Photo by inuyaki.com/Flickr CC
Austin, Texas has many charms, but the city seems determined to obliterate as many of them as possible in the name of progress. Right now there is a dispute between the mainstream restaurants and the interesting collection of trucks and sidewalk vendors.
The established restaurants are burdened with regulations. Most of the street vendors are immigrants, and they cheerfully ignore regulations that would get a typical restaurant closed by the determined agents of the city and county health departments. It will take the wisdom of Calvin Trillin to solve this problem.
While meeting with Amy of Amy's Ice Creams this April and discussing new flavors and happy cows, we noticed an irregular amount of activity across the street. My friend Rob now runs a flock of sophisticated white tablecloth restaurants, but he is a chowhound who can't resist the smell of barbecue. People at Amy's said that the place across the street was another street vendor.
Fried chicken and waffles is what restaurant people call "a concept," and it's making largely unacknowledged progress in black neighborhoods and hipster enclaves.Rob and I were curious so we hopped into a rental car and drove across Burnet Road, which is what Texans do when they want to cross the street. Lucky J's sells fried chicken and waffles. "Chicken for strength and waffles for speed," said a sign.
Fried chicken and waffles is what restaurant people call "a concept," and it's making largely unacknowledged progress in black neighborhoods and hipster enclaves.
Inside a small lunch wagon was a man who said hello. "You don't sound like you're from Texas?" I said.
"I'm from New York," said Jason T. Umlas.
Photo by Jason Umlas
"Yeah, I went to Stuyvesant and then I did East Asian Studies at Brown. I lived in Tokyo for six months and moved to L.A. I worked for five years as a chef and executive chef, but my girlfriend and I couldn't imagine staying in L.A., so we moved here."
Rob sheepishly admitted his own background. "Actually I went to high school in Manhattan and college at Yale."
We ordered what the ex-New Yorker suggested. I'm not a big fried chicken person so I had to ignorantly hack my way through the crust. The chicken was okay. Rob disappeared and returned with two sauces that transformed the chicken into something extraordinary.
"This is great."
Sunshine, bluebonnets, and waffles. Very friendly people and happy cows.
Lucky J's Chicken and Waffles
5703 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78766
512-300-6262
info@luckyjs.com
SHOP THE ATLANTIC FOOD MARKETPLACE
Subscribe to Atlantic Food
I must say it's a little hard to believe this post was written about Austin's food truck scene. Most of the growing number of food trucks around town, like Lucky J's, are run by trained chefs, and some are even extensions of well-known restaurants. To say that there is a dispute between trailers and restaurants is unfounded, as are the claims that truck operators are running their facilities without following health regulations.
The food trailer scene in Austin is vibrant and ever-changing. Visit a few more of them and you'll find out that some of the best food in town is being served in a parking lot, and restaurant owners are just as likely as anyone else to be enjoying their fare.
Addie Broyles
food writer, Austin American-Statesman
blogger, www.austin360.com/relishaustin
I agree with Addie's comment regarding Austin's food trailer scene. It really is an amazing thing run by professionals. Stick around a little longer next time and check out all the fabulous trailer food you've missed. You can even do a lot of them by foot or bike. Check out South First Street and South Congress.
I must add that my small hometown in Texas was not predominately a black neighborhood or a hipster enclave, but we did manage to have a fried chicken and waffle restaurant. Perhaps it's more of a southern thing.
Laura, http://www.dininginaustinblog.com
Fried chicken and waffles may be what NORTHERN restaurant people call "a concept," but here, in Texas, is called comfort food with a very long history.
I guess I couldn't let sleeping dogs lie. But Chicken and Waffles also has a history in New York as well.
"Rob and I were curious so we hopped into a rental car and drove across Burnet Road, which is what Texans do when they want to cross the street"
Wow, what a jerk! I'm not really sure what the point of this piece is -- other than to meet a deadline -- but you manage to be offensive and uninformed while at the same time not actually saying anything worthwhile. Way to jump on a trend, too; Austin's had a chicken and waffles restaurant since at least 2000 (Roy Henry's Famous Waffles and Chicken) -- which was not located in a black neighborhood or hipster enclave either.
What were the transformative sauces? We hicks want our fried chicken to taste extraordinary. Will I have to get in my car to drive across the street to Amy's to get some?
I'm not sure I have anything to add to what's already been said about the laziness and ignorance on display in this piece, but I feel the need to at least echo what others have pointed out.
Its tone of condescension is breathtaking. The picture it paints of these Ivy League-educated Manhattanites slumming their way through the hinterlands with all us mouth-breathing, greenhouse-gas-emitting yokels tells us far more about the writer than it does about Austin or the food involved.
So, as Carlos asked. what is the point here? Is he making fun of our food trailers? Arguing that our restaurants are too regulated? That only New Yorkers are capable of serving good food in Texas? That Texans are all idiots? Enlighten us!
The food truck scene in Austin is a notable trend and worthy of a write up. However, this doesn't do it any justice. The assertion that the trucks have sprung up to elude health inspectors is inflammatory and baseless. I don't see any indication that any knowledgable chefs/owners were consulted, and there would have been several to choose from. Identifying one of them as a Stuyvesant alum is a complete non sequitur. It gives the impression that the author didn't expect to like Austin and clung to the one bit of home he managed to find rather than try to appreciate Austin culture for its own sake.
"Rob and I were curious so we hopped into a rental car and drove across Burnet Road, which is what Texans do when they want to cross the street"
You mean it's what you did when you wanted to cross the street. I've been a Texan all of my life and I still walk across the street when I want to get to the other side. What, no chicken jokes?
And the sheepishly admitting his Yale background - was that to impress us?
The real fault here, of course, is the admission of not being a "fried chicken person". For shame.
How about an actual article on the impact of immigration from both coasts on the Austin food scene? I'd love to know what percentage of Austin restaurateurs came to Austin via L.A.
Just for the record, I have never been a Manhattanite. Not that there is anything wrong with being from Manhattan, as many of my friends are. However, I think there are some strong elitist implications being made here than need to be addressed.
I grew up in a 'poor' neighborhood in Brooklyn and have lived in 'transitional' neighborhoods my entire life. I love the mixture of cultures, ethnicity and authentic local cuisines that define a truly great city. After living in some of the world's best, I moved to Austin sight-unseen. After five years here I can say that Austin has all the necessary cultural attributes that I seek in a place to live, which more than anything is a true testament to the excellent people of Austin. I love living in a place where folks with such diverse backgrounds can come together and share an appreciation of, well in this case, Chicken and Waffles. The enjoyment of food and the shared experience of dining overcomes any perceived racial or socio-economic divisions.
In the coming months we will be expanding our menu as well as launching an additional 'concept'. This term has also taken on a negative connotation as it tends to imply "gimmick". Chicken and Waffles are not a gimmick. Good food never is. I am in the business because the food is close to my heart and I love making my guests happy. I am proud of my educational background, but it does not define me. The fact that I choose to sell chicken and waffles out of a trailer is based on my cumulative experience and not something done 'in spite' of my education.