Cafe Bastille may be known more for its location ― on Belden Place, one of the best spots to spend a sunny-day lunch hour ― than its classic French bistro fare. But for more than a decade, French and francophilic San Franciscans have ID'd it as a regular source for boudin noir, a common enough street food in France and Belgium that sends Americans rummaging through their pockets for a garlic clove or at least a self-protection toothpick.
Yes, boudin noir is blood sausage ― pork blood that is cooked down until it turns purple-black and custardy. The sausage is made by Hayward-based Fabrique Délices, who occasionally supply it to Le Central and Chez Papa as well. Bastille takes a simple and classic approach, smothering the boudin in apples braised in red wine over a mess of mashed potatoes that contain more butter than one human should consume in a month.
