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Snooping around for the Doggfather at Moontower Tacos

While chicken and waffles haven't overtaken bacon as the king of food fads, they've been a big trend over the last few years, flying into the danger zone between comfort food and high-end food fussiness. Whether or not there's a fathomable reason for why these two foodstuffs originally shacked up...
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While chicken and waffles haven't overtaken bacon as the king of food fads, they've been a big trend over the last few years, flying into the danger zone between comfort food and high-end food fussiness. Whether or not there's a fathomable reason for why these two foodstuffs originally shacked up on the same plate (culinary anthropologists suggest it was the result of a gas explosion that fused the remains of a Waffle House and a neighboring KFC), there's no denying that people like the combo, so restaurants keep adding traditional and fusion-y versions to their menus. Since the M.O. of Moontower Tacos is stuffing lots of food into big tacos, it seems somehow logical that chicken and waffles would end up inside of a flour tortilla there. (If logic has anything to say about chicken and waffles, that is.)

See also: No dual citizenship required to order the chimi dog at Steve's Snappin' Dogs

When building a proper chicken and waffles dish, the ratio of starchy elements is a matter of concern. Too much breading on the chicken will overwhelm the waffle, whereas a big, fluffy waffle will assert its dominance over the mild chicken. And when you add syrup (which, of course, you do) the resulting accumulation of simple carbohydrates could tip the scales toward a serious medical condition.

Moontower goes one step further by wrapping a flour tortilla around the whole mass. Topped with candied jalapeños (which count as a vegetable serving) and sided with a tangy hot sauce, apple butter and syrup, the resulting combination (I made sure and wedged in one bite that included everything) tastes like breakfast and lunch all in one handful. In fact, it's as if the taco ate breakfast first, and then I ate the taco.

With tender white-meat chicken, a fluffy waffle (maybe just a little too fluffy), a warm flour tortilla and enough condiments to make a Chicago-style hot dog jealous, the Doggfather worked best with just the hot sauce. The sweeter sides, especially the syrup, just bogged things down.

Although the Doggfather's name pays homage to Snoop Dogg's groundbreaking 1996 album, I prefer to think the Coppola original inspired Snoop. Unlike revenge, the Doggfather would probably not be very good served cold.

Yeah, I Ate That will feature fun, unique and over-the-top foods from metro area restaurants. Cultural collisions, fast-food mashups and the culinary offspring of evil genius are all fair game. Have a suggestion? Post it in the comments section below, or send an e-mail to [email protected].


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