Backpack Travels: Chicken and Waffle Edition 1 of 5

A short while ago, back in August, 2017,  I created a post in the Facebook group about my travels and love for trying different foods. Little did the group know, the post about chicken and waffles, started as a petty joke between me and another admin in the group. She stated that the best chicken and waffles they had to date was, God please forgive me, “Ihop”.  When I heard this, I burst into laughter. I responded by letting her know that Ihop did not sell “real” chicken and waffles. The admin responded by stating, “yes they do”. Reeling in my pettyhood, I decided to create a post, that would not only prove her wrong but aid in my love of backpack travel. I had group members list their favorite local city chicken and waffle joints, with pictures, to assist me in creating a directory for the people willing to travel for food, like myself.

Once the post filled up, I decided that I would indulge in sampling the chicken and waffles at the restaurants suggested. For the next 5 five weeks, I will detail my experiences of the restaurants I visited.  So, let’s start with New York.

A cheap Spirit flight and my trusty backpack allowed me to make a four-day dash through New York City and make an appearance at the Official PopUp meet and greet the group had at Katra Lounge. The first restaurant I sampled was Amy Ruth’s…

With a name like Amy Ruth’s, I had high expectations. The menu for Amy Ruth’s was very unique. The They used entertainer names for their dishes. The atmosphere was quite cozy. My first time there, I ordered the The Rev. Al Sharpton (Original Chicken and Waffle) I’ll admit that was big mistake for me.

Sidenote: never order something without getting clarification on how it is prepared and served.

The Rev. Al Sharpton consisted of a quarter white meat fried, per request, on a Belgian waffle. The presentation wasn’t bad, but the breast and the wing were fried jointly. This dampened the experience for me.

The next day on my journey through Harlem, I decided to stop at Sylvia’s to redeem myself from the chicken and waffle experience that I had at Amy Ruth’s. I thought Sylvia’s was a safe option, as I had just eaten dinner there the night before and it was good.

Upon being seated, I asked the waiter about the way that their chicken and waffles are prepared. He explained that they fry theirs with the quarter white meat as well. I was unable to convince the waiter to serve me fried chicken wings with a Belgian waffle, ala carte, so I left without ordering.

Determined to get it right, I headed back to Amy Ruth’s, after carefully analyzing the menu and getting assurance from the waiter that the chicken wings can be served as whole wings.  I ordered, ate and enjoyed the experience.

So, my chicken and waffle experience in New York City consist of 2 fails, 1 non-attempt and 1 success. I am not even going to mention the other fail. Just know the restaurant is in walking distance of the Barclay’s Center and is a night club after hours, they don’t serve regular hot sauce and their syrup isn’t great either.

So, just to recap,Sylva’s is good for nice dine-in soul food, and Amy Ruth’s is phenomenal for soul breakfast. Their chicken and waffles with the whole wings, The Tommy Tomita, is worth it for New York prices.

Side note: New York has really great pizza, I was able to buy it by the slice almost anywhere I went. I love New York Pizza!

Next week Atlanta