Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and Waffles you say?  That doesn't sound good.  Well, you haven't had Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles...together.  So yummy.  And it's not just the food, it's the experience.

The Chicken and Waffles combination was brought from Harlem to LA in the 1970's by Herb Hudson. The restaurant became popular among Motown artist and, spread through word of mouth, it became a legend.  The Los Angeles Times refers to Roscoe's as "such an L.A. institution that people don't even question the strange combo anymore." It is known for the signature Chicken and Waffles but they offer so much delicious soul food that it's a great home away from home for food.  When I go I always get the greens and mac and cheese in addition to the signature.

Now, I must admit, I've never been to the restaurant before midnight, it's usually a late night visit but that's what makes it so great.  (Side note, I have had their take out during the day and it's just as good.) On this particular weekend I went at around midnight and it was as packed as ever. There was about an hour wait so we went into the lounge where they had a jazz band (The Long Beach location has a jazz lounge as well.)  When we were seated we knew exactly what we wanted,  I usually get the #1: SCOE'S 1/4 Chik prepared southern style, 2 waffles but since we were sharing we went with the #3 which subs the 1/4 chicken for 1/2.  We also got a side of greens and mac and cheese.  More than enough food to satisfy our appetite that night.  The food takes around 10-15 minutes to come out and about that long to devour it all!  As usual it was good.

As I said, the thing that makes Roscoe's so special is the late night atmosphere, everyone is happy, hungry, and quite loud.  I think just about anyone could walk into the restaurant at night and they would be accepted and have a good time.  The staff is nice and somewhat tolerant of the late night shenanigans.  There is security just in case but I've never seen anything get out of hand.

Roscoe's is popular with a lot of celebrities most notably Snoop Dogg and Larry King.  It's also been mentioned in countless movies and songs. If you're in LA, you definitely need to try the chicken and waffles.  Even if you've had this combination before, their recipe will impress you!

Starling Diner

The Starling Diner is right around the corner from me, literally in my back yard and I had no idea it was there.  The diner blends into the neighborhood so well that you can pass it and not even realize it's a restaurant.  That was the creators intention.  Not that they didn't want to be recognized but they wanted to blend in and be apart of the neighborhood. Settled in the quaint Long Beach neighborhood of Belmont Heights the Starling Diner is a great fit.

We decided to go on a Saturday morning around 10am.  The restaurant was packed inside and out but the waitlist wasn't long. We waited outside for about 10 minutes and had the opportunity to look at everyone plates.  It all looked delicious. I really needed some good food and coffee because we threw a party the night before and were still recovering :)

Inside, the decor of the diner is warm and homey in a good way.  We sat down and immediately was brought water and much needed coffee.  After glancing over the short menu we ordered their signature Broiled San Francisco Stuffed French Toast and the Apple Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scramble, and would share both.  Everything on the menu sounded good but we were happy with our selection.

When the food came it looked better than I could have imagined.  I started with the scramble and Grete started with the French Toast.  The eggs were savory, flavorful, and filling.  All of the ingredients tasted fresh and cooked to perfection. For the french toast we choose the seasonal cherries for our topping.  It was almost like desert.  Stuffed with creamy Mascarpone and crème fraiche every bite was amazing.  Splitting both plates  really made the meal because it was like we had dessert after a entree.  On top of all the good food, the bill was about $23 including our coffee's.  Amazing food at an amazing price, you just can't beat it.  By the time we left there was quite a long wait, around 30 minutes.  I'm glad we got there when we did.

I really wish I would have known there was this amazing diner so close to me.  This is a place that I say go out of your way for, everyone should try to get here. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.