Newcomer Mirtille Excels at Soup and Salad

Luis Chong

Mirtille's limited tables and seating.

​After Passion Cafe announced it was closing (it has now rescinded that statement), SFoodie was hoping newcomer Mirtille could be a substitute, though the concept is different and it's not open late hours. It's a soup, salad, and sandwich shop, with a few pastries, desserts, and coffee drinks. It follows the latest trend of using fresh and sustainable natural ingredients. The premade small signature sandwiches ($3.80) feature a dozen fillings using pretzel, baguette, or ciabatta minibreads.

The "bite-size" description is no joke. We'd need four to six minis to equal a regular sandwich. Not a good value for the lunch crowd, since Saigon and Taco's Sandwiches are just a short walk away. On the other hand, we loved the tasty soups ($3.80), the fresh and healthy salads that can be made to order ($7.90, choose any six ingredients), or purchased prepackaged (petite $3.90, large $5.90), and the handmade pastries/desserts ($1-$2.90). The purplish themed interior is stylish and spacious, but it lacks enough seating. We hear that outdoor seats will be added soon, so there's room for improvement.

Mirtille 87 McAllister (at Seventh St.), 975-1715.