Well, dear readers, since yesterday’s notes began with a rant so shall today’s notes begin with a rave. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, today’s notes begin with a rave, said rave being for the delectably delectable and deliciously delicious Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. Roscoe’s hit LA in the mid-1970s in a ramshackle joint on Gower in Hollywood. I first found Roscoe’s sometime in the mid-1980s – I don’t even remember how I ended up there, but I did and it really was a ramshackle jernt with just a few tables. I ordered what would become my regular meal there – the Carol C. special – one fried chicken breast and one waffle, along with a few sides. That first time (again, can’t even remember who I was with) we had red beans and rice (excellent), potato salad (can’t live without it), mac and cheese (great), biscuits and gravy (brilliant), and maybe even cornbread. I sampled all, but mainly confined myself to the business at hand – the chicken and the waffle, which is also the title of my next novel, although I think Irving Wallace also used that title for a novel. I do consider myself something of a fried chicken aficionado, but as long as the skin’s crispy and the batter is tasty I pretty much like it fine. However, back in 1966 I had occasion to stop in a town called Lebanon in Ohio and whilst there I had fried chicken at a very famous hotel called The Golden Lamb, and that fried chicken forever changed the way I thought about fried chicken. It was unbelievably wonderful – I’d never had anything like it. Nothing before it came close and until I found Roscoe’s that remained the case. Roscoe’s came close, which means Roscoe’s fried chicken is pretty incredible. And the size of the pieces of chicken are humungous. The chickens must eat at Roscoe’s, because they must be the plumpest chickens in the known universe. Perhaps they’re mutant chickens out of some Bert I. Gordon film. In any case, it was an instant love affair – the waffles were unique-tasting and fabulous and the whole thing just worked. In 1990 or so, I was working on the Fox show, Totally Hidden Video, and we moved the editing rooms from North Hollywood to across the street from KTTV in Hollywood, which was, coincidentally, one-half block from – Roscoe’s. We ate there often, either in the restaurant or takeout, but it was never less than brilliant. Sometimes I’d have two breasts and a waffle. Sometimes I’d have their scrambled eggs, cheese, and onions, which is terrific. Sometimes I’d do all sides. The last time I was at Roscoe’s was about five years ago when the Wechter clan and I went, and it was just as great as ever.
Yesterday, after shipping all the CDs we had to ship, which took a very long time, because we got more than 1400 CDs on their merry way (if Cason hadn’t been there it would have taken me much longer), and then we drove over to Paramount to bring them the studio copies. We met one of the nice people I’ve been dealing with, and then we drove up Gower and, you know, there was a parking space right across the street from Roscoe’s, and it was after two and therefore I figured we could get in without a wait. I took the parking space and there were indeed only a handful of people left after the lunch crush. I ordered the Carol C. and Cason ordered a half-chicken and two waffles – when it arrived you could not, in your wildest imaginings, imagine how much food there was on his two plates. I decided to use the restroom and wash up – as I went back there I realized the whole place had been spruced up. As I came out of the bathroom I suddenly noticed that they’d added a whole other ROOM to the jernt – they’d obviously bought the property next door and now there was a spacious dining room. I asked someone when they’d done it and was told two years ago. I then put an obscene amount of their yummilicious butter on my waffle, drowned it in syrup and took a bite and I was in Roscoe’s heaven immediately. I ate my biscuit and butter and that was wonderful, too. Then I took a bite of my huge mutant fried chicken breast and it was as fresh and incredible-tasting as ever. Even though I ate just the one waffle and one breast I felt like I’d eaten five meals (we shared a very tiny side of potato salad – maybe two bites each). Cason ate about two-thirds of his two waffles, and managed to get through a leg, thigh, and wing before he had to stop. He boxed up the breast that was left. One simply can’t eat at Roscoe’s that often, that is if one wants to keep one’s girlish figure, but I shall not let six years go by ever again. I think I’ll be back in a few weeks.
After that, Cason went home, I picked up some mail, and then proofed the new booklet and packaging, made a few changes and then sent it off for approval. And now we have to immediately start work on the title that will be announced alongside that release – a low-priced soundtrack by a composer I’m quite fond of for a not very well known short film – it’s really good, and, at $12.98 quite a bargain for a limited edition, but it’s my way of saying thanks to all our loyal customers. I’ll be lucky to break even on it, frankly, but I like it and want to do it. I’m not sure if the budget price will last past the New Year – I’ll probably raise it by two or three dollars, unless we sell out quickly. Then I had a few telephonic conversations and was finally done with all my stuff.
By the time I was done with all my stuff, there was no time to watch a motion picture nor was I in the mood to watch a motion picture, so instead I did some work on the computer.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we all ponder which came first, the chicken or the waffle?
Today, my morning meeting has been cancelled – it’s supposed to rain all day, and I’m no longer comfortable driving in the rain in my eleven year old motor car. So, I’ll start on the liner notes for the concurrent release, and I’ll begin organizing and cleaning for our upcoming annual Christmas Eve Do. Our first confirmation: Karen Morrow, her first time with us. I also have to do a few errands and whatnot and I’m hoping for a package or three to arrive – I also have to pay a lot of Kritzerland bills, which have been piling up.
The weekend should be fairly quiet, I think, so that’s nice. We were trying to get our private Nudie Musical reading together for this Monday, but it’s obvious it can’t happen that quickly, so we’ll push it to just after the New Year. I do have several meetings next week, and a few meals, plus the LACCTAA Christmas party, plus shipping all the Children’s Hour CDs. After that, I am off until the New Year. We’ll announce the two titles, but they won’t, most likely, ship until right after the New Year, although if they’re ready and I feel like it, I could conceivably ship them out before.
Our spate of December birthdays continues so let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the frug, for today is the birthday of dear reader Ginny. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader Ginny. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER GINNY!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, organize, clean, do errands and whatnot, pay bills, and eat something amusing. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, various soundtrack CDs from various labels. Blu and Ray, Godzilla, the original Japanese film, certainly the single worst Blu-Ray I’ve ever seen. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we all settle down with the story of The Randy Vicar and the Chicken and the Waffle.