First off, let’s talk about what the AIP diet is. AIP means Autoimmune Protocol. The diet consists of removing foods that are known “gut irritants”. Similar to the Paleo diet, it eliminates grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods. These foods affect people with Autoimmune disorders and can improve health when removed.
There are not a lot of restaurants that have the mindfulness to prepare meals like this for people who suffer from autoimmune issues and follow this protocol. Mission Heirloom is truly a gem in the sense that it is one of a kind. It is a mix of a market and full restaurant/cafe. The “market” sells some of the best products from gluten free to paleo (many of my favorite things!) The menu denotes the different options letting you know what has some organic dairy, what is vegan, vegetarian etc. Most of the menu is AIP friendly and it is all gluten free! Behind the market area leads out to their very charming outdoor patio/garden.
Mission Heirloom is about a 20-30 minute drive from San Francisco (depending on traffic) and it was such a breathe of fresh air from SF to sit out on the garden patio and get into some clean, real food eating!
We shared a few different items: Yucan Crackers with Coconut Yogurt, Shepard’s Pie, the Brazilian Breakfast, 2 Empanadas (Beef + Mushroom/Cheese), 4 mini scoops of ice cream(Vanilla, Coffee, Mint Chip, Chocolate)!
All the items were very unique and interesting. The use of yucan and plantains instead of potatoes make the dishes lighter and a little more on the sweet side.
We started with the yucan crackers and yogurt which was a nice, light salty snack as we waited for our entrees. It was like the very health conscious substitution for noshing on some bread and butter! It was unlike anything I have eaten, it was simple but I liked it.
Now on the to the mains: First, the Shepard’s Pie. I really enjoyed this dish! It took a minute to get used to the yucan mash instead of potatoes (I’m a recovering potatoahlic). I haven’t had potatoes for a few months since eating a more paleo diet to help heal my gut, so once I got used to the flavor I really enjoyed it. Under the yucan mash was some nice ground lamb and veggies. It wasn’t too heavy and rich, but quite filling!
The Brazilian Breakfast was THE most unique item we had. Again, unlike any mix of flavors I’ve had. I expected the waffles to be really cheesy but they just seem to just have some mixed into the batter so there was an accent of the flavor. The coconut curry sauce and guacamole really complimented each other well with the waffles. I thought everything we got would be a bit heavy but the ingredients are so healthy and there are no starches, so we could eat a lot. My palette was adjusting in the beginning of this meal but now I am really craving it just writing about it!
The empanadas had a similar yucan flavor as the rest of the dishes. The beef and mushroom+organic cheese were both really yummy! I think they forgot our pesto sauce that is supposed to come with them (which I realized after the fact, oops!) Having a dipping sauce would have made these even more delicious!
Last but not least, the ice cream with edible flowers!
The ice cream is paleo and instead of three scoops on the menu we got 4 mini scoops: vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and chocolate mint. They were sold out of the waffle shell for these so we just got the ice cream with a side of their coconut syrup. And oh my gosh, the syrup was INSANELY GOOD. All the flavors were deeeelicious! I usually avoid any chocolate (caffeine) except for special occasions. This was just perfect to have a few indulgent bites. We were pretty full at this point so these were a perfect way to end the meal!
After our meal, I did a little shopping and got some new gluten free pastas! I made them when we got back with some pesto and it was really good. I definitely recommend checking out Mission Heirloom and shopping in their market. I look forward to going back and trying some new things on the menu!
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