little skillet’s fried chicken + waffles

After a spectacular fish and shellfish tasting dinner at Quince (apologies for the lack of review – I was exhausted from the flight and just wanted to kick back and not have to worry about camera shake) we awoke on day two in San Francisco still satiated. However the siren call of fried chicken and waffles was too strong to ignore so we braved the heavy rain and made our way to the sleepy one-way lane where hole-in-the-wall Little Skillet resides.

Serving gloriously calorific Soul Food from 9am, the tiny kitchen churns out a goodie bag of Southern specialities like Shrimp and Grits, Catfish Poboys, BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Biscuits and Gravy, and of course, Fried Chicken and Waffles. I wanted it all, but once again we had an imminent meal in the horizon.

We each ordered a 2 piece + waffle with a pot of sausage gravy on the side and a homemade strawberry lemonade. Everything is made fresh so there was a slight wait during which our appetites swiftly returned as the smell of chicken frying wafted around us. The crisp golden pieces were perfectly seasoned and even the downpour and lack of decent shelter didn’t dampen our enjoyment as we tucked in with relish. The tender chicken married well with the warm waffles and maple syrup provided, but the extra sausage gravy really pushed it over. Seriously finger-lickin’ good.

And to round off, an expertly brewed americano (using Blue Bottle coffee) at the adjoining Cento. A bit out of the way this one but very much worth the taxi fare. Possibly the one thing I ate on our trip that sits most vividly in my mind (well, that and the stone crab claws at Joe’s). Magic.

Little Skillet
360 Ritch Street @Townsend
(between 3rd and 4th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94107

t. 415 777 2777

~ by gourmettraveller on April 20, 2011.