Food Review: Chicken and Waffles of Evanston

Unfortunately, Hawke and Bailey don't spend all of their days sitting around drinking cider. They occasionally sample food as well. This time they were invited to Chicken and Waffles a restaurant that specializes in chicken, waffles, catfish and other southern home style recipes.

The Evanston location is their newest location (there are two more Chicago locations in Oak Park and the South Side) and the building itself is beautiful. Inside and out is covered with gorgeous brickwork that both Hawke and Bailey loved. Inside the restaurant there is a soft lighting and rich color. Live jazz plays on Thursday nights, but the house music was also soft and really helped complete the dinning experience.

Hawke and Bailey were promptly seated and a very friendly waitress came over. Looking over the menu, the waitress pointed out some of the popular items: The Saint which is a quarter of white or dark meat fried chicken with 2 waffles and Tonya's choice, which is 3 wings and a choice of one waffle, potato salad, or fries. Hawke opted to try The Saint with dark meat, while Bailey ordered Kisha's Creation. This is 2 fried or grilled catfish filets with a choice of waffle, grits, or rice, as well as 2 eggs done in any style. Bailey chose the fried catfish, scrambled eggs and a buckwheat waffle. She also opted to get a side of gravy.

Food arriving quickly, they surveyed the meals. Hawke's was served up with two large traditional waffles and two pieces of chicken, all on one plate with a heap of butter and two containers of syrup. Baileys was served on three plates with surprisingly large pieces of catfish and a large thick buckwheat waffle. A large portion of rice and eggs were also given, and the gravy was separate. The portions here are definitely worth the money.

The Saint

Digging into the meal Hawke found the waffles were sweet but not overwhelmingly so. They were crispy without being overdone and were not soggy at all. It went well with the syrup provided, which had a very nice maple flavor. The chicken was also very good, cooked just right. It is a traditional pairing of chicken and waffles, so it can come as no surprise that the syrup goes well on the chicken, but hot sauce is also an option. Surprisingly, there was no grease or oil that was on the chicken, despite being fried. Both the meat and the skin were done just right. Reaching over he did dip some of the chicken in the gravy that Bailey had gotten and found that the pairing was delicious. There are many different cider pairings that can be done with this meal. It is very earthy and one may want to stick with that. Hawke decided that the Grasshopp-ah Cider from the Colorado Cider Works would be a good pairing. As well, the Tieton Yakima Valley Dry Hopped Cider would also be good cider to try with this meal. 

Kishas' Creation

Sides

Baileys' meal was almost overwhelming in the amount of food that was presented. She first tried the eggs, which she really liked. They were cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of seasoning to them. The waffle was also quite good. It was very thick which Bailey almost had mistaken for two waffles, and almost had a cake-like texture to it. Despite its' size, the texture was very light, something she did not expect. Switching to the catfish, she found it to be crispy, with a rich buttery taste. Realizing that the crust was breadcrumbs and not flour, she also discovered that the catfish was not greasy at all. She was also quite a fan of the gravy. The gravy is homemade from their chicken. It is not greasy, but thick and creamy. It had a sweet peppery flavor to it. It pretty much went well with everything that was on the table. The rice was moist with a bit of stickiness to it that made it easy to dip in the gravy.

An ideal cider pairing for this meal would probably be the Woodchuck Amber or  Woodpecker Cider. Both are very standard ciders, and do not offer a lot of complex flavors. Covering up or worse, clashing flavors with a meal like this, especially the gravy, might confuse your pallet. 

Peach Cobbler

Lastly, dessert came around. This was a peach cobbler. Bailey and Hawke both found this to be delicious. It was not overly sweet as many cobblers can be. Instead it had an effective balance between sweet and tart, and was eaten very quickly.

Chicken and Waffles Restaurant offers a variety of different options while sticking to their roots. You can tell that the owners care about what comes out of the kitchen, and serving food that everyone can eat. The waitress told us that they focus on not over-seasoning or making things too greasy so that their more elderly patrons don't have to worry about diet restrictions.  Price for all the dishes was very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food served. Hawke and Bailey will definitely be eating there again, or at least getting carry out in the future. 

