Red Star Southern and Balkan Cafe Get Raves From The Chronicle

Virginia Wood visits Southern trailer with a sense of humor Red Star Southern this week. Every item on the trailer's limited menu shines. On the hot chicken:

Take the Nashville-style hot fried chicken ($8) - pieces are marinated in buttermilk and seasoned with cayenne, lemon, and thyme before emerging from the fryer with a crisp, golden crust. Paired with white bread, pickles, and Waksmunski's signature coleslaw, the dish is the antidote for any serious fried chicken craving.

Meanwhile, Mick Vann visits Serbian-run Balkan Cafe, where he praises both the hospitality and the simple, "comforting" food.

We also split a bowl of gulas ($7.49), a luscious stew of meltingly tender, slow-braised beef, with aromatics, beef stock, tomato, and paprika. We split a Balkan salata($5.25), which is a platter with two whole roasted and peeled, meaty red bell peppers in garlicky olive oil, two cherry peppers stuffed with whipped feta, and a pile of those addictive sour gherkins. Sop up the oil with the yeasty, thick, pita-like lepinja bread, and your taste buds will be happy.

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