Monday, April 21, 2008

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles

For a different change of pace from the trendy sushi restaurants or American diners, try some down home fried chicken and waffles, some good Southern food. It's not quite soul food. Well, it is, but it's missing the collard greens, ham hocks, chitlins, but the fried chicken brings me to back to Oakland. In California, anyways, finding Southern cooking in a restaurant is rare...until I found this joint. The chicken is deep fried, golden, tender, flavorful, and very uncommercialized, restaurant-y food. Don't get me wrong. I love the chicken picatta, but sometimes I just prefer food that makes me feel like it was cooked out of someone's home, not a restaurant. The combination of chicken and waffles was coined by Roscoe's, and it became a huge hit. I fear as I write these words I'm about to lose credibility in the eyes of many Roscoe fans, but for me, it isn't the waffles. Although chicken and waffles is a novel concept that many, many people enjoy. I'm just a fan of the fried chicken. I'm so disgusted by KFC and Popeye's. It's nice to have something fresh. And the portions are gigantic, so it's a major bargain. The prices are reasonable as it is. I usually go for chicken thighs, two over easy eggs, and grits. There are all sorts of combos available. The service is efficient, too. It's the perfect place to go to for comfort food when you want something affordable and immediate. FYI: A restaurant like this is for the quality of the food, not visual presentation and other frivolous priorities that don't actually improve the flavor of the food but give it beauty. This restaurant is all about delivering flavor. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but I wanted to make that clear. Sometimes, I prefer going to a place that offers visual aesthetics. At times like that, I pass up Roscoe's. The decor is plain and only what's necessary. I like that sometimes. We live in a materialistic society and desiring and demanding wants and confusing them with necessities. The simplicity of this restaurant can be grounding, and I feel like I'm protected from the money grubbing outside world.

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles
830 N. Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 791-4890

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