Salt & Pepper was divine! Also, the Burrata and Spring Vegetables Dish with English Peas, Basil-​Arugula Pesto, Raw & Roasted Vegetables, Spring Onions with Balsamic Dressing served on Toasted Sourdough deserves a special shout out! That last dish is seasonal so get it while you can.
All in all, this was a wonderful event with quality presentation and service from the Unilocal and the Mazarine staff combined. Jason made a nice pitch for coming back in the future, which I will certainly do so, if I am walking in the neighborhood. And thanks to Unilocal for having these events so I can mingle and get to know a whole new set of Elite Unilocalers in such a warm and pleasant atmosphere.

This place is AMAZING! Mazarine coffee gets its name from the Bibliothèque Mazarine, which I learned tonight was the very first public library in Paris. The beautiful vision for this coffee shop is inspired by the rich culture and history of the original library — a space for one and all to indulge and enjoy choice and curated treats from San Francisco and around the globe. The menu tonight was quite extensive and I was instantly a fan upon walking through the doors!
The food was amazing. I enjoyed pretty much everything I tasted, especially the Kouign Amann — DELICIOUS little french pastry with butter and sugar. Yum! Also enjoyed the Ham and Cheese Croissant, not only for the taste but for the tasteful way it was presented (ha ha see what I did there: P) intricately sliced showcasing the layers of ham, bread, cheese and seasoning. For the vegetarians out there, you’ll love the Beet and Quinoa salad dish and the Burrata Spring Vegetable salad. I also learned that they both have seasoning from the espresso beans either in the dressing or how the beets were prepared! Much fancy!
I especially enjoyed the introduction of Mazarine Coffee that Jason did. It’s awesome to really see the inspiration, passion, quality work and effort put into the crafting and curation of everything served here. Staff was very gracious and friendly. Abby, awesome event and I appreciate how you try to make each YEE unique and different, and give opportunities for business owners to share a little bit about what their café or business is all about!
PS — can’t wait to make Unilocal burst ice cubes ;)