Brenda's French Soul Food, San Francisco, California

See: http://frenchsoulfood.com

We wanted to try the Red Door Cafe for breakfast, but it doesn't open until 10:00... and we were a little scared off by some of the Yelp reviews where people were turned away for wearing sunglasses and/or being over the age of 40.

So, we risked life and limb to walk from our hotel in Union Square through the Tenderloin to get to Brenda's on a friend's recommendation. We got to Brenda's just as it was opening, and there were already several people waiting to go in -- always a good sign. Brenda's occupies an older building, and the charm shines through. Old Beau Monde coffee cans hold silverware and napkins, and each table is stocked with Louisiana hot sauce and chutney.

While it may be a but untraditional to order an appetizer at breakfast, we started with three traditional beignets (they also offer savory options, and beignets full of local Ghiradelli chocolate -- AND you can even get a sampler to try then all  -- you should do it). The beignets were light, not at all greasy, and dusted with a generous mound of powdered sugar. In a word, delightful. Also, I rarely order coffee with breakfast as it always seems unsatisfying and like an afterthought in most restaurants, but not so at Brenda's. It was delicious, and served in big, bowl like mugs.

We then moved on to our main courses. I had the shrimp and goat cheese omelette, and it may be one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. There was no shortage of goat cheese, and the shrimp were tender and fresh. The omelette was also stuffed with mounds of caramelized onions and topped with a tomato-bacon jam. If I could purchase a jar (or a tub) of that jam, I would, and then I would proceed to smear it on anything and everything that goes near my mouth. My omelette also came with a biscuit and grits. The grits were yummy after adding some pepper, and the biscuit was great with butter and forkfuls of the omelette.

My mom went for the French Toast, which was topped with a butter pecan sauce. Unfortunately I could only squeeze in a bite, but it too was amazing.

I normally avoid taking pictures of food in restaurants, but I broke my own rule for this one (note the sausage links and French toast in the background):

We sat next to a local who said Brenda's has the best breakfast in the city, and I could not agree more. In fact, it's hard to believe we walked back outside into San Francisco and not New Orleans.