Growing up, fried chicken was a rare treat. I never really got a chance to eat much else than fast food fried chicken, but boy was it good. I grew up loving the times when the family roadtrip would stop at a KFC and pick up a bucket of the good stuff, complete with sporks. Whenever we would pass a Popeye's, I would wonder why a restaurant would devote their kitchen to spinach dishes. Later on in my eating career, I discovered that Popeye's actually served chicken, and was far superior to KFC. KFC can't compete against Popeye's fresher taste, crispier bite, and juicier (and not mushy!) meat. I have yet to see how Church's chicken fares against the other fast-food giants. As there is a combination White Castle/Church's Chicken within travelling distance of me, this gap in my fried chicken consumption will not be open long.
As tasty as it is, Popeye's still doesn't hold a drumstick to one of my favorite food memories. This memory is, of course, having Chicken and Waffles for the first time. Roscoe's was the place, and good lord, was it a treat. Salty and sweet, the combination was unlike anything I had ever had (or heard of, for that matter). After I had crammed every last bit into my mouth, I felt like I still needed more. Thankfully, my engorged stomach and empty wallet soon reminded me that this wasn't such a great idea. Waffles have thus supplanted corn bread as my favorite fried chicken accompaniment.
It isn't all good out there. I've had some good chicken, some life-changing chicken (more in the "Damn, that's good shit" than the "Damn, that's a heart-attack", thankfully), and some god-awful chicken. One showing that had me thinking that there was something wrong with me was an experience I had at 'Hip Hop Chow.' A fusion of Chinese and soul food? Sounded interesting. The chicken and waffles there did not bring me back at all to Roscoe's. Tough, bland, and slightly burnt chicken topped a passable waffle. I was glad that I had ordered the mac 'n cheese along with it, as that allowed me to somewhat salvage my unhappy tongue. As I didn't have any of the more fusion-y dishes, I can't really comment on the combination of Chinese and soul food. Their corn bread was mighty tasty, so they do get some points for that.
There are still some more places I have yet to explore in New York. Chowhound tells me of places in Harlem and Brooklyn that I have to venture out to one of these days. I've visited Amy Ruth's, but have yet to truly try their chicken... I managed to steal a bite off of one of my tablemates but didn't get the full experience. "Charles' Southern Style Kitchen" is supposed to be one of the best in the NYC area. That's going to have to be the next place I hit up when the craving catches up with me again.
The guilty pleasure of tearing into a drumstick or juicy thigh piece can't be put off for long. I'm just thankful that there aren't any Popeye's nearby, or else I would have an even more pronounced waddle than I do now.
