Dame’s Chicken + Waffles
Light Brown Leghorns – Four chicken legs, a Classic waffle drizzled w/ Caramel & Cashews, Chocolate Hazelnut Shmear
A Quilted Buttercup – A Chicken cutlet “sandwiched” b/w two petite Sweet Potato Waffles w/ Maple-Pecan Shmear
Triple Cheese & Macaroni
Smooth Southern Grits
Schlepping back to the snowy streets of downtown Durham, the suburbs surprisingly more well maintained than those of the city, it was nearing the end of the lunch hour rush that we entered Dame’s and with Red Velvet Cupcakes as well as the daily special waffle already sold out it was it was in the chilly front foyer that we sat and began to color, some funky triangular crayons with names like “duck yellow” amusing the inner child while our towering, bald waiter milled about serving large platters of food to tables ranging from 2-tops to those containing eight.
Recently renovating the menu, with images of jazz legends and icons like Ali and Gandhi decorating the space, it was after a brief delay that water and lemonade were delivered, a two plate order with included sides expedited as the dining room began to clear out with the din subsiding to reveal an overhead soundtrack of everything from old school rap to Delta Blues.
Celebrated for their combinations of chicken and waffles, as well as housemade trimmings and sides, it was almost without hesitation that both my mother and I spotted our desired dishes and although the days dining was already substantial with two more meals to go the plates at Dane’s each proved well crafted if not particularly ‘wowing,’ both dark and white meat juicy beneath crisp batter while waffles were soft and supple, the buttery grits and luke-warm mac’ each plenty savory to offset the decidedly sweet ‘shmears.’
