A Pairing Made Deep in the Soul

So I had the opportunity to experience a unique part of Southern-style soul food: chicken and waffle.

From what I've gathered through my own reading, this dish has its origins at African-American night clubs.  Patrons would be there long after dinner, and would hunger for something, but the hour was still too early for breakfast.  The clubs served chicken and waffles, pairing typical foods from both meals.

There's not really anything in a culinary sense that would make the two complement each other--it's really all a matter of the logistics of putting something together to satisfy that middle of the night hunger.

Now, I'm a bit particular about the food I eat, and I usually reserve eating breakfast foods like waffles or pancakes to the time between when I wake up and before the hour right before midday.  Yet, when my Dad wanted to go to the Chicken and Waffles place in Oak Park just east of Madison and East for the occasion of Fathers' Day, I knew the time was right to try something different.  (I had been waiting for such an opportunity to go this place and try this out in the few years since the place opened.)

After going back and forth trying to decide what I wanted to pick from the menu, I settled on what was called "Monique's Love": a fried chicken breast with a waffle.  They came together on the plate, with the waffle having a lump of butter in the middle, and a little cup of syrup to the side.

I ate the dish by consuming the chicken and the syrup and butter and syrup-dressed waffle separately in some bites, and in other bites, eating pieces of them together.  It was an interesting taste in my mouth to have the meatiness of the chicken and the starchiness of the waffle, which was enhanced by the contrast of the sweet syrup.

All in all, I enjoyed my venture into the depths of Southern Soul cooking, and I'm willing to go back and try more of the items on the menu, and definitely the signature plate of chicken and waffles.