Chicken and Waffles

Chicken and Waffles served up at Metro Diner-----Or what we have nick-named Heaven and Southern on a plate.

So here is the twist to Chicken and Waffles---- You are suppose to add a little bit of Louisiana Hot Sauce to the pancake syrup and dip both the chicken and the waffle into it. At first, I thought it would be an odd combo, but after my husband gave me a bite, I declared, "I will never eat waffles again without a little Louisiana Hot Sauce!" Oh my goodness! It was sooooo good! Plus, the chicken dipped in the syrup-hot sauce combo was awesome! It sorta reminded me of maple bacon and how that combo works well.

The Specials of the Day chalkboard proudly displays a chalk drawing of Guy Fieri and an autograph. Hope no one accidentally gets carried away with the chalkboard erasure.

My favorite booth at my favorite swanky retro diner, my husband, and my daughter. What more could this girl ask for?

Now here is the story behind the story....

Chicken and Waffles. Whodathunkit? This is my husband's favorite dish at our favorite place---Metro Diner .

We are here almost every weekend. I will never forget the first time we tried Metro Diner. It was 4 years ago and the first month we had moved to Florida and like most summer days, it was pouring rain here. Suffering from cabin fever, my husband mentioned a diner he had driven past which featured Belgium waffles on their window. (Husband Fact #347--He can eat waffles 24/7) So we grabbed our umbrellas and off we went. From the first moment we pulled up to the place, we knew we were hooked. The building alone makes one wanna go inside and grab a table or booth and try something yummy.  Metro Diner was established in the late 1930s. The atmosphere is a wonderfully fussed mesh of 1930's art deco with urban eclectic swankyness. Is swankyness a word? Maybe I should try it with an i instead of a y. Let's see: Swankiness. Yes, I like it more with an i. It is located in the charming historic area of Jacksonville, Florida known as San Marco. Sometimes over a cup of coffee served in one of their cozy mugs, I like to think about all that has occurred in this diner over the years; People sitting over their meals and discussing the start and end of World War 2, Pearl Harbour, Normandy, Television, Elvis, Kennedy, Woodstock, Who Shot Jr. and on and on. It is truly a place of history. The Davoli family owns and runs it today and they are fantabulous! Absolutely everything about this place, the food, the service, the atmosphere, the location, keeps us going back weekend after weekend. I like how Metro Diner truly is a place "Where the Locals Eat"  They were voted Best of Jax and have award winning yummy breakfast and lunch dishes. My favorite is the Breakfast Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict. My daughter loves the Charleston Shrimp and Grits and my husband loves, what else?, the Chicken and Waffles. And, they have the best tabouli I have ever tasted EVER!
Our weekend cravings for Metro Diner has paid off too b/c we witnessed some of the filming for a popular Food Network show. The diner was recently featured on Food Network's popular show hosted by Guy Fieri, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It was so cool to walk in and sit at our favorite booth---the one by the corner window---and watch some of the film crew work their magic. Metro Diner has that certain je ne sais quoi which is worth discovering for yourselves.....except don't take the booth by the corner window. Like I said, that one is my favorite. And like all good things, this one doesn't last forever; they close at 2:30 daily. Tell them I sent you. Hehe.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten
S.W.A.K.