The Culinary Timeline is a side-project that I've been working on since October. I'm hoping to have most of it complete by the end of January, with any luck. Until then, updates around here will be weekly, rather than twice weekly. Do stay tuned.
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Three-piece Chicken and Waffle @ Little Skillet, San Francisco. Seven packets of Crystal Hot Sauce is the perfect amount for this scenario: Two for the leg, two for the thigh, three for the breast.
Since I’ve recently taken up golf (again), many of my weekends have been spent out burning up the links, rather than trolling the Bay Area for choice eats. But let’s face it: Mark Twain might’ve said it best when he quipped that golf was a good walk, spoiled. Either way, I needed more of a sure thing, and an excursion into San Francisco had [... read more ...]
Chicken & Waffles @ the Boon Fly Cafe (blue plate) and the Fremont Diner (white plate): It's always nice too see an upward trend in the Southern-fried sector. Images can be super-sized with a click.
Unless I’m missing something, the Napa Valley offers just two reliable versions of chicken and waffles, both of which are located at the very southern end of the valley, along the scenic Carneros Highway, separated by just a few miles of rolling hills and perhaps one or two stoplights. Of course, the Boon Fly Cafe and the Fremont Diner are the two restaurants [... read more ...]
Cachapas Pernil, Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, Oxbow Market, Napa
Though I had been to Pica Pica Maize Kitchen before, I hadn’t actually tasted the cachapas pernil (#7) until I attended the Napa Valley Chefs’ Market a few weeks ago. The yellow corn pancake is just sturdy enough to provide the exterior, with a flavor profile that’s slightly sweet. The cachapas pabellon (#3), which is shredded skirt steak with plantains, is also a tasty alternative.
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Market Burger, Market Restaurant, St. Helena
As far as cheeseburgers are concerned, the Market Burger is [... read more ...]
Before last month’s trip to Los Angeles becomes as hazy as when I actually lived in Southern California, I need to address my sojourn down to the 405 and the 10. I’ve been dragging my feet far too long on this one, so allow me to begin by stating that I once enjoyed a 10-year, love-hate relationship with the L.A. Westside, at the end of which, I had finally had enough. But there were definitely some good times along the way, which is why I tell people, “It’s still a great place to visit.”
My advantage as a visitor [... read more ...]
Don't get me wrong, I'll take a little more.
Ever since the San Francisco Giants found a new home outside of Candlestick Park, I haven’t had much reason to journey down to Hunters Point anymore. But chicken and waffles is motivation enough to make the trek, and I was interested to follow up on a tip that I had heard about Auntie April’s Chicken n’ Waffles on 3rd Street. The waffle, compared to the one I most recently tasted at the Brown Sugar Kitchen, didn’t have the same character or panache, but that said, it did arrive hot [... read more ...]
Oakland Booty: The apple cider syrup can almost make you forget about maple.
The Brown Sugar Kitchen is a great little breakfast-lunch spot located in West Oakland, a vibrant little oasis flanked by imposing industrial buildings on every side. The restaurant is hardly a secret these days, and it seems to be flirting with “destination” status — a place that bustles with regular neighborhood-type business, despite being so far removed from any actual neighborhoods. Every time I’m there, I tend to wonder where most of the patrons come from, although by the looks of them, I’m pretty sure [... read more ...]
The Business: Boon Fly's fried chicken with smashed Yukon gold potatoes. Not pictured, carrot and broccoli coleslaw.
Submitted for your approval, my long-overdue snapshot of the fried chicken plate ($18) at Boon Fly Cafe in Carneros (otherwise known as the best fried chicken in the Bay Area). Perfectly brined, perfectly cooked, with just enough breading to let the skin take center stage. It’s one of those spot-on comfort foods that always seems to taste even better than I had remembered. My only real complaint, if you can even call it one, is that the Boon Fly Cafe doesn’t [... read more ...]
Whole Lotta Beige: The Demon Lover (also known as fried chicken with a waffle). Shoestring onions are pictured in the BG.
Given my last post, I suppose that a fried chicken theme is emerging here. It’s what I’m into at the moment. That said, I decided to head to Berkeley to catch a movie and to see about the oddly-named “Demon Lover” at 900 Grayson. I’m really not too sure about the name of this particular dish, although I do recall a movie named “My Demon Lover” from 1987. The film starred Scott Valentine, perhaps better known as [... read more ...]
Note to Gussie: The lettuce leaf and the orange slice have no business in this particular context.
When I was producing a radio show back in my early days in Los Angeles, a stop at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles became a weekly Sunday night ritual. Having Roscoe’s as a late-night option was truly a godsend, especially since the Pico-La Brea location was midway between K-Town and the Westside. With four other locations in Southern California, Roscoe’s is legendary, and rightly so. The place is the model of consistency — always perfect — with devastating fried chicken. The waffles [... read more ...]
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