The Waffles Debate + Win Free Dinner For Two!
Restaurant 3’s Chicken and Waffles Dish – but with WHAT side?!
I recently had the pleasure of having dinner at Restaurant 3, where I talked with Co-Owner Jonathan Williams about their Chicken and Waffles dish. He was joking around, saying they were trying to settle a debate on whether the chicken and waffles should be served with a side of maple syrup or a side of gravy. The argument has been raging internally at Restaurant 3 with the Owner and Chef on different sides.
You see, I feel very strongly about this, and what the correct answer is, but I promised to remain neutral and open it up to you, We Love DC readers to decide. Vote in the comments – gravy or maple syrup, and I’ll use random.org to pick a winner to get a free dinner for two at Restaurant 3. Also, in addition to offering the dinner for two, Restaurant 3 will actually alter the dish according to customer feedback. If the majority of the group says gravy, the restaurant will adapt the dish. Hurry, voting ends at noon on the 18th! I’ll announce the winner of dinner for two, and what dish will be served at the restaurant later that day.
To give you a little insight into the debate at Restaurant 3 I talked to the opposing sides. “The balance between salty and sweet is the classic twist on flavors that make Chicken n’ Waffles ridiculously delicious. The chicken has a crisp salty flavor, it is the sweet maple syrup that is the contrast. And who wants to eat a fluffy waffle without maple syrup?” says Jonathan Williams, Co-Owner of Restaurant 3. His Executive Chef does NOT agree. “Chicken n’ Waffles is not a light breakfast dish. It is a savory, hearty dinner dish that combines the sweet Belgian waffle with the crispy fried chicken. A hearty, savory gravy poured atop the Chicken n’ Waffles gives it the kick the pushes the dish into dinnertime.” says Brian Robinson.
So the fate of chicken and waffles lies to you, dear reader – so what do you say? Should it be served with maple syrup, or with gravy?
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92 Responses to “The Waffles Debate + Win Free Dinner For Two!”
September 16th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I know I’m not eligible, but I’ll start off the debate by saying: MAPLE SYRUP.
There is nothing like that juxaposition between savory and sweet. And yes, I am one of those perverts who puts maple syrup on their bacon.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Ahem. Also not eligible, but: GRAVY!
September 16th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Not eligible, but clearly the only correct answer is gravy. Sweet + meat = abomination.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Maple Syrup. Always.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Syrup with fried chicken!
Although if you are serving the Pennsylvania Dutch classic dish “turkey and gravy on waffles”, that’s a whole other thing.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Syrup! Come on! Gravy is for turkeys.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
MAPLE SYRUP! Gravy is for chicken fried chicken and biscuits.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Maple Syrup.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
GRAVY
September 16th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Sausage gravy, but from maple-infused sausages.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Maple syrup, gravy would ruin this dish.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Syrup. Have you never had chicken nuggets with honey? Same thing.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
You people are nuts. Not eligible, but clearly maple syrup is a disgusting sticky mess and the only thing to put on this hearty meal is gravy.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Maple syrup, definitely.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
SYRUP – contrast is key! similar to chicken & biscuits with a side of honey…YUM
September 16th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Syrup, duh!
September 16th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Umm… I’ve actually never had chicken & waffles! Which is why I am deserving of this meal! I’m guessing I will lean towards the syrup side.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
pure maple syrup (preferably grade b) as its rich in nutrients and definite compliment to fried chicken. You can’t been the sweet vs. salty meat combo…why do you think Popeyes and KFC offer honey with their chicken and when people order chicken nuggets the most popular dipping sauces are sweet (honey mustard, sweet & sour, honey, the bbq is usually even sweet). And don’t make me go down the road of bbq sauces sweetened with brown sugar, honey and yes…maple syrup. It’s maple syrup over gravy all day long!
September 16th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Gravy. Yum. Now I am hungry.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
BOTH. No doubt.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Syrup! Syrup! Syrup! (Have I made my case?)
September 16th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Syrup, yup.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Syrup! But because of the waffles. Otherwise gravy with chicken anytime.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Gravy. Yep.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Syrup. I also am known to dip my bacon (salty) and sausage (savory) in my maple syrup. Gravy on a waffle is just wrong.
You want gravy? That’s what biscuits are for.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Totally going to go with Syrup….but of course I would like to ask that the whole dish be made with no trans fats, low fat and void of any sugar whatsoever. Think they can handle that? :)
September 16th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
The “bread” of this duo makes the answer-syrup. Of course, I could be persuaded to use gravy and use my “bread” to sop up the juiciness found with the chicken.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Syrup!
September 16th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Syrup.
I have never been served chicken and waffles with gravy, so I can empirically say that syrup on fried chicken is delicious. Gravy on a waffle, however, sounds completely repugnant.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
BOTH! Red eye gravy with cooked down syrup so it’s nice a thick and extra butter on the crispy chicken. My arteries love me.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Syrup.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Syrup, the Southerner and Northerner in me screams!
The person who made the point that gravy is best with biscuits is right.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Syrup!!
September 16th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Syrup, but maple syrup.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I’m not eligible, either – but maple syrup! It would be yummy on the waffles, and sweet on chicken is good – like apricot chicken and peach chicken, nom nom nom.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I’m going to have to go with gravy…
September 16th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Not eligible, but dammit, SYRUP, especially if ‘fresh’ and not a chemical confection. Sweet + crispy hot? Breakfast heaven.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
See, for me, this all depends on the chicken’s seasoning and on how sweet the waffels are. Personally, I don’t think that syrup sounds great with chicken, and I don’t think the gravy sounds great with waffels. If I were preparing the dish, I think I’d use a raspberry reduction as a substitute. It’d go well with the savoriness and saltiness of the chicken and the sweetness of the waffels.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Gravy for sure. Syrup on chicken has never sat right with me, but you could put gravy on a shoe and I’d eat it.
