When we told Tess, who was recently promoted to Bakery Manager, that she could add a namesake to our menu, she immediately thought of strawberry shortcake. Tess wanted to show people what a true shortcake is all about. It is flaky and buttery and just a tad sweet. And it makes the perfect base to showcase our local and organic strawberries. Tess also added one distinct touch: she serves it with a homemade bourbon whipped cream.

We’ll be selling it at the Tuesday night market in Sonoma and the Wednesday pop-up cafe in San Rafael during peak spring strawberry season, so come by and try it!

We always knew we’d have a Drums & Crumbs signature fried chicken sandwich, but for months we’ve anguished about what to put on it. We wanted something that complemented our secret spice blend and still added something new to the experience. It was also important to find the perfect bun: not too touch, not too bready.

The bun part was easily solved when we tried a fresh baked ciabatta roll from Bordenave’s Bakery in San Rafael. It is soft and airy but chewy enough to hold up one of Arthur’s boneless fried chicken breasts.

For the toppings, we wanted something cool and refreshing. Every week we made a different coleslaw, trying out different spices and vegetables and even hot sauces. The problem was that the spice blend we use for our chicken is pretty much perfect, and it was hard for another spice or pepper flavor to shine through. Then Rachel decided to make some of her mom’s simple coleslaw: cabbage, pickles, mayo. It was the perfect touch. We jazzed it up a bit by using red cabbage and pickled our own shredded heirloom carrots, and the Route 121 Fried Chicken Sandwich was born — named after the beautiful state highway that winds its way through California winecountry.

Come by the cafe and try it for yourself!

Arthur’s Grumpy Morning Biscuit

After months of quiet discussion, we have debuted a new Drums & Crumbs superstar: the chicken biscuit!

Reflecting the two very different personalities of co-owners Rachel and Arthur, we have two different variations for you to try. The first is our Honey Chicken Biscuit. It is a boneless fried chicken breast topped with honey and sandwiched inside one of our fluffy, handmade buttermilk biscuits. The second is Arthur’s Grumpy Morning Biscuit, or, as we call it, the Grumpy Biscuit. It is a boneless fried chicken breast topped with a fried egg and sandwiched in a buttermilk biscuit. It is guaranteed to turn around even your grumpiest of mornings!

This month we are also debuting a new side: White Cheddar Grits! They are rich and smooth and gluten-free! If you’ve always wondered what the big deal is about grits, these are the ones the try.

Finally, for the month of March, we are offering a homemade Vegetable Bean Soup. Made with two kinds of beans and a medley of vegetables from the farmer’s market, it goes great with our gluten-free corn muffins or even a chicken biscuit!

Honey Chicken Biscuit

Our first bowl of Winter Root Vegetable Soup!

We are very excited about this month’s additions to the menu!

For breakfast, we are serving our Pecan Coffee Cake. We’ve posted the recipe, so try it for yourself and let us know how it turns out! We are also debuting one of our favorite classic southern breakfast items: cheese grits! Made with organic ground corn and sharp cheddar cheese, this menu addition makes the perfect gluten-free morning snack or lunch accompaniment.

For lunch, we have two new entrees. The first is a hearty vegan Winter Root Vegetable Soup made with butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnip, turnip and celery root. The second is a gluten-free Turkey Meatloaf made with quinoa and a special blend of spices.

For dessert, try our beautiful new red velvet sandwich cookies! They make a great gift for your valentine!

Come visit us at the pop-up cafe at 1115 3rd St. in downtown San Rafael. We are there every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9am to 2:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Arthur serving up our first bowl of Grandmother’s Chicken & Dumplings!

This month, we are excited to offer a few new additions to the menu at the cafe. In the morning, we have Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake to go with our Barking Dog French press coffee and Mighty Leaf hot tea.

For lunch, we have Grandmother’s Chicken & Dumplings made the way Rachel’s grandmother and GREAT grandmother made them. It is a classic Southern dish, so be sure to come try it while it lasts!

Last month we added fresh organic mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette to our regular list of sides, and this month we are adding one more: Spicy Black Eyed Peas. This new vegan side is perfect for our Veggie Plate: your choice of three sides plus a homemade buttermilk biscuit.

As always, we have our full menu of Arthur’s Fried Chicken, Baked Mac & Cheese, Southern-Style Vegan Collard Greens and Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits. We also still have our Fried Chicken Salad and our Southern-Style Tofu Salad, both served with our homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

Come visit us at the pop-up cafe at 1115 3rd St. in downtown San Rafael. We are there every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9am to 2:30pm. Hope to see you there!

The first is our Fried Chicken Salad, which is an all-natural boneless southern fried chicken breast atop organic mixed greens, shredded heirloom carrots, local tomatoes and a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. We serve our Fried Chicken Salad with a homemade buttermilk biscuit.

We are also debuting a Southern-Style Tofu Salad, which has been prepared with the same the signature spice blend that we use for our almost-famous fried chicken. We pan fry our tofu in olive oil and serve it atop organic mixed greens, shredded heirloom carrots, local tomatoes and a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. Our Southern-Style Tofu Salad comes with a homemade buttermilk biscuit.

Stop by and see us every Tuesday and Wednesday, from 8am to 2pm, at the Renaissance Marin, 1115 3rd St San Rafael, CA 94901.