Cafe Reverie's Pozole Verde

Cafe Reverie's pozole verde: Bring your own radishes.

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When we need to escape the pull of the Internet, SFoodie occasionally works at Cole Valley's wifi-free Cafe Reverie, a friendly place with comfortable seats, beer as well as coffee, and an ever-so-slightly gourmetified menu of sandwiches, burgers, and salads. No wifi usually means no distractions, but last week the smell of the bowl of pozole verde on the table next to ours kept taunting us with oregano and garlic until we set our laptop aside and walked to the counter, buying a half-gallon-size bowl for $6.
Reverie's cooks are from the Yucatan, not Guerrero or Jalisco, western Mexican states famous for their pozole. But don't hold it against their soup. Long simmering has stripped the pureed tomatillos of their brashness, leaving a muted acidity. Shreds of chicken twine around chewy hominy kernels in the jade-green broth, just as the floral perfume of the fresh cilantro sprigs scattered overtop wraps itself around the duskier, vegetal smells of the herbs that simmered with the soup as it cooked.

The pozole wants brightening with the traditional garnishes ― onions, chiles, lettuce, radishes, and lime ― which the cafe doesn't serve. The two women who'd gotten us to order the pozole handed us their bottle of Tapatio, and its vinegary, chile kick helped make up for the lack. Bring your own garnishes, or lobby the kitchen to include them, even if it means the cafe will charge you an extra 50 cents. After all, the pozole verde serves two.

The cafe serves pozole verde once a week, so call ahead of time to see if it's in house. Today ― Friday ― you're in luck. Dinner goes until 8:30 p.m.

Cafe Reverie: 848 Cole (at Carl), 242-0200.