Of all the things that Tamalehawk will eat directly from the pan, cold, while standing with his jacket on, and there are a lot of them, cornbread is his favorite. Brownies rank high. Coleslaw. Maybe some kind of orzo salad. But cornbread - cornbread confidently creeps to the top of that list.
Sweet and savory, prisoner to no one culinary genre, and comforting, it feels wrong to label it as just a side item. It feels right to cut it into adorable squares so you can easily eat six in one stand, prying them free with a knife, and not feeling at all guilty about pinching all the crumbs together into a beautiful bonus bite. OK, so maybe corn muffins are better. Have you had the corncakes at Wishbone? It may seem like an unorthodox choice and you may feel trepidation, waging a silent mental war as to whether you want them or the crabcakes, because you've confirmed that you definitely want something caked. Believe Tamalehawk, he's been there. Spread your wings for once and do the corncakes.
As an addendum, Trader Joe's cornbread mix is highly baerated by Tamalehawk. They go the extra mile by demanding you add oil, and throwing in some whole dried corn kernels to class it up.
ReplyDeleteYour endorsement of Wishbone's corncakes is heartily seconded -- though I've found myself ordering the light spinach omelet there more and more as delightful protein/vitamin blast -- but I fear I must disagree about the crab cakes. Perhaps I had a bad batch, but the single time I ordered them, they had the distinct aroma of three-day-old garbage -- garbage consisting entirely of old, rotten sneakers. Unpleasant.
ReplyDeleteThe crawfish cakes, on the other hand, are an unalloyed triumph. And the crunchy French toasts, to hearken back to your previous post, are ideal as an infrequent treat. Order them too often, however, and they can get a bit oppressive.
Adding jalapenos or chipotles to cornbread mix multiplies the deliciousness factor by at least 3.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Wishbone is totally overrated. Yeah, I said it!
ReplyDeleteI find the decor a bit disturbing, especially the mural at the Roscoe Village location that depicts some kind of monstrous chicken laying an egg as it menaces innocent patrons with its terrible visage -- and the egg is still encased in some kind of horrific membrane. Not an image conducive to enjoying breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI love cornbread and Wishbone! So there.
ReplyDeletewhat a kissass post, self.
Great talk, gents. Let Tamalehawk clarify a few things. First, Hank - the mental debate actually involved the crawfish cakes and not the crab cakes. He misspoke. He actually hasn't tried either, but is excited about both your endorsement and warning. Nice work. Second, Meador, Tamalehawk concedes that Wishbone is an obvious choice and doesn't blow anyone away with its breakfast revelations, like say, Over Easy on Damen might, but some of their dishes are worth the trip. Plus, awesome cheese grits and seating is always available, which is important at breakfast time. That said, too many roosters in the decor. He gets the theme, no need to murder it. And the above-table pendant lights are comically phallic. Finally, great recommendation on the pepper add-ins, Meador. Overall, you both get BaeRatings of A for the effort, spirit, and candor of your comments.
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