It’s Valentine’s Day once again. I love Valentine’s Day. I always have. When we were little, Valentine’s Day breakfast was served on the red Valentine’s Day placemats and always had a small little present included on the plate. When I got older, Valentine’s Day was an excuse to do some baking for those that I love, and for myself of course.
Now that I’m married, Valentine’s Day is when we make plans months in advance to have a delicious dinner and a lovely date night. Since Valentine’s Day is a Monday this year, we made our dinner plans on Sunday night. For my birthday last year, we went to Table 52. It was delicious. However, my birthday dinner was on a Saturday and that meant no fried chicken. For Valentine’s Day, Ryan and I wanted fried chicken. (Table 52 serves fried chicken on Sundays and Mondays only.) Thank goodness it was Sunday!
This meal was one of those meals that change your life a bit. We’ve eaten at Table 52 before and it was delicious. But this time was different. When you have an all-time favorite food (my Papa’s fried chicken) and you eat something that instantly takes you back to that food, it’s a little shocking and a bit emotional.
Food can be an emotional experience. And that’s not me being some sort of food snob. I promise you. Think of the food that you ate on Sundays when you were little. Imagine the taste. Remember the smells. Hear the sounds. If that can redone in a new environment, I promise you will feel emotional about it.
And that brings me back to Valentine’s Day dinner. Is Chef Art Smith‘s fried chicken the best chicken I have ever eaten? Well, no. But it’s the closest to Papa’s fried chicken that I have ever found.
And that may be the best compliment that I could ever give to a piece of food.
FrostOnePurlTwo 