About two months ago, I waxed poetic about the epic dueling fried chicken sandwiches from Popeyes and Chik-fil-A.  If you haven’t already read it, do so immediately.  I’ll wait.

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You done?  Good.  Let us continue.  As you probably noticed, there was a comment on that blog posted by one of my mom’s childhood friends by the name of Katie.

As you can see, she strongly recommends that we pay a visit to a Bay Area venue known only as “Bakesale Betty“, a bakery that also apparently makes a mean fried chicken sandwich.  I filed that information away for later use, and more or less forgot about it.

Fast forward to a week ago, and my mom suddenly announced to the family that we were set to embark on a last-minute roadtrip to visit her parents in Oakland.  During the 10-hour drive down there, fried chicken sandwiches were the furthest thing from my mind.  But once we were there and Katie paid us a visit, she insisted that we immediately get a hold of those sandwiches.  After several unsuccessful attempts at calling them, Doug and I had no choice but to hop in the minivan, nodding our heads to Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, to pay Betty a visit.

Google Maps led us to an establishment with a huge line winding all the way down the block, so we correctly assumed that this must be the place.  Though the line seemed endless, it appeared much longer than it actually was because of social distancing and such.

While in line, Doug and I decided that we would order four sandwiches, as well as two slices of pie (one apple and one strawberry-rhubarb). The pie was not dessert however. It was my grandpa’s lunch – his main food groups are pastries, wine, and ice cream.  On a whim we also decided to get a frozen chicken pot pie, with the thinking that upon returning home, we wouldn’t want to cook so we could simply bake that pot pie.

We left with an immensely heavy bag of food and salivating taste buds and rushed home to eat the sandwiches (or, if you’re my grandpa, a slice of pie).  Within minutes, I got my first look at this beautiful sandwich.

My first thought was something along the lines of “Jesus, that’s a lot of coleslaw”.  However, my taste buds soon told me otherwise.

The slaw was crispy and zesty, with slices of jalapeno that added a kick.  The slaw, contrary to my pre-existing belief, was not too much.  It added a sensation of freshness that is normally not found in your typical fried chicken sandwich.  The chicken itself was fantastic – a thin yet crunchy layer of breading, and the meat wasn’t dry in the slightest, which is a major concern with fried chicken.  For example,  fried chicken that you get from Fred Meyer is often loaded with dry meat, which sucks ass.

What was remarkable was how light this sandwich is by fried chicken sandwich standards.  There is no heavy sauce, and I didn’t feel exhausted after I ate it.  My one complaint was that the overall flavor of the sandwich was a little too subtle.  Perhaps a spicer and more flavorful marinade would remedy that.

Overall, this was a great sandwich.  Shout-out to Katie for the recommendation!

P.S. During our stay with my grandparents, I saw something that deeply disturbed me.  The night before we were due to leave, my grandma was making us egg salad sandwiches to eat on our journey back to Portland.  She asked me to reach into the fridge and pull out the Dijon mustard.  I complied, and that’s when I saw this:

I thought to myself: Zev, is Grey Poupon usually that color?

No, Zev.  It is not usually that color.  Jesus H. Christ on a Popsicle Stick.

I was moved to check the expiration date, and somehow I was even more horrified:

For reference, this mustard expired the day before my fifteen-year-old sister was born.  When I confronted my grandma about this, she insisted that it was fine.  When I tried to throw it away, she took it out of the trash can and put it back in the fridge.  I eventually managed to dump the entire thing down the drain and probably saved some lives doing so.  You’re welcome, June.

And why am I telling you this you ask?  Because if I had to experience this in person, you, my beloved fans, deserve to see it as well.

Have a nice day.