Popeyes, a biscuit I would have never found

Much to the complete surprise of myself and everyone who even remotely knows me, I found a fast-food item that I like. A Lot. I feel a little ashamed, but also thrilled and delighted, like having a new crush on someone I probably shouldn't bring home.

The other night I went over to my friend's house for dinner and when I arrived I was asked if I wanted to take a walk get a little something to add to our meal. I thought I heard H. say, "Hey, you wanna go to pie-pies?" "Sure," I said not at all understanding where we were going or of what business she was speaking. But as we entered the Mission I started to catch on.

Popeyes lives on the random corner of 22nd and Mission. For years I lived about three blocks from said location and had never, until now, stepped foot in it. H. picked up a dozen and I thought that sounded like a lot for just her and her g.f. D., but I knew better than to get between her and her home-town's comfort food. I felt completely honored that I, a Yankee, was being invited to eat real Texas/Louisiana border boudin and all the trimmings! H. also picked up some Popeye's red beans & rice and off we went back to their house.

OK, we have to talk. After one bite of that warmed biscuit I have had to re-think everything I have ever known. How did a fast-food joint get the bottom crust golden? Without a hint of nasty flour residue? How did that biscuit not only melt in my mouth but have the tricky perfume of good fatty butter? Goddamn.

The joke was that H. bought 12 biscuits so that I could have one. But now I have more than a crush. Even my Yankee roommate D. admits to thinking they're pretty good. I never thought I'd see the day when eggbeater  would fly the Popeye's logo proud. Except for the odd In & Out burger once every few years, fast food is not my thing. Politically or digestibility.

But here stands I, a waving-my-hand-in-the-air kinda convert. Praise these biscuits, they are yum.

**For those of you in SF who can't get with Popeye's, Great Biscuit News arrived yesterday. Amanda Berne reported in Scoop that Joanna Karlinsky of (the late) Meetinghouse fame will be serving her unbelievable biscuits at Elite Cafe (2049 Fillmore st.) when it is up and running after some renovations!!!!!! These little round baked mounds of joy are a reason for living.**

Comments

[haddock]

Popeye's was one of the last fast food places I frequented years ago. From what I remember it wasn't too bad. I used to get the dirty rice and fried chicken. I don't remember the biscuits being particularly distinguished but this also seems like a few lifetimes ago.

Now I just have to figure out what to have for dinner. One of the unfortunate side effects of owning a restaurant is rarely having food in the house.

[chronicler]

I just have to smile. ;-)

[Fatemeh]

{coming out of hiding}

I love 'em too. C is a southern boy, and he swears by these biscuits. It's almost like the tops are momentarily deep fried they are so crackly-buttery-delicious.

And the insides... fluffy clouds of buttermilky goodness.

Ok, I'm salivating now. Gotta go eat something.

[Dr. Biggles]

Well, der. Paul Prudhomme did the recipe for their Red Beans & Rice, maybe he did the biscuits too. We haven't been in a while, but Popeye's is a family favorite. It's the only fast food restaurant we'll venture in to these days. NO problemo.

Biggles

[Nancye Benson]

All i can say is... do you think Popeye's uses James Beard's trick of dipping prebaked biscuits in pools of melted butter... in their case it may be the fast foods first choice of butter flavored goo "whirl" but it would explain the golden bottoms sans the flour dust.

[shuna]

Haddock, although I do not own my own restaurant I have this thing where I don't need to buy groceries or make dinner b/c I think I can always scrounge something out of my cabinets. it doesn't work that way though.

Hey Biggles--- Thanks for the insight! You food historian you!

[shuna]

Nancye! Thank you so much for visiting and commenting on eggbeater!!

This trick sounds good indeed, although I must say that it sounds like a trick made famous by JB but not his originally...the fat originally used to make biscuits came from animals. I have a book with photos of Southern kids (from the 30's and '40's)making wells on the top of biscuits where hot fat is poured into them.

[Kudzu]

Oh, oh, Popeye's. How I wish we had one here in Marin. You're right about the biscuits and the chicken is nothing to sneeze at.

"Pulling" biscuits (as you cut them and remove them from the surrounding dough) and dipping tops in melted butter is a nicety that isn't necessarily traditional in soul food but an upmarket kind of church lady touch. I prefer mine more like P's without the extra unctuousness.

A friend in San Diego who has a P's near enough to stop by and pick up a batch of food torments me with her throw-away lines of "only" having that take-out for dinner.

