Hilda and Jesse

Offering what may well be the Bay Area’s most creative and ambitious take on brunch, this disarming passion project from co-owners Kristina Compton and Rachel Sillcocks gets its extra shine from the pair’s extensive fine dining experience—each also contributed a grandparent for the restaurant’s name. The hospitality is cheery and warm, matched by a winsome space that calls to mind a modernist diner, and happily the cuisine is every bit as finely tuned. You’ll find no basic benedicts here, but rather an assortment of original, ingredient-driven dishes that change with the seasons, and even sweet standbys like pancakes and French toast are whimsically reimagined. Beverage options display a similar attention to detail, whether it be coffee, sake or vermouth.