I spent most of last weekend in Columbia City: brunch at Geraldine’s one day, and over at Island Soul the next. Though I’m from the South and have a soft spot for Southern food, I don’t seek it out that often. But throwing caution to the wind, I ordered the chicken & buttermilk waffle. I’m glad I did. The chicken was, in fact, half of a Cornish game hen, with a very flaky (not greasy) skin; the waffle was thick and fluffy, and seemingly seasoned with cinnamon or some other baking spice. Very subtly, though. Inquiries about it weren’t so helpful. The waitress didn’t know; she just said the owner had recently made some adjustments to it. I loved the big chunks of watermelon that came with it all. When you’re eating all that heavy food, it’s nice to get a sizeable portion of something light and refreshing to cut it. Though the meal didn’t come with grits, I had to order a side of them. Again, great choice. These grits were loaded with cheese and pimiento (which gives it that Texan queso flavor that I adore), and while they were ultra-creamy, the texture of the corn was still appropriately toothsome. E

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