Which Came First - The Chicken or The Waffles?

My sister and her husband have been making at least one trip West every year of late, and we've developed a little tradition for their annual stop-overs in Los Angeles -- we make a food pilgrimage to Hollywood's holy food temple of down-home tastiness and utter unhealthiness.

Roscoe's is the stuff of Los Angeles legend. Founded in 1976 as an all-night take-out restaurant (the first of its kind in LA) it has evolved into a five location chain that feeds everyone from actors to rappers to ordinary folks like you and me.

Chicken and waffles are the staples, but a whole host of home-cooked sides like baked macaroni and cheese, candied yams and greens will tempt you too. There are salads and other healthier options if you're not inclined to stuff your face, but I had saved my appetite all day so I could go whole hog on the Scoe's #1 -- a quarter fried chicken with two enormous waffles slathered in butter and syrup.

Of course, I'm also a mac & cheese addict, so I had a side of that as well.

I stopped short of licking the last bits of syrup and butter off the plate, but there was not a morsel of food left otherwise. By the time I got home I was so full it felt uncomfortable to sit down. I promptly fell into a food coma the second I hit the bed. I still felt full when I woke up this morning.

I guess it's a good thing my sister won't be back for a while. I need time to digest. LOTS of time.