Sesame Place, Part 3: Anaphylak-Fil-A

We don't have Chik-Fil-A in Massachusetts, but I've been hearing about it for years, whispers of gastronomic ecstasy at the far edge of earshot, like some southern-fried poultry cult. "It's like no other chicken on earth." "Leave the pickles on, 'cause the pickles are integral." "My Sundays are lost and empty without it. Maybe I should go to church, too." And those ads with the cows painting "Eat mor chikin" on billboards are just adorable. So when our hotel near Sesame Place happened to be across from a Chick-Fil-A, well, I couldn't pass up the chance. And by Saturday night, time was running out. "Um, we're leaving Monday morning, and Chik-Fil-A honors the Lord's day, you know," I told Jenn. So after we put Nate to bed, I dashed across the street (a four-lane state highway, actually, but this was important) and brought the loot back to the room.

We'd actually planned to nosh on this stuff for dinner, but I had called the restaurant earlier in the day and asked if any of their products were cooked in peanut oil. The answer? "It's all peanut oil." Great. Sorry, Nate. So we ate at the park that evening, and the dude missed out on the late-night Chick-Fil-A bonanza.

I bought Jenn the classic sandwich, myself some nuggets (whole pieces of chicken, mind you, not the kind first dissolved into a fine slurry and then reassembled). We both had fries and cole slaw, but they told me they were promoting the slaw and packed me five containers. Had I been struck by a car crossing the street on my way back to the Sheraton, Jenn might have had a slam-dunk lawsuit based on the excess cabbage weight slowing me down.

The verdict? Not bad at all, but nothing life-changing. Somewhere around KFC quality, but certainly better than the typical McDonald's fare. It was pleasant. I was satisfied, not only that I had finally joined the Chik-Fil-A club, but that I now knew their secret. Long before I had tried their food, I had always thought the secret was Jesus. But it's actually peanut oil. Huh.

I ate standing up, Jenn at a small table near the dresser. The food hardly touched the furniture surface, as I recall, maybe just a fry or two, and I ditched all the garbage in a hallway trashcan. But I guess we didn't wipe up quite well enough, because the next morning, as Nate ate breakfast at that table, his eyes began to get puffy. Nothing a little Benadryl couldn't handle, but really. Eat mor chikin? Umm ... you must be nuts. See you in church, though.

Comments

[tami]

chick-fil-A rocks!!! it's the BEST fast food chicken ever! you need to live near one to really appreciate it! we even order it for business luncheons at work!

[jac]

I had my first Chick-Fil-A experience in CNN Center in Atlanta. As I recall the sandwich was tasty. But I had more of a soft-spot for Chick because of Ben Folds Five's homage:

"Grew a moustache and a mullet, got a job at Chick-Fil-A, Citing artistic differences ,The band broke up in may - And in june reformed without me - And theyd got a different name - I nuked another grandmas apple pie
And hung my head in shame..."

[Lori]

mmmmmm... chicken strips and waffle fries with polynesian sauce.... hmmm... where's the car keys?