If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish my gravy smoothie now…
September 16th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
*casting a vote even though I’m probably not eligible*
Why can’t they serve both? If I have to pick, I’m going with syrup … but, seriously, just serve both.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I think they should serve both, but would go with syrup if I had to pick.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Best chicken and waffles I’ve had were with a maple syrup reduction. So syrup far and away. Gravy ruins the waffle, but syrup doesn’t negatively impact the chicken (it may even improve it).
And agreed, gravy is for biscuits in this case.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Gravy!
September 16th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Gotta go with maple syrup – totally agree that it’s the sweet of the syrup that brings the whole dish together.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Hello? HONEY, of course!!
September 16th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Maybe it depends on what time of the day?
Syrup in the morning, Gravy in the evening?
I prefer syrup though.
The gravy tips the scale too far into “savory” in the savory vs. sweet balance because I see the waffles as neutral.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
SYRUP!!! Gravy on waffle=YUCK
September 16th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
SYRUP! without question…
~gravy’s for biscuits~
September 16th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Definitely syrup! But this may be my sweet tooth talking here…
September 16th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
mmm syrup!
September 16th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I grew up in Savannah, GA and went to college in Atlanta so I consider myself an authority on Southern food =) The proper way to enjoy chicken and waffles is with syrup! And yes, I put syrup on my bacon and sausage. Now I’m hungry!
September 16th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Syrup, hands down.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
definitely both, in separate cups, so i can alternate with each bite OR PUT BOTH ON THE SAME BITE OMG SCANDAL
September 16th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Well, the pennsylvania dutch are arguably the originators of the combination, and it’s always served with gravy. However, the chicken is usually stewed or roasted, not fried.
Wells Supper Club in Harlem claims they were first to pair the fried chicken and the waffles, happening by the pairing of breakfast and dinner. Served with Syrup.
I say save the gravy for mashed taters. Syrup is the way to go.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I am not eligible to win, so I have to ask who the heck came up with this hipster craze of chicken and waffles? That said, I come down strongly on the side of gravy, unless they are on two separate plates, which is stupid, in which case I would say both, but definitely gravy if eaten together, not that I would eat this because I don’t eat meat.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Syrup. Very clearly. Wikipedia even agrees, so it can’t be wrong.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
the original Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles in SoCal serves it all the Maple Syrup you can handle (not to mention a gravyboat full of BUTTER) and that’s the way it was intended to be eaten the whole world over. Salivating now…
September 16th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I gotta say, I’m way more intrigued by the prospect of gravy on a waffle than syrup on chicken, so I’m voting gravy. I know they’ll find a way to make it work.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
syrup, no question!!! i was also going to mention that roscoe’s chicken and waffles has actually already ended this debate for us, but i was beaten to the punch :)
carl weaver, c&w is definitely no hipster craze, it’s an american tradition!
September 16th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
maple syrup… no doubt about it…
September 16th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
syrup!!!! do people even eat fried chicken with gravy? sounds like a heart attack in the making….
September 16th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Gravy!
September 16th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I think it tastes good both ways, but given the rich history of the dish I have to vote syrup. Restaurants that would like to serve it with gravy should just call it something else.
September 16th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Maple Syrup! Really who DOES want to eat a waffle with gravy?
September 16th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
salty+sweet+crispy= SuperYum! SYRUP!
September 16th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
you are all ridiculous. you obviously are supposed to have both. this is how Marvin does it, and it’s delicious. also, Roscoes is the BEST.
September 16th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Syrup!
September 16th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
sizzzzurrrpppp!!
September 16th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Definitely gravy. Gravy and waffles works. Syrup and fried chicken does not.
September 16th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Syrup!
September 16th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Syrup all the way
September 16th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
syrup
September 16th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Maple Syrup. Gravy and waffles together sound kind of strange.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Gravy. Syrup and chicken? Ewww.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
syrup. even though i’m not a chicken and waffles kind of girl. i hope that doesn’t DQ me. ;)
September 16th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
GRAVY!!!
September 16th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Definitely maple syrup. REAL maple syrup!
September 16th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Gravy’s kinda gross with the waffles, syrup doesn’t quite fit with the chicken.
But honey works pretty well on both.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Maple Syrup, of course.
September 16th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Of course, the compromise answer is a gravy that incorporates maple syrup. I believe that prospect would be delicious. Though if I had to choose between the two, it would be maple syrup as long as it is the real deal.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Did someone say Roscoe’s?
September 16th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Definitely maple syrup. Though maybe I’m biased because I’ve never liked gravy. But thinking of the sweet and salty together just sounds so delicious! Gravy in my opinion would be way too heavy!
September 16th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Oh Joan, let’s get into trouble, baby.
Tapeheads is awesome.
September 17th, 2009 at 9:04 am
There’s a debate? Anyone who hasn’t tried a little maple on their fried chicken is missing out. Sounds weird, I know, but give it a fair chance.
Maple FTW.
September 17th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Having had this dish at Restaurant 3 not too long ago, I was disappointed when it came out with syrup instead of gravy. I might have dipped my waffle in the syrup once or twice, but would have sopped up all the gravy with the waffle.
I do like syrup on my bacon and sausage – but I like gravy with my chicken and waffles.
It could be the PA Dutch side of me coming out, but I would have to vote for the gravy in this case.
September 17th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Gravy goes with everything.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Gravy, but made a little sweeter to balance the chicken.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Syrup is the nectar of the gods, and also my vote!
September 17th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Maple syrup!
September 17th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Maple Syrup
September 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
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