Ever since I heard about the Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, I've wondered how deep-fried buttermilk chicken, waffles and syrup would work for breakfast. My system usually wakes up slowly so I needed to talk to the tummy––I shouldn't have worried.
After one of the best cafe lattes I've had and an order of outrageously fresh beignets covered with a blizzard of powdered sugar, we were braced for what felt like having dinner for breakfast. (Doesn't everyone have beignets for appetizers?)
My husband and I split everything nowadays so we each had a piece of fried chicken and a waffle, which was just the right amount since we also ordered a bowl of cheesy grits–– and don't forget those beignets. Did I mention the homemade jam that went so well with everything...oh my.
The verdict? Absolute perfection. The chicken breast was juicy and tender, the buttermilk batter was crisp, full of flavor, and not at all greasy. It was a bit "herby" with rosemary but it still worked. The waffles weren't "airy" but just the right thickness. The syrup was not your ordinary maple syrup and was the perfect complement. Even the butter on the waffle had a distinctive flavor. That "pop" of flavor in the waffle, buttermilk batter, butter and syrup was a nice wake-up call and made this no ordinary breakfast experience. The grits were also extra-ordinary. Such creamy goodness that we could have ordered another bowl.
We enjoyed every bite of our "dinner for breakfast". We left the Brown Sugar Kitchen happy, satisfied and hungry for more! We noticed on the menu that they serve two poached eggs over those amazing grits and that is definitely worth another early morning trip to Oakland.
