Eat in San Francisco: Brenda's Meat & Three

Brenda's Fried Chicken with hot pepper jelly and sides of Cornbread, Mac & Cheese, and Okra and Tomato Maque Choux




BBQ Spare Ribs with sides of Collard Greens, Mashed Potatoes, and Red Beans & Rice

In late August, I tried Brenda's Meat & Three — a Southern restaurant, known for their Cajun and Creole cuisine, located on Divisadero between Golden Gate and McAllister in NoPa — for the first time for "supper" with my dining companion, who's been eager to visit. I've previously had Brenda's Oakland for delivery, which was quite good, so I knew I was in for a treat. According to their website, Brenda's Meat & Three was opened in 2014 and is a specific style of restaurant, where patrons pick one meat and three sides for their meal.

For our meats, we tried Brenda's Fried Chicken and the BBQ Spare Ribs, both of which were perfectly cooked, flavorful, and tender. Since we both got a plate, we got to try six sides, which everyone knows are often the favorites. For our sides, we had a bit of everything: Cornbread, Mac & Cheese, Okra and Tomato Maque Choux, Collard Greens, Mashed Potatoes, and Red Beans & Rice. Many of these were classics we were excited to experience Brenda's take on, while some were new to us. I remember the Okra and Tomato Maque Choux being surprisingly good. 

Overall, everything was well-made and they executed everything on their expansive menu pretty well. The service was very attentive. If you plan to visit, I would recommend going with a friend you can share with, if you also want to try various sides. (You can also get the 4-sides option.)

Brenda's Meat & Three

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919 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94115

Open: Daily 8am - 9pm

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Eat in Oakland: Brenda's Oakland

Fried Chicken Breast

Gumbo and Mac & Cheese

Beignets

Last week, I finally had the opportunity to try a place that I've heard such positive things about for a while: Brenda's Oakland, the popular French soul food restaurant originating from San Francisco. 

I ordered a few things from their North Oakland location on Broadway between 40th and 41st: a piece of their famous fried chicken, a cup of gumbo, mac & cheese, and plain beignets for dessert. I believe it was worth the wait. The chicken was moist and flavorful, the gumbo was satisfying, and the mac & cheese was perfectly cheesy. The beignets were the hit: they had the right amount of sweetness.

If you've visited Brenda's Oakland, what do you recommend trying?

Brenda's Oakland

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4045 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611

Open: Daily 8am - 8pm

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Eat in San Francisco: Yank Sing

BBQ Pork Buns


Green beans


Taro Root Dumplings


Left: Sticky rice
Right: Har Gau Dumplings


Pork Sui Mye


Spinach Dumplings


Honey Walnut Prawns


Egg Tarts

I visited Yank Sing, a fancy dim sum spot on Stevenson and 2nd in SoMa, a few weeks ago with my favorite foodie friend Brenda of Bites & Bourbon. Given Brenda's excellent taste in food (& the fact that she hasn't led me astray yet), I was very excited to see what Yank Sing had to offer.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was everything I wanted in dim sum and more. Everything was prepared perfectly and Brenda picked some interesting options I wouldn't have tried on my own, like the taro root dumpling with the crunchy outside or the sticky rice served in a banana leaf. I would definitely visit again with my wallet in hand (because it is not cheap, but it is a nice treat).

If you've visited Yank Sing recently, what do you recommend trying?

Yank Sing
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49 Stevenson St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Open: Monday - Friday 11 - 3, Saturday - Sunday 10 - 4

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Eat in Emeryville: Bacano Bakery

Orange Almond Pistachio Cake


Savory Bread Pudding

This past weekend I visited Bacano Bakery with my friend Summer for the first time. Located on 65th St. at Hollis St., Bacano Bakery serves a wide range of delicious baked goods in an entirely gluten-free kitchen. Some of their mouthwatering menu items include freshly baked breads, seasonal empanadas, sweet and savory scones, and cupcakes.

I had a slice of the Orange Almond Pistachio Cake, while Summer tried the Savory Bread Pudding. I mostly ordered the cake because the ingredients sounded incredible and it's a very pretty dessert. This grain-free cake is moist and made with orange zest throughout, giving it a fresh flavor. The orange and pistachio buttercream frosting was also pretty light and had a great flavor. I would definitely order this again. Summer's bread pudding was also quite good. It was moist and had a similar lightness to it. She said it was not overly sweet, like the bread puddings she's tried previously.

I'd recommend checking out this piece in The E'ville Eye by Brenda Ton of Bites & Bourbon for more photos and menu recommendations.

If you've visited Bacano Bakery, what do you recommend trying?

