Gladys and Ron's Chicken and Waffles: More Than the Soul Food

by Taronda Gibbons

If you’re looking for Southern hospitality and a nice atmosphere, Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken and Waffles is a nice restaurant to visit. Named after the two famous singers, the menu is music themed with appetizers listed as “Opening Acts” and meals called “Grammy Winners.”

Despite offerings of soul food and Southern dishes, no pork is served. My picky eating best friend enjoys their soul food, but I don’t. I do enjoy their food, just not their soul food.

Having been to the small eatery in downtown Atlanta several times, I am a fan. A few weeks ago, if I had been asked why I like eating there, I would have replied, “I don’t k

now. I just like their food.” However, after this visit, I realize that it is more than the food drawing me to a venue, which advertises servings of chicken and waffles together.

I never have to worry about asking for a booth because the seating is booth styled with only a few chairs placed on the outside of a couple of tables. The lighting is just right as if it’s set to create a romantic aura while R&B and oldies music plays softly. The walls are flanked with pictures of celebrities.

I’ve only been to this location, which opened in 1997, but there is another in Lithonia. I like the convenient downtown location. A downside is that if you’re unfamiliar with the area, you may be unprepared for the stragglers outside begging for money. Also, park only between the red striped lines in the lot behind the building because if not you’ll get booted.

Once inside the cozy establishment, the wait to be seated may range from half an hour to two hours. I’ve never stuck around if the time is longer than 45 minutes, but once I’m seated and order, the food usually doesn’t take longer than 15 or 20 minutes to arrive.

I like trying new things, but I’m a firm believer that sometimes you should stick to what you know. I always clean my typical plate of Southern fried shrimp, grits with cheese, and cinnamon raisin toast served with their special Georgia Peach Butter, which is peach jam. This time I tried the salmon croquettes and grits instead and found myself leaving the dry and bland salmon patties within three bites. No, thank you. I love spices.

After trying their chicken and waffles on a previous visit, I concluded that I don’t like chicken and waffles together. The wings, advertised as jumbo, are exactly that. I’d prefer to eat pieces of chicken that don’t look genetically altered. The waffle was edible, but it could have just as well been the frozen Eggo waffles sold in the grocery store. I expected the food to be better since the restaurant is named after this dish.

My best friend’s usual soul food dish of smothered chicken with rice, collard greens and macaroni and cheese disappointed me. Their greens and mac and cheese are not my grandma’s freshly prepared greens and home made mac and cheese, that’s for sure. Eyeing the smothered chicken, I took a bite and the chicken breast was tough. The waiter was nice enough to bring another serving of my friend’s entire meal even though she was happy with the sides she ordered.

The garlic shrimp appetizer and the peach cobbler desert were nice touches to the meal as a tasty opener and a sweet ending. Maybe that night wasn’t the best I’ve had at the restaurant, but that won’t stop me for going back for my Southern shrimp and grits.

Chipotle

by Patrick Adams

The Chipotle Mexican Grill chain claims to purchase its food ethically, organically, locally and naturally, but that is not the feeling I get when I step in the door. These types of claims are ones that lead me to believe the atmospheric experience will be warm, cozy and personable, not cold and industrial. Based on looks alone, the Chipotle in Decatur, Georgia does not do justice to the quality of the food. It looks as if the theme of the restaurant has little to do with Mexican heritage, except for a few Mayan-themed bas relief sculptures hanging on the walls.

Ordering the food was just as industrial, but in a good way. It’s an assembly line similar to Subway with the ingredients laid out in front of you. I ordered the burrito bowl, which has a variety of fresh ingredients to select from. The thick paper bowl is filled with a choice of cilantro-lime rice and pinto or black beans. Next you choose a meat, each of which is marinated in their chipotle sauce: grilled chicken, steak, carnitas (sautéed shredded pork) or barbacoa (shredded beef). You can top all that off with guacamole, salsa, cheese and/or sour cream. Although it was difficult to hear the worker over the loud music, at least it was Radiohead rather than Katy Perry. Eventually, though, I communicated over the loudness to the worker I wanted rice, black beans, chicken, guacamole, green tomatillo salsa and cheese.

A section of Chipotle’s menu board is titled “Food With Integrity”, which proudly displays a brief description of the healthy quality of their ingredients. The chicken I ordered was raised without the use of antibiotics or additives in the feed, and their other meats are also naturally raised. Only a portion of the vegetable ingredients are USDA certified organic, but according to the Chipotle Web site, they only buy from suppliers that use sustainable farming practices. Lastly, the cheese on my burrito bowl came from pasture-raised cows, which generally produce more nutritious milk than grain-fed livestock.

Ultimately, the finished product was a palette of various colors, which is usually a good indication of a balanced meal. It smelled amazing. I could easily discern the chipotle marinade, lime and cilantro. Although the burrito bowl was visually appealing in its layers, I prefer to use my patented smash-and-mix technique to keep the overall dish uniform in its flavor and texture. Just like the smell hinted, the chipotle, lime and cilantro were the most potent flavors in the dish, but the red onions also added a sharp bitterness, which was a good extra kick. The flavor was consistently distributed throughout my sludgy mish-mash.

Just one problem: I was freezing! And the stainless steel tables didn’t help. I don’t know if Chipotle is aware, but it’s supposed to be warm in Mexico. If you’re going to be a Mexican grill, then turn up the heat a little. It’s November, and the weather outside was in the forties. Capitalism has endowed us with central heating systems, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take advantage of such a modern convenience in late autumn.

The atmosphere was such a big problem that I’m not sure – even with delicious, healthy food – I would ever choose to eat in a Chipotle again. I could get a to-go order and eat it in the comfort of my own home – the restaurant setting is just too uptight. Certainly it has to set itself apart from similar competitors such as Moe’s, Taco Bell and Barbaritos, but a little Mayan-themed décor is not enough to offset the discomfort of stainless steel tables and cold air.