Fernay McPherson’s Minni Bell’s Soul Movement, the roving pop-up and catering business specializing in Southern and soul food, opens today in a new, semi-permanent location inside the Emeryville Public Market.
Her new space was previously occupied by Nyum Bai, which has since moved into a standalone restaurant in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood.
McPherson’s Emeryville menu will feature the dish her brand is built around: rosemary fried chicken. The dish, like most recipes passed down among family members (McPherson, for example, learned to cook from her grandmother and great-aunt) is time-consuming to prepare. The chef has to brine the chicken for a day in buttermilk, rosemary and hot sauce. She also fries it with rosemary stalks, adding a uniquely sage-like and peppery flavor to the chicken.