There's this place called Lolo's Chicken & Waffles in the valley. It's pretty popular...okay really popular. Every time I drive by it, there are people lined out the door. It's good 'ol southern cooking. Best known for their fried chicken and waffles (who would've guessed???) Andrea and I decided that we'd knock this restaurant off our list this Saturday. Our list has to be at least 20 pages long. It consists of various restaurants throughout the valley, all exotic tastes. In order to cross Lolo's off the list we said we'd hike Camelback in the morning and head there for lunch.
I'm not much of a hiker. It always sounds fun until I start, then I remember why I hate it. I don't really hate it, more like a love/hate. I love when it's over and actually feel like I did something advantageous.
Andrea and I set off to hike Cholla Trail, which is "the old ladies' trail" according to one of Andrea's classmates. It's more of winding switchbacks. Echo, the other trail, intimidates me. We tried it once before with two boys who practically ran up the thing. It consists of slick rock faces that are so steep they installed metal rails to help yourself along. I threw in the towel halfway up and have been too scared to return.
So as we were heading to Cholla, I got a little distracted chatting away with Andrea. Long story, short I ended up deciding to park behind a long line of cars and just follow people who were dressed in spandex and wearing camelbacks. Turns out we were following Echo hikers. Dun...dun...dun...the chiseled abs surrounding me should have been a tip off. I took a deep a breath and decided, 'I can do this.' Andrea won't leave me in the dust.
Would ya look at that! I made it alive! Andie even gave me a good pep talk on the way up. :)
Now time for Lolo's. Our appetites had well enough time to prepare.
Only one problem: way too much to choose from. They needed a sampler plate. I think it would've taken up the entire table, though. Biscuits & gravy, banana pudding, wings, mac & cheese, red velvet cake, every possible flavor of Kool-Aid imaginable, cornbread, collard greens, sweet tea...the list goes on and on.
I'm a huge mac & cheese lover. I used to go to Basha's and buy a 1/2 pound of it hot and just have that for dinner. Therefore it had to be one of the choices. I also felt that I would be going against the sole purpose of the trip if I didn't get chicken & waffles. I settled with a few side orders: mac & cheese, drumsticks, and a waffle. One of the hardest decisions of my life. (Next time I get asked in a job interview what the hardest decision I ever had to make was, ordering at Lolo's will be my answer.)
Here's Andrea's, with my heaping side of mac & cheese in the foreground. I believe she got the "Amadi's" with sweet tea. Note the mason jars, this place is the definition of soul-food. Good, greasy, home-cooked meals. I wasn't impressed with the waffle itself, because I'm spoiled with my mom's waffles, but the combination of the fried chicken and the waffle was heavenly...or should I say deadly? The mac & cheese was also a good choice. Made with real cheese, not too creamy, yet still warm and gooey.
Next time I think I'm going with either the chili or the biscuits & gravy and saving room for banana pudding...I can hardly wait!
Yay for Super Saturdays with Andrea! (Okay, I promise that was my last cheesy alliteration.)
hahah I have an obnoxious amount of alliterations myself and "try" to hold back. They just sound better though... oh Lo Lo's how tasty you are
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