PrintNew Jersey Dispatch: Fried Chicken at Last Legg in Somerset
Top, fried chicken and waffles; bottom, jerk chicken wings.
I had driven past Last Legg Chicken and Waffles at least a dozen times and always wondered if it would ever open. After all, with the sort of tinted windows that one associates with a stretch limo, you have no way of knowing what's going on inside. Then one day while stopped at the traffic light out front, I notice some activity—"They must be finally getting ready to open!" I thought. Even though Route 27 needs more great places to eat in the same way Manhattan needs more yellow cabs, I was thrilled.
That afternoon, after driving past three dosa shops, four regional Mexican (from Oaxaca) restaurants, a particularly interesting central African foo foo hut, and two Chinese noodle places, I pulled over at Last Legg. True, the notion of eating fried chicken in a New Jersey restaurant makes me squirm (too far north, right?), but what can taste bad on Route 27? Run by mother and daughter team Rhonda and Channell, and (unrelated) chef Tony, Last Legg brings yet another cuisine to an area blessed by more ethnic restaurants than any other part of the state.
Last Legg may look closed, but those tinted windows make the place comfortable on the inside, and the sight and smell of chicken frying overcame any other apprehensions I might have felt. Moments later, when I had a plate of chicken and waffles in front of me, I saw that Route 27 had worked its magic on yet another cuisine.
Before I go any further, I better clarify one point: Last Legg serves the Harlem version of chicken and waffles, not the Amish. The Amish have a dish by this name too, with a chicken stew over waffles instead of pieces of fried chicken. They're different dishes entirely.
It was Rhonda who asked me, "Why not chicken and waffles? We eat sausage and waffles." Socrates couldn't have ask me a deeper and more thought-provoking question. I found myself thinking about it over with a plate of waffles a few days later while at a diner that was so dull that the regular patrons were sleeping in their booths. At that point, I understood that chicken and waffles were a perfect expression of the modern, urban lifestyle (yes, even I'm part of it). They're foods you eat when day and night collide.
The Last Legg chicken had juicy insides and a crunchy, spicy crust. The waffles had a depth of flavor that was an order of magnitude better than anything I'd had in a dinner. And there were specials: sweet potato waffles, salmon cakes and grits, and classic southern desserts. It all added up to a wonderful combination of Soul and Caribbean with salads and burgers mixed in for the locals.
So when you don't know if you're ready for breakfast, dinner, or a midnight supper, head on over to Last Legg. A waffle, a burger, jerk chicken, fried chicken—it's all there at the same time.
By the way, if the Last Legg has any fault, it's corn-y, over-the-top menu writing. Yes, it says "Fall in Love" on the menu. Just look the other way and concentrate on the food.
Last Legg
453 Somerset Street, Somerset, NJ, 08873 (map)
732 846 8900
Tues. and Wed., 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Thurs. to Sat., 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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3 Comments:
can you tell us where the oaxacan restaurants are? i've been searching for some and intrigued!
starlass at 10:37PM on 02/22/09
Sure!
They're about 1/2 mile north of Last Legg on Route 27 (called "French Street" here), just south of downtown New Brunswick and the big hospital.
BrianYarvin at 8:34AM on 02/23/09
I got Last Legg's to go last night on this recommendation. It was even better than i expected. I walked in off the street and ordered the "Royal" - 2 pcs chicken, 1 waffle and 2 sides. They poured the waffle batter, floured and spiced the raw chicken pieces, then fried it right infront of you. 10 minutes later i was drooling in my car from the smells coming from the bag.
The chicken will stand up to any chicken, grandma's or the deep south's. The waffles were great, but following the saltiness of the chicken, they were amazing.
Above all, were the collared greens. I can not say that I've ever had better.
Obviously, its not a meal i can eat weekly, but its going to be nearly impossible not to.
Icebergslim at 10:38AM on 03/11/09