Until recently, if you wanted to taste Fernay McPherson’s family recipes for fried chicken and other Southern delights, you’d have to attend a party catered by her Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, be lucky enough to find one of her occasional pop-up restaurants or be related to McPherson herself.
Fortunately, you can stop your plan to pose as a long-lost cousin. Minnie Bell’s has opened a stand at the Emeryville Public Market, which is home to a fantastic variety of meal and snack choices. McPherson’s food, inspired by her grandmother and great-aunt, brings a bit of a homemade touch to the market’s professional space. It’s another success story for La Cocina, the incubator kitchen in San Francisco that gives up-and-coming chefs a place to hone their concepts and skills, while they prepare to open their own businesses.
The vibe: As noted, the market’s space is traditional — a series of stands lining the walls, with common dining areas in the center. Minnie Bell’s was off to one side from the entrance we used, but not too hard to find. Construction barriers informed us that a large space in the middle of the hall would soon be transformed into a bar; I hope they’ll sell me a shot of bourbon to spike Minnie Bell’s sweet tea ($3) once they’re open. After ordering at the counter and picking up food, diners can grab a seat at any of the large tables in the middle of the floor, take a seat at countertops lining the walls, or take their lunch outside on a nice day to enjoy it picnic-style in one of the grassy spots around the market hall.
The food: McPherson’s rosemary fried chicken ($2.50 a piece) is crackling-crispy — usually, this kind of crunchiness comes with a lot of oil, but McPherson’s batter and frying technique manage to thread the needle and keep the chicken incredibly juicy and the batter delicate, without all that grease. Some bites have a little more rosemary flavor than others, but every bite is delicious — and of course, you should be generous with that Crystal hot sauce, if you want a little more oomph. You can get the chicken in a meal ($9.75 for two pieces, one small side and a piece of cornbread; $18 for four pieces and two small sides) with sides like braised greens, macaroni and cheese or red beans and rice.
McPherson’s got other culinary delights under her belt; we can only hope that Minnie Bell’s will eventually feature some of the other dishes she served at her pop-up (smothered meatloaf or gumbo, anyone?).
Perfect for … Lunch. Like, every day, if I worked near the Public Market. Or, I suppose, if you’re hitting up the Ikea nearby and Swedish meatballs aren’t your thing. If you find yourself in the Emeryville area, just go there. You don’t need a reason beyond “I am hungry and this fried chicken is delicious.”
Details: Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays at 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville.