Thelma's Chicken and Waffles

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles

I first had Chicken and Waffles at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in Los Angelos.  I was visiting a friend who lived in Orange County and of the few list of things I was determined to do, Roscoe’s was the top.  Though it may sound like a strange combination, it is the best of all worlds when done well.  Crispy fried breading, salty savory chicken, waffles that are crunchy outside and squishy inside, and syrupy sweet maple goodness drizzled on top.  It is breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all on one plate. 

Chicken and Waffles has a pretty intriguing history.  One source said that it harkens back to the early 1800’s.  However, another source contradicts that, claiming that there is no mention of any Chicken and Waffles recipes in Mrs. Porter’s Southern Cooking (1871) or What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking (1881), two of the earliest African American recipe texts.  Other histories credit Wells Supper Club with the raise of Chicken and Waffles by serving late for dinner, early for breakfast meal to jazz musicians.     

In my last visit to Roanoke, Mom and Dad wanted to take my boyfriend and I out for lunch.  In brainstorming where to go, I just so happened to walk by Thelma’s Chicken and Waffles while in Downtown Roanoke.  Since I had never eaten there and I’m such a big fan of this flavorful and soulful combination, it just made sense to give it a whirl. 

Thelma’s Chicken and Waffles has been around Roanoke for a quite a while, but has only recently moved to its Downtown location.  You feel like you’ve been welcomed into someone’s home from the moment you walk in the door.  Friendly smiles great you and soul food exuberance is apparent in all the staff.  They boast of serving the “true flavor of the south” and the menu reflects that joy. 

Although lots of great looking items on the menu, I was there on a mission and that mission was Chicken and Waffles.  Luckily, a waffle with a fried piece of boneless breast was on special, and so all four of us ordered up a plate.  Dennis and I go the side of potatoes; Mom and Dad got fried apples. 

All of us agreed, the Chicken and Waffles were awesome.  The chicken had a great balance of spice, pepper, and saltiness, using a tasty crunchy outside to hide a juicy chicken inside.  When you cut the fried chicken, juices just ooze into the sofy, slightly sweet waffle below.  Mom and Dad loved the fried apples that were decadent and delicious, and Dennis and I loved the potatoes.  The “fried potatoes” aren’t really like fried potatoes at all.  Instead of little cubes or slices of potatoes, it is more like a potato mash with seasoning and a little onion--such a perfect side bite to the Chicken and Waffles. 

While eating, I noticed there were two definitive approaches to consuming Chicken and Waffles.  Dad and I cut up the chicken breasts in smaller pieces and distributed them over the waffles so that each bite of waffle was topped by a piece of chicken.  Mom and Dennis kept the chicken on the side, slicing off a bit of chicken and placing it over a bite of waffle, keeping both waffle and chicken independent until the moment of the bite.  

In sitting back in the booth, enjoying a post sweet and fried high, I wondered how many tasty meals we all missed by not having gone to Thelma’s earlier.  On the website, Thelma’s ends the commercial that they are the place “where the food is for thought and it is always a family affair.”  That is the best punchline to experience eating there.  Don’t make the mistake I made by not trying Thelma’s.  I don’t want you to live with that kind of regret.  

Roanoke Date Night

Before Christmas, I was spending time with my parents before moving.  While staying with them, I joined them on their Friday “date night.”  Most Friday’s, Mom and Dad start the evening at Burger in the Square and then head to dessert at Yogurt Café, making for a great food night of heavy and light.

Burger in the Square

Burger in the Square is one of the best places in Roanoke to get a hamburger.  The website even goes so far as to say that they are Roanoke’s “most awarded burger,” and I’d believe it.  Nothing fancy, they just serve good quality hamburgers.   This shows in the their 3 rules: 1.) beef is ground fresh everday; 2.) they always inspect the ingredients; and 3.) they treat the customers like they were friends.  The third rule in particular true; the woman taking my parents order knew they were regulars and remembered what they usually order. 

I’ve been their twice and tried two different burgers.  Most recently, I got “The Three Cheese Burger,” featuring Provolone, Swiss (although I substituted Pepper Jack), and American.  This is a super cheesy burger (as the picture shows) and has long strands of gooey goodness that stretch out with each bite.  It is so cheesy that if you aren’t careful, the bun might just slide off.  

Though good, the burger I got on a previous visit, “The BBQ Barbeque Burger,” was my favorite.  I love bbq sauce and I love bacon, so how could those two things on a perfectly cooked juicy burger be a bad choice? 

Yogurt Café

Like many, I’m a fan of the new wave of frozen yogurt cooling the country.  Although it can very easily turn into a less that financially fiscal dessert if you pile on too many toppings, as a modest post palate teaser it can be a great way of a little something sweet and satisfying.  After a big ole cheesy burger, frozen yogurt can be especially pleasing. 

Mom and Dad’s frozen yogurt stand of choice is The Yogurt Café, which is near Burger in the Square.  They usually keep about eight yogurt flavors, with the eight split up into sets of two for twisting options.  Then, there are crunchy cereal topping options (like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruit Loops, and Cookie Crips), the more traditional toppings like fruit, nuts, and sprinkle variations, as well as a warm section for hot butterscotch, fudge, and caramel. 

I wanted to try a twist of the mint yogurt with the blueberry and top it with fruit and nuts, but Dad thought that sounded weird.  And, truth be told, I’m a sucker for warm caramel and butterscotch, which wouldn’t have worked with mint and blueberry.  So, I got the Cake and Cappuchino twist topped with nuts and caramel--warm, yummy, melty goodness.

All in all, a great combination and I can see why it is my parent’s Friday night combination of choice.  I was just lucky they let me come along!

White Oak Tea Tavern

Tucked away in Troutville, VA, in a tall, thin, old style log building that was built in 1783, lies a quaint, dainty tea room.  Containing only about five tables in one room with a couple tables in an upstairs room, the White Oak Tea Tavern offers the tea room classics you would come to expect, and some that you might not. 

For those wanting a tea experience, there is a shelving unit that features about 14 black teas, 3 green teas, 4 fruit teas, and 2 whites.  Several things remind you that White Oak takes their tea seriously.   You can smell each tea before you order.  The tea pots are clear so that you can watch the gradual changes in hue.  The biggest tell, each table has a gadget that has three sand timers to gauge how long you want your tea to seep.  When served, the waitress will recommend which timing option goes best with the tea, and the tea pot is rigged to raise the tea out of the water to stop brewing.   

In a previous summer visit, my parents and I all got the iced tea of the day which was blueberry.  Fruit teas always worry me a little because they can be syrupy and artificial tasting.  This tea had a slight blue tone, but carried a refreshing hint of fresh blueberries.  Pairing a subtle fruit note with a mellow black tea, the tea tastes blueberries having seeped in black tea.  For this visit, I got the seasonal appropriate hot option, Wassail.  White Oak makes their Wassail with White Oak tisane, cloves, cinnamon sticks, sugar, and water.  I think they could cut back a little on the sugar, but I loved the mixture of warm, bright, fruit, and spice.  My Dad described it best as a cross between cranberries and  cherry with a touch of orange. 

Wassail

Food options are limited to two chicken salad variations—hot and cold—and develop your own sandwich or build your own bagel concoction.  I really have come to appreciate places that offer just a couple of menu options.  It represents a certain care in honing those few items as well as pride in doing them well.   
   

My parents got the cold chicken salad, the “Chilled Cranberry-Almondine Chicken Salad.”  The description of the cranberry chicken salad boasts that it is made of 21 ingredients.  Between the three of us, my family got to about 16: water chestnuts, three kinds of nuts, dried cranberries, onions, spices, etc.  After brainstorming for the course of the meal, though, we couldn’t quite figure out the rest.  Together, the concoction is more savory than sweet and is served with a carboliciously satisfying, freshly baked “paesano” Italian bread and an oil-balsamic dipping sauce.

Since Mom and Dad got the cold, I tried the warm chicken salad option: the "Baked Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Salad" that is cooked in a paesano bread bowl.  The effect is something that is warm, gooey, rich, and deeply satisfying.  The combination of squishy light bread and rich sauce with big chunks of chicken, artichoke, and swirled with spinach is an effect to be savored and relished.  I don’t often allow myself such a carby and creamy luxury, but I figured I owed it to my blog community to take one for the team. 

White Oak Tea Tavern makes a great place for those wanting to relax with some tea or enjoy a meal.  Make sure to call ahead and make a reservation because table availability is limited.    The helpful staff will do their best to make you feel at home and you will enjoy this quaint, simple definition of a tea room experience.   My Mom described White Oak Tea Tavern as having a homey feel with a step back in time, and I think upon visit that you’ll agree with this observation.  

