Flavor restaurant — a gem of a Japanese eatery — closed its northern Lake Highlands restaurant and will re-open in Deep Ellum in the fall. When I interviewed the owner for this piece last year, she mentioned a possible second location in Deep Ellum, but she just recently told Pegasus’ Teresa Gubbins that crime in the area was a factor in the decision to shutter the Lake Highlands location. That makes me sad.
A joint we still have in Lake Highlands? Big Mama’s Chicken and Waffles (Audelia at Forest). I’ve lived up the street from the place for the last three months and just yesterday ventured up to the drive-thru for a three-piece fried chicken meal. As our Rachel Stone mentioned in this July post in Back Talk East Dallas, the chicken-and-waffles trend is taking off around the city. Sounds like some sort of rebellion against the all-veggie, all-organic, carb-free, trans-fat-free crazes that keep trying to get their righteous hands on us. That’s OK with me. Who doesn’t love a little southern fried chicken now and then? Big Mama’s chicken pieces were greasy, salty and crunchy on the outside and plump and juicy on the inside — as fried chicken should be. The accompanying waffle was larger than the entire chicken basket and smelled so sweet — I think I understand the attraction. I love a good savory-sweet combo, so for me chicken-n-waffles (with butter and syrup) are match made in heaven. The meal is supposed to come with a hot pepper and bread, neither of which I received, so you should be specific about what you expect. Other notes on Big Mama’s: The menu is full of traditional soul food and southern fried dishes. They only take cash. The restaurant is undergoing a mini makeover, so you won’t see the "Big Mama’s Chicken and Waffles" sign right now. Just look for the drive-thru, bright yellow-and-red building on the southeast corner of Skillman and Forest. There are outdoor tables at Big Mama’s and it sits next to a DART stop, therefore the place always has a lot of foot traffic. Big Mama’s is a good value, but not a place at which you want to dine daily, unless you are vying for a spot on "The Biggest Loser" .
