My culinary life has been boring — mostly hamburgers, hot dogs, and other non-ethnic American fare, with nothing much more adventurous than sushi a few times. Which I didn’t really care for.
I’d like to escape the rut of burgers and dogs, so my “one of these days” list includes lots of odd and exotic foods folks have told is good — borscht, chicken gizzards, frog legs, hossenfeffer, kishka, lengua (tongue), pho, piroshki, pizza with anchovies, pork brains scrambled with eggs, scrapple, turtle soup, Welsh rarebit, wilted lettuce salad…
And chicken & waffles. It’s a southern and/or black thing, and being neither I’m mystified, but chicken is good, and waffles are good. Why shouldn’t they share a plate?
So there I was, at Fat’s Chicken & Waffles, MLK & Cherry Street in Seattle’s central district. It’s a colorful restaurant in a small, kitschy space, with seating for perhaps 30 people. I asked for a table for one, and a nice enough waitress sat me at a nice enough table in the middle of the room.
“Will you scan the menu, or do you need a printed copy?” Welcome to the 21st century — first time I’ve been asked that question. Saying it, she’d motioned toward a laminated two-square-inch QR code, standing on the table. I’m “with it” enough to know about QR codes, so my jaw didn’t drop, but of course I’ll never scan a menu.
She brought it on paper without making me feel judged, and also brought a carafe of icy ice water and a glass. That’s a very nice touch, something from a fancier place, though Fat’s is quite casual. I hadn’t asked for water and wasn’t particularly thirsty, but the few sips I had were good. For a moment I thought the water had a dash of lemon in it, but it was only the scent of the waitress’s perfume, fading after she’d walked away.
Fat’s has vaguely butt-contoured wooden chairs, comfortable but without backs. There’s a homey, friendly vibe, with family pictures on the wall. Funky rock plays over speakers, loud enough to be heard and softly sing along, but not loud enough to annoy. I smiled at the open/closed sign; couldn’t see what the ‘open’ side said, but the side facing into the restaurant says, “You blew it! Fat’s is closed!”
The menu offers all sorts of southern or soul comfort food — fried green tomato, catfish, macaroni & cheese, fried oysters & grits, etc. It all sounds promising, but it had to be the chicken & waffles. $14, not a bad price. The waitress asked whether I’d prefer light meat or dark, but I’m no gourmet and don’t really know the difference. I asked for a breast, because that’s a big piece, tight? Plus, it’s fun to say ‘breast’.
Root beer floats were on the menu for five bucks, which took me back. An A&W was the only fast-food within walking distance when I was growing up, so I’ve had hundreds of root beer floats, but it’s been a long, long time.
The float came first and fast, just a scoop of fine vanilla ice cream in an otherwise empty frosted glass stein fresh from the freezer. Next to the mug, the waitress set down a can of Barq’s root beer. I popped the can and poured, and it fabulously fizzed up and almost over the lip of the mug. It’s science; the carbonated water reacts against the frozen dairy or something, same as when I was a kid. But when I was a kid, an A&W float came in a paper cup. The frosted mug made it feel all fancy, and the ice cream float was divine. Talk about comfort food! And I hadn’t had any food yet!
Then came a waffle on a plate, with a large, single piece of chicken on top. I tried eating the meal by alternating bites, savory then sweet, but this was my first time ever eating chicken & waffles in the same sitting, and it never really came together for me. Also didn’t quite fill me up.
The chicken was fantabulous, though. Perfectly seasoned and pressure-cooked, I’m guessing, because it was just bubbling with juiciness. It was a tiny bit spicier than I’m accustomed to, but I’m a wuss and usually take the mildest options. This was among the best chunks of chicken in my life (and pretty big, too). Definitely not the Colonel’s half-assed recipe, and for an unexpected plus, it was boneless.
The waffle was a waffle, flatter than I’d expected, and not particularly bursting with yum. It could’ve been an Eggo with a wider diameter, but hey, I like Eggos. It came with seasoned butter and a small tub of not-genuine but OK maple syrup, and it was fine.
After eating my first plate of chicken & waffles, I still don’t understand the magic of chicken & waffles. My guess is, you need to grow up with it to truly appreciate it. But the chicken was chickentastic, the waffle was good, and the root beer float guarantees I’ll be back.
Fat’s Chicken & Waffles
2726 E Cherry St, Seattle (Central district)
Food & drink: very good
Price: good
Service: good
Transit: #3, #8
Verdict: YES.
12/16/2024
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