Woodchuck Farmhouse Select

This particular Woodchuck Cider came to us as a surprise. As we had not seen it on the local shops until recent. Then Hawke researched it and found it was available year round. The cider promises a taste of the original Woodchuck Cider back when it was first made. They use Vermont apples and Belgian beer yeast to produce the flavor. Information about this and other Woodchuck ciders can be found at : www.woodchuck.com

Color:
Bailey thought highly of the champagne gold color. Not quite the usual tinge we have seen from the other Woodchuck products. She rates it with a 4/5 apples. Hawke was delighted by the slight yellow tinge and slight cloudiness of the drink. He gives it 4/5 apples.

Smell:
Bailey detected a smell of sweet apples, but it was very faint. It was almost masked completely by a more alcohol smell. The smell was however very crisp. She gives this cider a 2/5 apples for lack of a pleasing smell. Hawke smelled the alcohol that was strong but not quite overpowering. Under this was a slight apple smell, but it wasn't very prominent. Hawke wished the apple smell was more present. He rates it with a 3/5 apples.

Taste:
Bailey felt that this was a very light cider. She delighted in a sweet apple taste, with the alcohol taste not overpowering. This cider doesn't have a jaw-dropping powerful flavor, but Bailey did like it. She gives it a 4/5 apples. Hawke found the flavor extremely light filled with a mix of apples and alcohol. He also gives it a 4/5 apples.

Aftertaste:
Bailey detected a strong sour apple aftertaste. It reminded Bailey of fermenting apples, yet it did not linger for a long time. She very much enjoyed the short lived sour contrast to the sweet flavor. She gives it a 4/5 apples. Hawke felt a sweet aftertaste that does not linger but a minor alcohol flavor accompanying it. He rated it with a 3/5 apples.

Price:
$11-13. This bottle contains 750ml, the same as a wine bottle. Bailey felt one would get 4 generous glasses worth of cider. For the price it is a good quality cider.She gives the price a 4/5 apples. Hawke thought that it was a decent cider. He thought it was reasonable for those that want a change from the usual Amber cider. He rates it with a 4/5 apples.

Overall:
It is a good cider for summer or spring. The flavors are not necessarily as robust as the other ciders that have been sampled thus far, but it is still a high quality cider. Also, because it is so light, it can be paired well with a lot of different food.

Overall, Hawke gives this 18/25 apples or a yellow apple!

 Bailey also gives this cider 18/25 or a yellow apple!

Woodchuck Private Reserve Belgian White

This came to us as a special surprise. We had first heard of this Cider a couple of weeks back, but were unable to locate it in our area. A store did come through for us though, and we managed to get our hands on this beverage. 


This cider is made with Belgian Beer yeast, coriander, and orange peel. It is as interesting as it sounds. You can navigate their website here: www.woodchuck.com 

Color:
 Bailey thinks this cider looks like apricot nectar because of the unfiltered cloudiness and the orange tint. It makes her mouth water just looking at it. Hawke was impressed with the color. It was not dull, and the cloudiness betrayed no large particles. Hawke 5/5 Bailey 5/5 

Smell:
There are so many smells to take in when you inhale the essence of this cider, and each one of them are very robust. You can faintly smell the yeast, which usually bailey would be opposed to (she doesn't like beer) but it isn't overpowering. Second, you can detect the sweet smell of the apples. The last, but definitely not least is the orange aroma. These smells perfectly blend together, and are very appetizing indeed. Hawke detected the smell of apples, along with another more mysterious fruit smell. It was not unappealing, but pleasant.
 Hawke 5/5     Bailey  5/5

Flavor  / Complexity:
Bailey takes more than one sip when trying this delectable cider. She is very surprised by the first taste that hits her. It's almost as if you are taking a drink of beer, but the taste is so smooth it doesn't result in a lemon face as any beer would usually make her produce. There is no bitterness to this cider. The next flavor is the apple cider, a mix of sweet and tangy apple goodness. The last is of the orange, that starts very mild and builds in the aftertaste. Once you take one sip, you won't be able to put this bottle down.
Hawke 5/5     Bailey 5/5

