Glady's Knights & Ron Winans

I remember telling my cousins about the magic that is the Midnight Train, one of the signature dishes at Glady's Knights. I was met with blank and slightly disgusted stares. Apparantly chicken and waffles is not for everyone, but it should be! I like to think if a restaurant is packed most of the time it's because a lot of people are of similar opinion to me, that opinion being, the food is pretty damn decent. Glady's Knights is always packed. Even late nights you can find small groups of people milling under the neon sign or sitting on a small bench outside waiting for their party to be called. Inside the hum of conversation intermingles with the sound of R&B music all overlayed by the scent of fried chicken. The burgundy walls are covered with anything music related and pictures of celebrities who've all stopped by the restaurant, tempted by the legendary chicken & waffle combination. You can find the history of the unlikely duo on the restaurant's website (I've posted a link below.) It has it's roots in 1930's Harlem with jazz players who after playing long sets would come of stage and not know whether they wanted breakfast or dinner. Although fried chicken and waffles seems a random combination they make a truly mouth watering pair. The chicken at Gladys Knight's is fried to crispy golden perfection but is still deliciously juicy to sink your teeth into (I like to eat my chicken with hot sauce and ketchup). The original waffle which is served as part of the Midnight Train is fluffly, light and slightly sweet, even without syrup. The texture is wonderful, crisp yet still soft and a little spongy which helps soak up butter and syrup flawlessly so you can taste both in every bite.  That is not to say there aren't other tempting offerings like Gram's Grand Chicken Salad--described on the menu as "A boneless chicken breast, fried or grilled, served atop a fresh selection of mixed greens and tomatoes, topped with shredded cheddar cheese." I favor it because they are very generous with the chicken and I'm the type of girl that likes my salad with more "stuff" then green's. The menu is filled with Southern staples like fried green tomatoes, black eyed peas, grits and smothered chicken so if you're looking for a stomach filling southern influenced meal Glady's Knights is the place for you. I also suggest trying the "Uptown" aka Arnold Palmer, a blend of sweetened tea and lemonade that has a pleasent little tang to it and is the perfect compliment to a hearty meal. Also try the sweet potato cheesecake for dessert, it's delicious!

Below are links to the restaurant website if you'd like to learn more or view the menu.

http://gladysandron.net/menu_online.html (menu)

 

http://gladysandron.net/about.html (restaurant info)

Fast Food--Ghanaian Style

One thing I've noticed in traveling is the distinct difference in the execution of fast food outside of the States. You can get a hearty meal in most other countries in the same amount of time it takes to get the mass produced pre-frozen and steroid laden fare you can find on almost every corner here (not that I have a problem with it, I love burgers.) But the option of a real meal when it's 4am and you're still a little drunk from clubbing is something you're often hard pressed to find here. The lack of squeamishness that often marks the American culinary experience helps to make wonderful things like chicken with fried rice and coleslaw possible at all hours of the day. I find that eating food in the States goes hand in hand with an fanatic obsession with sanitation and an attitude that says if it isn't vacuum sealed and triple plastic wrapped it's not safe to eat. Being able to eat in a culture without a fear of it's own food is a wonderful and unique experience.

Between the chop-bars and open air food stands the scent of cooking permeates everything and that's way it should be. It's heartening to know people haven't forgotten that there were people eating before there was refridgeration and that there is a certain magic in the mingled scents spiced food cooking on the street corners or even that something sitting outside for awhile won't kill you. I'm glad to know I can still get a good stomach coating meal cheap and fast that won't eventually clog my arteries or give me high blood pressure. Riding with my cousins to buy food from their vendor of choice makes me wish people in the States could remember what it was to shop at an open air market with sound of people haggling and the scent of fresh food perfuming the air. Or realize that whether you physically bought the animal alive or it came a week old plastic wrapped from the slaughterhouse-- You're still eating it. So picking an animal to eat fresh isn't any less humane then buying it from the grocery store. If only we could let go of our fear of E. coli, food poisoning and whatever exotic disease is the fear flavor of the month we could really appreciate our food. This is not to say that there aren't any sanitation risks and you'll never get sick but the risk is well worth the pay out to me.