[dixieday]

Popeye's fried chicken used to be my occasional guilty pleasure--I always thought I was going to get busted coming out with my bag of spicy breast and biscuit. Restaurant critic nabbed! Their spicy chicken wasn't spicy though--really it's just saltier. But the biscuit did rock. The best SF chicken was still Powell's Soul Food, in pre-gentrified Hayes Valley...

[shuna]

Ms. DixieDay, how do you think it all compares to M & G's in Harlem?

[haddock]

At least Shuna, you have options where you are when the larder is bare. It's much bleaker here. No Popeye's for miles and miles.

[Lori]

Ah, you have discovered Popeye's biscuits too! When I moved to DC after several years of living in North Carolina and Georgia, one of the delights of driving down to visit my parents was a stop in Virginia for Popeye's biscuits (I like mine with grape jelly—the sweet jelly goes so well with the salty butter flavor). Luckily, there are several Popeye's here in Philadelphia, so I can go out and get me a biscuit tomorrow if I want! Now, if I could only get whole wheat buttermilk biscuits like the ones at the Bluebird Cafe in Athens, GA here, I'd be in biscuit heaven.

[Charlotte]

I didn't know about the red beans and rice!

Guess where I stopped by for dinner tonight. The biscuits were pretty good. I like my cream biscuit recipe, sans butter coating, better but I know where I'm going if I just want a couple instead of the whole pan.

Or some RB&R in a hurry. It's pretty tasty.

Charlotte

[elizabeth]

Try the mashed potatoes. They're EGGZELLENT!

[zack]

biscuits like crack. they are so delicious. once while in new orleans, a friend carmelized one of these awesome popeye's biscuits and served it a la mode. yum. definitely recommended.

[Katrina]

you are cute

[Jeanie]

I am a fan of the Popeye's biscuit too. I live in Lafayette, LA. If you ever visit here and you truly want to dive into biscuit bliss, you MUST try Edie's biscuits. The plain are served with honey or a gooey cinnamon topping and (my fav) the blueberry with icing. I don't think you really eaten a biscuit until you've eaten one here. Thier slogan is even, "Love ya like a biscuit". Clever.

[shuna fish lydon]

Jeanie---

Thanks for visiting all the way from Louisiana! And commenting!

I am supposed to get to Texas this year with my Texan friends and eat Boudin and biscuits. Thanks for telling me about this place I can only dream of now. I look forward to it!

[k.]

Ok, I'm a latecomer to this, but I had to comment.

I lived in New Orleans for a few years, and one of my apartments was right by one of the many Copeland's restaurants in town, which is Al Copeland's bistro version of his famous fast-food creation, complete with these fabulous biscuits served with every entree. True fact.

I went to school in New Orleans, and I had a professor who tried to persuade us that the reason for Popeye's success in a majority-Catholic city such as New Orleans is that the lettering on the logo is slanted slightly to read "Pope Yes." Just a little rumor for you.

Anyway, all of that is to say that one must credit the fast-food chain's tastefulness to the fact that it originated in New Orleans. And Al Copeland's knack for packaging tidbits of New Orleans cuisine for consumption by the fast-food masses.

Pass the biscuits, please.

[todd]

I live in Arizona and work in Louisiana. Like Jeanie I was intrduced to Edie's biscuits and they are so good. You have to try them if you are ever in the area.

[Jen]

While I grew up on Popeye's chicken and biscuits...coming from a small river town outside New Orleans and all...I went to college at the formerly known as University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette). So, I am QUITE familiar with Edies...

It's been...uh....10 years since I lived there...is Edies still open??

GO THERE, if so. Great food!

[Victoria Keehn]

I love the place and Iwanted ya'll to know I love my job there!

[Patrick]

To Jeanie concerning Edie's biscuit. They have changed their recipe to a more bread like yeasty tasting biscuit and not near as good as they use to be.
Burger King use to have the only handmade buttermilk biscuits after Popeyes quit making them and BK's were the best.

[Brian LeDoux]

These are called 411 biscuits. I don't remember where I got it, but it is pretty good stuff. I live in Louisiana and know pretty good stuff.

4 cups Pioneer buttermilk biscuit mix

1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing such as Miracle Whip. You can even try sour cream.

1 cup club soda, or Sprite if you want something sweeter

mix it and don't overmix

melt one stick of butter or margarine and roll each of the raw biscuits in it

bake

Yep, it is cheating but when you have a house full of French/Cajun kids, who wants to blow $20 on biscuits.