Well, dear readers, can I just say chicken and waffles? Well, I did just say chicken and waffles, so I guess I can say chicken and waffles since I just said chicken and waffles. I can also say waffles and chicken, although it isn’t quite as musical. I can also say fershluganah. In any case, the first time I’d ever heard the words chicken and waffles used together was when I drove down Gower in Hollywood and saw a teeny-tiny little jernt called Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. It had a huge group of people outside, waiting to get in. Over the next few years, I drove by it many more times, and each time there were still huge groups of people outside waiting to get in. Then, in the late 1980s, I had my first Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles experience and it was grand and glorious. I was eating huge meals in those days of working on Totally Hidden Video. My first meal there consisted of two giant fried chicken breasts and two waffles and I’m here to tell you I put it all away in my tummy. I think I was full from that meal for three days, but the waffles were incredible and the fried chicken was even better. I then became a Roscoe’s regular and ate their quite often (we cut Totally Hidden Video right down the street from there). I even regularly took my little surrogate family (three kids and their mom) to the Pico Blvd. location (formerly a Piece O’ Pizza). Since then, I haven’t eaten there a lot, but whenever I do it’s amazing. Since then, they’ve also expanded by buying the building next door, so it’s a little easier to get in these days. The last time I was there was about three months ago with Melody and family and it was as great as ever.
About two months ago I was supping at the Eclectic Café. I arrived early (natch) so I took a little walk and I noticed a new place had just opened next door (formerly a Dairy Queen), called Soul Dog. Its owner, Otis, was sitting out front and I chatted him up. He was very concerned about making a go of it and how to get the word out. I gave him several suggestions. I also looked at the menu and it was everything I love – hot dogs, fried chicken, mac and cheese – but I was then in the beginning phase of losing weight so I knew I couldn’t go there and eat what I’d want to eat (one hot dog, one chicken breast, and about fifty sides). Over the last eight weeks I’ve thought about going over there, but haven’t. But yesterday, after not being able to get into the Studio Café and the Eclectic Café (I guess all restaurants with the word “Café” were busy), I just moseyed on over to Soul Dog and was delighted to find that on Sundays they do chicken and waffles. I ordered one chicken breast and one waffle. Ten minutes later both arrived. As is my wont, I started with the waffle – it was really good – maybe not quite up there with Roscoe’s, but very close. I finished that all up, trying to take it easy with the syrup. Then I dove into the chicken breast and that WAS right up there with Roscoe’s – moist, delicious, and just perfect, really. It was VERY filling and VERY yummilicious and I was VERY happy. I always think that that kind of meal will be disastrous for my endless diet, but the fact is a large fried chicken breast is under 400 calories, and the waffle, even with butter and syrup, is around 500 calories. So, 900 calories in all, which is considerably under the 1200 to 1500 I’ve been eating every day. I’ll now have to go back and try this hot dog thing they do that sounds really good – hot dog, chili, and cole slaw on a bun. And I hear tell that the mac and cheese is spectacular, so I’ll definitely try that and the cornbread. Best of all, it’s just five minutes away.
Prior to that, I’d gotten eight hours of sleep, answered e-mails, and begun re-organizing the garage environment – things have just been piling up out there, but there is plenty of room on my shelving units – it just took rearranging some things. Then I moved some books out there (as I get new things some of the lesser titles just move out there), cleaned up the book room completely, and got all the boxes that had been piling up in the dining room out to the garage. Then I did the four-mile jog, then ate, and then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled The Tree of Life, un film de Terrence Malick. Mr. Malick is an interesting filmmaker with a very small oeuvre – he is today’s Stanley Kubrick, which, I think, is what he wants to be. His films are very individual creations and every time I see one I’m amazed anyone has given him the dough to make them. I loved his first film, Badlands. I kind of liked but did not love Days Of Heaven. I really didn’t care for The Thin Red Line, and I missed The New World. The Tree of Life is unmistakably a Terrence Malick film from frame one to the last frame. It is weird, dreamlike, unsettling, occasionally touching, weird, unsettling, and weird. You know you’re watching a film by a director and writer who goes his own way, when the film takes a little tiny detour to show you the creation of the world. Of course, as is always the case with Malick, there are some very beautiful images. The cast is fine, but it’s not really about the cast. The younger cast all do well, and Brad Pitt is good as the strict father. I didn’t love the actress who played the wife, and Sean Penn, who has second billing, has about ten minutes of screen time. I can’t say that it’s an enjoyable film, but I can say I was mesmerized by it. I can’t say it’s a good film or a bad film, but I can say it’s never less than interesting and it’s frequently beautiful. I’m sure it’s a film that divides its viewers. The transfer and sound are excellent, although there is some weird little stuff where patterns don’t behave well – I believe these are all inherent in the use of the digital red camera – it just doesn’t handle certain patterns well. It’s an Art film with a capital A, but if you’ve liked Malick’s other work, you might give it a whirl.
After that, I watched the first thirty minutes of The Empire Strikes Back, which I’m enjoying – haven’t seen it in twenty years. Then I wrote the liner notes for our next release, and then it was time to write these here notes. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get another good night’s beauty sleep so I can be right as the rain that falls from above, except here, since we’re apparently still in the middle of summer.
Today, I have many errands and whatnot to do, I’ll do the four-mile jog, hopefully a package or three and more importantly the important envelope will arrive, after which I’ll do some banking and pay some bills. The editor will be coming over to pick up our hard drive – he’ll begin cutting these three episodes mid-week. Then I’m sure I’ll have to proof the packaging for our next release, as well as listen to the master. I’m hoping the singers get over here to pick up their material, and I’m still waiting to hear about our final gal singer.
The rest of the week will be more of the same with meetings and meals and errands and whatnot and doing and going and writing and watching and perhaps even a return visit to Soul Dog.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, I must do errands and whatnot, I must hopefully pick up an important envelope, I must proof, I must write, and I must eat something light but amusing. Today’s topic of discussion: Best fried chicken, best waffles, best hot dogs? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall dream lovingly of chicken and waffles.