Weekend in Roanoke: Lunch at Blue Apron

As a belated birthday celebration for my Dad, we all went to Salem to have lunch at Blue Apron.  My parents have been there on a couple occasions and always with high praises, and I was very excited to finally get to try it for myself.    

Blue Apron has a pretty impressive menu selection, allowing you to choose between an entrée size or small plate size.  They have the gauntlet of proteins--duck, sea scallops, chicken, lamb, rib-eye--with intriguing accompaniments: sweet apple butter, black olive-garlic toasts, celeriac remoulade, shrimp and jalapeno glacage.  With so many options and such intriguing components, I was very nearly considering flipping a coin to help me decide. 

When the waitress came to take our orders, I went with my gut and ordered the “Butter Braised Maine Lobster” with leak and artichoke fondue and sauce chasseur.  I don’t often get lobster because it is usually outside my budget.  The small plate portion, though, was only $14, which makes it affordable to feel decadent. The dish is the tail and claw meat nestled in a creamy fondue and combine in a dish that is delightfully hedonistic, full of buttery and creamy self-indulgence.  The dish also has a little topping of green to help freshen the flavors, while the sauce chasseur gave further balance of tanginess and sweetness to provide palate polarity to the creaminess and richness. 

Picture of the Pomegranate-glazed Duck taken by my dad. 

Another entree worth noting was the Pomegranate-glazed Magret Duck Breast with wild mushrooms ragout, baby carrots, fig-almond romesco.  The dish had brightness from the carrots and pomegranate, warmth from fig and mushrooms, and texture contrasts between the coarse seeds and nuts with the creamy potatoes.  All of those components combine in a dish worth ordering.   

For dessert, my mom had the Warm Apple Tart Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream, I had the Lemon-Lavender Shortbread Bar with Toasted Coconut Flakes, and we both had coffee.  The Apple Tart was warm and melty and spicy; every bite makes you think of Fall.  Although her's was great, I was partial to my shortcake.  I like the idea of lavender, but I hardly ever enjoy it in food.  Pairing the lavender with lemon, though, cut the floral pungency of the lavender.  Plus, the sprinkling of confectioner sugar and coconut atop buttery custardy deliciousness also has a marvelous effect. 

So, if you are in the Salem/Roanoke area and are thinking about "authentically modern cocktails and cuisine," then stop by.  You are in for a luscious treat.    

Weekend in Roanoke: Donuts at Uptown Joe's

Last May, I did a write-up of Blue Collar Joe’s, a donut place in Daleville, VA.  Ever since that first trip, I’ve been a huge fan, and I was very excited to hear that they have set up a second location, Uptown Joe’s, in the newly refurbished Patrick Henry Building in Roanoke. 

My parents and I stopped by for donuts and coffee after having lunch in Downtown Roanoke.   Both Blue Collar and Uptown Joe’s has coffee roasted for them by Lexington Coffee Roasting Company.  That extra little touch is one of the many things that makes Upscale Joe’s more than just the typical donut and coffee joint.  My mom and dad's favorite is the Butter Pecan coffee; but, alas, the Butter Pecan wasn't available on the day.  Instead, I had a nice blend of their daily coffee with a touch of Hazelnut.

Of course, we also got donuts.  Although only around 1:00, Upscale Joe’s was on their third delivery from the main store in Daleville and were close to going through those as well.  They had my all time favorite, the “Blueberry Pancake Donut,” but I went the seasonal route and got the “Pumpkin Cheesecake” and a “Caramel Apple Pie" for later. 

Although the "Pumpkin Cheesecake" looks like a filled donut, it is actually a standard “o” cake style donut topped with a fluffy cream cheese topping.  Because of this, the donut keeps a lot of crunchiness while also having a playful fluffy gooey topping.  Then, the tangy cream cheese counterbalances the hints of pumpkin and spices to just bring the donut flavor in an continuous donut circle of warm to sweet to spicy to creamy and back.  A little donut infinity.  If you need to reset your palate, a small swig of coffee gives you a restart.     

Although a sleek new name and decor to go with the upscale new location, it is still the same old Joe.  And, the donuts still do wrong, right.