Aftertaste:
The aftertaste that Bailey gets the most is of the orange flavor. It almost tastes juicy...the only way she can describe it. It reminds her of a burst of flavor that you would get from biting into a popping boba, the little tapioca balls of juice that the frozen yogurt places have as toppings. The orange flavor is very sweet, and it leaves you wanting more. Hawke thinks that this after taste is quick, but flavorful. Many of the previous ciders have had a a strong, or bitter aftertaste, and in one case no aftertaste at all. This offers a good balance between all possibilities, while not compromising the flavor. Hawke 5/5     Bailey 5/5

Price:
 $11-13 Bailey thinks that the price is a little steep, but it is a new product, and with the quality of this cider, she thinks it is worth it. Hawke is feeling a tad bit more lenient, and feels like that the price would go down if it because a year round blend. Hawke 4/5   Bailey  4/5

Overall:
This would make an awesome summer drink. It's like drinking an everlasting gobstopper of apple and orange goodness! We know that this is currently a private stock reserve, but we would very much like it to become a regular product, or possibly a seasonal. This cider offers and ideal balance of all the above categories. Not too sweet, not too bold, no bitter after taste. Of all the ciders we have tried so far, this is Bailey's favorite!
 Hawke 24/25 Bailey 24/25  both rate this with a green apple!

Woodchuck: Winter Limited Release

With the winter season upon us we decided to open with a seasonal blend from Woodchuck Cidery. (Found at Woodchuck.com). The website states that this is a,

"Somewhere between a delicate snowflake drifting down to your tongue and a hard-packed snowball to the teeth, the power of this winter Cider is a balanced culmination of Premium French and Traditional American Oak, giving the cider great complexity and broad characteristics that neither style could produce on its own." 

Woodchuck is produced in Middlebury, Vermont, and although we were unable to find the variety of apples used in this cider, this cider almost certainly gets its' distinct flavor from the oak barrels it is stored in. 

Color:

      Winter Blend has a clear light caramel color to it representing a quality batch of cider. We used a Champagne flute to better showcase the color.

     Hawke and Bailey both agree that the color is excellent and rate this with a 5 out of 5 apples.

Smell:

     Bringing the bottles to our noses Bailey and I delighted in the scents that came our way. The blend has strong scent of oak. Underscoring this is a lingering scent of vanilla. 

     Hawke thinks the smell was a little overpowering and rates it with a 4 out of 5 apples.

     Bailey concludes that all the flavors blend together and get lost in the smell, rating it with a 3 out of 5 apples.

Complexity/Flavor: 

    Finally Allowing ourselves a chance to drink the cider, it trickled into us. Bailey delighted in the flavor as she relished the "woody, earthy taste, with a hint of vanilla. The subtly flows from a wood flavor to that of vanilla." 

    Hawke detected a strong wood flavor, which brought back fond memories of being in front of a fireplace with the cold wind blowing outside. He, unlike Bailey, did not pick up the exact taste of vanilla at the end, but did get a glimpse of sweetness.

    Hawke give the Complexity a 3 out of 5 apples.

    Bailey absolutely loves this one, so she will give it a 5 out of 5 apples.

Aftertaste:

    Several gulps later, reveling in the flavors and feeling very satisfied, we both pondered on the description of the aftertastes. Hawke said he got a smooth aftertaste rather than a crisp one, still bursting with the wood flavor.

    Bailey exclaimed that she felt like she was drinking a cider "champagne" of sorts. It's almost as if you get the sensation of small bubbles tickling your taste-buds. Bailey experienced a light and sweet aftertaste. 

    Hawke was expecting a more crisp aftertaste rather than smooth, so he rates this one with 3 out of 5 apples

    Bailey loved all the complex flavors of this blend and gives it a 4 out of 5 apples.

Price:

    In the range of $8-$11 depending on store and region.

    Hawke rates this very reasonable with a 4 out of 5 apples.

    Bailey agrees and will rate with the same 4 out of 5 apples.

Overall: 

    Altogether Hawke rates Woodchuck's Winter Limited Release with a 19 out of 25 apples.

    

    Bailey adds her score up to be 21 out of 25 apples.