Bacano Bakery

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1298 65th St., Emeryville, CA 94608

Open: Tuesday - Saturday 8am - 3pm

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Eat in Berkeley: Rainbow Donuts

Counterclockwise from left: Rainbow Cake Donut, Ube Cake Donut, and Blueberry Cake Donut

I finally visited Rainbow Donuts in West Berkeley after reading about the donut shop on Bites & Bourbon, one of my favorite food blogs in the East Bay.

I picked three donuts while there: the Rainbow Cake Donut, which looks like Funfetti on the inside, the Ube Cake Donut, made with a purple yam popular in the Philippines, and the Blueberry Cake Donut, which is naturally dyed blue by the berries. I really enjoyed all three. Like Brenda mentioned in her blog post, Rainbow Donuts has a wide selection of interesting flavors you won't find elsewhere. They also use natural as opposed to artificial ingredients, which bring out the donuts' notable flavors.

The next time I visit Rainbow Donuts I might try the Red Velvet and Key Lime Glazed cake donuts.

If you've visited Rainbow Donuts recently, what did you try?

Rainbow Donuts
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2025 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702
Open: Monday - Saturday 5am - 8pm, Sunday 6 - 6

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Eat in Emeryville: Yuzu Ramen & Broffee

Tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen made with Nagahama style noodles, 100% pasture-raised pork bone broth, chashu (pork belly), kikurage, baby argula, marinated soft boiled egg, and shredded chili pepper


Yuzu Squash

I was invited to try Yuzu Ramen & Broffee, a new ramen place in Emeryville located in the former Bacano Bakery, for their grand opening this past weekend.

I ordered the Tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen made with Nagahama style noodles, 100% pasture-raised pork bone broth, chashu (pork belly), kikurage, baby argula, marinated soft boiled egg, and shredded chili pepper. It was quite good. The broth was creamy and delicious, the pork slices were tender, and the noodles were perfectly cooked. It reminded me of comfort food I'd want to try again. I also ordered a refreshing Yuzu Squash drink.

Since Yuzu Ramen is new, it might have a line out the door like when I visited. Brenda of Bites & Bourbon tried a couple more of their dishes, which you can see on her Instagram here and here.

If you've visited Yuzu Ramen & Broffee, what do you recommend trying?

Yuzu Ramen & Broffee

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1298 65th St., Emeryville, CA 94608

Open: Monday - Saturday 11:30am - 3pm, 5:30 - 9

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Eat in Oakland: Aguachiles El Tamarindo

Quesabirria tacos with beef broth consome

I've wanted to try quesabirria tacos since seeing fellow food blogger Brenda Ton post about them years ago. I finally got the opportunity at Aguachiles El Tamarindo, a popular Mexican food truck, a couple weeks ago. Located on International at Derby in Fruitvale, only a block from Red Bay Coffee, Aguachiles El Tamarindo is known for its seafood dishes and more recently quesabirria tacos.

My dining companion and I ordered three quesabirria tacos and consome to share. Both were quite good. Each taco has two corn tortillas covered in melted cheese that's crispy at the edges and thick pieces of meat inside. Dipping the tacos in the beef broth consome is a treat. These were heavenly.

If you've visited Aguachiles El Tamarindo, what do you recommend trying?

Aguachiles El Tamarindo

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3053 International Blvd., Oakland, CA 94601

Open: Daily 11am - 8pm

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Eat in Berkeley: Comal

Tacos made with wood-grilled rock cod, spicy pickled cabbage, and avocado aioli

El Chavo made with blanco tequila, cacao, cardamom, lime, and bitters

Although I've visited Comal Next Door on Grand a few times now, my first and only visit to Comal, their original restaurant on Shattuck between Addison and University in Downtown Berkeley, was in mid-February. I tried it with my two food blogger friends: Moriah and Brenda.

Along with chips and guacamole to share, I ordered a drink to start: El Chavo made with blanco tequila, cacao, cardamom, lime, and bitters. I remember it was clearly made with care and was quite refreshing. For the main course, I had the Tacos made with wood-grilled rock cod, spicy pickled cabbage, and avocado aioli. They were also quite good. Although I don't remember all the specifics, I do remember thinking it was a great place to catch up with friends. 

The restaurant is much larger than I thought; it even has a patio in the back. I would definitely stop by for a cocktail or dinner in the future — the tamales, empanadas, and enchiladas in particular sound good.

Comal

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2020 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704

Open: Sunday 5:30pm - 9pm, Monday - Wednesday 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Thursday - Saturday 5:30pm - 10:30pm

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