KITCHY EATS

REDDI CHICK: ANALOGOUS TO PROUST'S MADELEINE

Ok, I know mentioning Proust will garner nothing but unequivocal eye-rolls, but hear me out on this. Or read me out, I guess. In Remembrance of Things Past, Proust recalls a moment where he was catapulted back to his childhood by the simple sensation of crumbs in his mouth, saying:

"An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses...And at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory - this new sensation having had on me the effect which love has of filling me with a precious essence; or rather this essence was not in me it was me. I had ceased now to feel mediocre, contingent, mortal...I sensed that it was connected with the taste of the tea and the cake, but that it infinitely transcended those savours, could, no, indeed, be of the same nature."

And when I dive into a basket of fries and roitsserie chicken, doused in top secret seasoning salt (which looks suspiciously like Lawry's) I too feel that the vicissitudes of life have become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory, and my mortality unimportant. I mean, that's normal right? That dunking crispy chicken skin into barbeque sauce would make me feel the universe's precious essence? No? Ok then, nevermind.

But all that aside, damn I love that chicken! Whenever I order my BBQ Chicken basket from Reddi Chick (located in the Brentwood Country Mart) I bounce around with excitement and hover over the counter asking for extra seasoning salt. And when I take that first bite of french fry or succulent chicken leg, I'm launched back to begging my mom for a quarter to ride the pony machine, or ditching class on a rainy day with Christie and splitting only an order of those fries, or summer days with my little brother where we need extra hand wipes because we've picked apart the entire chicken with out bare hands. Reddi Chick is an institution of my childhood and one of those places I hope will always exist so I can take my children there.

It's not that the cuisine is earth shattering--it's fries with delicious rotisserie chicken elevated with excellent seasoning salt--it's that I have so many memories there. Everyone has that one comfort dish, that security blanket that makes everything ok, and for me a basket of Reddi Chick is that (with an Alice Palmer from City Bakery next door to wash it all down, of course).

The restaurant is a cash-only hole in the wall (literally) which serves up simple fare: Rotisserie Chicken, Rotisserie Ribs, and lots of fried stuff. You can get a side of fries, coleslaw, baked potato, and much more. It's simple, straightforward, and completely unpretentious. You can eat it there, in the courtyard of the Brentwood Country Mart, on a picnic table or next to the outdoor fire-pit or take it to go. But beware. If you take it to go the fries won't make it home, as you will keep stealing from the bag at every stop sign you hit. And please ask for extra seasoning salt. They transform a solid french fry into something special. I hope you have your own Proustian moment. Enjoy!

The front of the Brentwood Countrymart's famous barn facade.