We've never seen chicken and waffles — or eggs Benedict — like this
When I was four, my parents bought me the "Days of the Week" socks from Walmart. I'm not sure what brand they were, but I imagine they would've had to be Fruit of the Loom.
A big fan of the vivid colors and cotton texture, I wore them until I was about six, after which it became too uncool to do so (you drop a pair on the summer camp black top once and you learn fast).
Today, however, I got to thinking — if Fruit of the Loom did a similar sock series, but with a food theme, I'd totally wear them again.
Here's a sample week of what I mean:
Spicy Chicken Sunday (Chick-fil-A needs to get on board with this)
Manicotti Monday (extra points for imagery with vodka sauce)
Taco Tuesday (if it ain't broke...)
Weight Watchers Wednesday (not for diet purposes, just because I like eating their chocolate peanut butter overnight oats)
Thick Oreo Thursday (double, triple or "most"-stuffed)
Fried Oyster Friday (niche, but it's my sock fantasy, not yours)
Stromboli Saturday (especially proud of this one)
So, yeah. Maybe I'll send something to their customer resources team and see what happens.
In the meantime, though, here's something else that has to do with seven day blocks of time and tantalizing gastronomy — but isn't footwear.
These are the three best dishes I ate in North Jersey this week.
Prosciutto Panino, Pascarella Brothers
Locally-famous deli Pascarella Bros might be known for its Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese, but, this week, I was thrown for a loop when presented with the team's prosciutto panino.
Sinking my teeth into its saucy, drippy layers, I realized the sandwich just might be my favorite on the menu. Here's why.
To start, the massive creation features top-quality meat, multiple cheeses, roasted peppers and balsamic on warm, pressed-to-order bread. Sweet and salty, that combination of ingredients is loaded with flavor, and releases tons of juices into the spongy ciabatta around it.
Just as notable as the sandwich's taste, however, is its varying textures. The prosciutto upon it is as tender as I've tried from that variety of meat, and the mozzarella nearly melts in your mouth. Though much of the ciabatta bread dissolves into the aforementioned juice, it retains an irresistibly crunchy crust, which — when bit — breaks with an audible crack.
As much as I love a good Taylor ham sandwich, this thing was simply in a league of its own.
Go: 34 Watchung Ave., Chatham; 973-635-3354, pascarellabros.com.
Chicken and Waffle Taco, Craft Taco Co.
Chicken and waffles nearly always falls flat. The chicken is too dry for the (even drier) waffle beneath it, and no ingredients — besides pancake syrup, or, lately, hot honey — are used to bridge the gap between the two and turn them into a cohesive, working unit (rather than something that makes your throat feel like a bag of cotton balls while you eat it).
Oh, and did I mention they're virtually flavorless?
Good news, North Jersey! Such is not the case at Craft Taco Co., where owner Michael Merida is nailing the dish on the daily.
Served in the form of a taco, chef Merida's Chicken and Waffles Taco showcases a house-made waffle "shell" around buttermilk chicken, red bliss potato salad, jalapeño-maple sauce and scallions. Sweet, spicy, cool and even a bit tangy, the little handheld has more flavor in its three inches than any full-sized version of the meal in the town.
And, as for the dryness typical of chicken and waffles? Non-existent; as this bad boy was dripping down my arm the whole time I taped it for @northjerseyeats.
Go: 328 Kinderkamack Rd., Westwood; 201-383-0043, crafttacocompany.com.
Uncle Beni's Scallion Pancake Benedict, Kinjo
Is this the second mention for Kinjo in my Best Things I Ate column this year? Or the third?
I don't know, and I don't care — because as long as chefs Jamie Knott and Bill Sanders keep putting new dishes on the menu, they're going to keep making this list.
Especially if they're griddled, house-made scallion pancakes covered in poached eggs, braised short rib and yuzu hollandaise.
I mean, come onnnn normal eggs Benedict. You really need to try harder.
Go: 159 Washington St., Newark; 973-944-2828, kinjonj.com.
Hungry for more?
Want more on this week's latest food news? Check out some of my best articles at NorthJersey.com/food, and follow me on Instagram: @northjerseyeats.
And, as for next week? I'll be competing in another big Spartan race — so, you can bet I'm going to be hungry.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: We've never seen chicken and waffles — or eggs Benedict — like this
