Hilda and Jesse

“Travelled from Dallas with my sister. Our flight was delayed and they were accommodating that we arrived a few minutes late and with our luggage! So helpful and FRIENDLY! The whole staff! We did the chef adventure menu and added on one single pancake. Our drinks were water, iced coffee and iced tea. At the very beginning we explained allergies and dislikes and they were very accommodating! To start: Sweet potato hush puppy with a zucchini dip and Avo toast, It has an egg eggplant dip at the bottom, spring onions, green garlic oil, and then like a shallot crunch on top of basil. Delish! Next, Their annual hippie salad with Mediterranean cucumbers and snap peas, a little sprouted lentils, and with Toto soy on the bottom, some pickled ramps on top Meyer lemon and then a lightly smoked wild salmon with Soy milk so a little bit of shrimp oil some pickled ginger. They surprised us with candles on our pancake for our birthday! Such a special treat! I did not get the last two dishes but the staff said they would email me.”

“First off, my flight kept getting delayed but they continued to accommodate the reservation for us, which was very helpful. Everything was delicious and there was one course that we didn’t finish because it was our least favorite - the salmon crudo pictured below - because neither of us are big raw salmon people and weren’t a fan of the texture. The flavor was still amazing and the presentation was beautiful! They replaced it for us without us asking for that because “we shouldn’t have a course we didn’t enjoy”. Our waiter was awesome and super attentive, but it felt like every single person working made an effort to connect with us individually, which made us feel so welcome and comfortable. Every drink was really good, but our favorites were the peach milk tea punch and the drink your juice. Overall a perfect meal with my sister and we’ll be bringing my mom next time!”

“Hilda & Jesse is a vibrant restaurant focused on delivering a fun dining experience with the culinary skills to pull it off. This philosophy is evident in the service as well—our waiter was full of playful conversation and clearly knew how to butter up the diners to make them feel welcome. My friend and I shared three dishes at brunch, which fully filled us up. I had a "Show Me the Honey” cocktail that was sweeter than I prefer, but the ingredient blend was vibrant. For my second beverage, I ordered the iced coffee, which comes with oat milk and malt stirred in. I’m not sure I’ve had malt outside of a milkshake before, and I appreciated the extra depth it added to the drink. We started with the avocado “toast.” The quotation marks indicate that the “toast” is rounds of sweet potato fried in a firm, crunchy, and nearly greaseless tempura batter. They were doused in cheese and a sour cream and onion sauce with horseradish that played hide and seek. It’s a delicious dish, especially the crunch in combination with the creamy avocado and sauce. Our second choice was sunchokes served with a mandarin vinaigrette, roasted garlic mayo, nori oil, and furikake. Earthiness was the overwhelming flavor of this dish, with sesame coming through the strongest. The sunchokes had a great roasted texture while retaining moisture, and I appreciated the celery leaves on top. Expertly prepared, but I was surprised by how strongly the sesame dominated everything else. It should be required that you have the “pancakes without boundaries” if you dine at Hilda & Jesse during brunch. They’re an impressive sight! The two pancakes were not quite Japanese-souffle style; while very fluffy, they were not dry. Either the buttermilk or the cream sauce yielded a wonderful tang. The grilled cranberry maple sauce was strongly smoky, enough so that I was convinced it had to have bacon infused somewhere along the process, but it’s just the grilled fruit. Hilda & Jesse’s atmosphere is merry, the service delightful, and the food impressive. Surprisingly, the bill was on par with many Bay Area brunches, so it didn’t feel like a splurge…while feeling like one nonetheless due to the atmosphere and yummy food.”

“After 2 incredible meals I wanted to leave a review to complement the staff and kitchen. I travel a lot for work and by default eat at a lot of restaurants. Both visits have served up some of my favorite dishes of the year and the staff has been so kind, knowledgeable, and fun. What a great way to spend the afternoon!”

“The Food While exploring new and unique food in our area, my wife and I discovered Hilda and Jesse. They are a brunch and dinner space with what they called modern "funluxury" with a twist. We ordered a few of their dishes for our brunch - Chop Salad - Sunchokes - Shrimp Toastie - Pork Chop - Glazed Beef Tongue The dishes were all very good and tasty. The Sunchokes were quite unique to us as well. I have not tried them before. The Pork Chop and Glazed Beef Tongue were well cooked and tender, with a nice sauce to go with it. The Miscellaneous Hilda and Jesse is a corner store along Union, with limited street parking. The interior was quite unique, with the look of a diner, but more modernized. They have limited space and seating, but they made good use and maximized seating. The service was good and the staff were sincere and helpful. The menu was fairly straightforward, with unique selections and not overwhelming. They also have a Chef's Adventure Menu, which is a nice touch for those who cannot decide. All in all, it was a good dining experience and I would recommend paying them a visit if you want to splurge a bit.”