Brenda's French Soul Food

Brenda's, San Francisco, CA

Crawfish Beignets

BFC: Three fried chickens, Jalapeño jelly, biscuit, collard greens

Beignet Flight: Apple, Ghirardelli, Plain

Away from the busy atmosphere, the fancy lifestyle, the walk up short hills through interesting shops, bumping into diverse crowds, etc. and BOOM! you've made it to Brenda's. This was my little adventure up to this restaurant and couldn't have done it any other way.

The first that came to me as I walked inside, was the scent of the spices from the Southern cooking. The entrees from the back kitchen give off a beautiful scent of peppers, fried chicken, and that sweet-buttery smell from the biscuits.

I had to start with Brenda's famous crawfish beignets. There was no doubt about this. The fluffy bread-like texture has this flaky texture with a sweet bite to it. The beignet itself was a fist-sized portion which was good enough for one person. The cheesy orange sauce with a blend of spice and broth has a rich & thick texture. The small pieces of meat from the crawfish is tender and has this crab-like texture. This appetizer creates a transition of tastes as you move onto the next entree. I totally recommend this as a first-timer.

My next dish was The BFC. Brenda's take on fried chicken is unique. She has a recipe for it that just draws attention to the community. The first thing I noticed was the crispy outer skin with it's dark mahagony color. The skin is glazed with a sweet marinade and topped with bits of parsley. The white meat is moist and cooked to perfection. Each bite is soft and easy to chew. I prefer pouring some Crystal hot sauce over the chicken enhance the spices and get that heat in. The white meat makes a great pair with the jalapeno jelly as well, but I wouldn't dip the skin only because it's already sweet by the glaze.

The collard greens ha a generous amount of greens and slices of tender pork meat and enough broth to dip the biscuit in. The biscuit is a hit! butttery, fluffy, flaky, lightly sweet, with a size of a toddler's fist. This is the best biscuit I've ever had. This recipe is a keeper for sure.

Finally, I had the Beignet Flight: Apple, Chocolate, and Plain. All three have a generous fist size shape with a nice amount of powdered sugar. The dough/batter isnt as sweet as I thought it'd be? I liked their sweet beignets but I wish they were more sweet and served with a variety of dipping sauces rather than keeping them plain. 

Brenda's is a gem and a French staple in SF/Bay Area. Their creations and take on Cajun food is on another level. The ingredients are pronounced which make their food that much better. The textures of the food are easily felt once in the mouth. This a great take on modernized French-Cajun style dishes. This has officially made it to my Bay Area staple restaurants list!

*Tip- I recommend using the butter and Crystal that is on the table. These are to enhance your taste buds! Also, order the flight rather than individuals! 

Photo by: Allister de Vera
Brenda' French Soul Food, San Francisco, CA