Soul Food, Delivered

Something miraculous happened last week, and with everything that was going on, I didn’t have the chance to share the story. But last Thursday, I had an epic afternoon of raking leaves. When it was done, I was sore in places where I didn’t even realize I had muscles. Seriously. The rib cage? Who knew?

What I did know was that after the effort, all I was going to do was take a hot bath. Dinner would have to be some form of delivery.

I’ve come to understand that getting food delivered is a semi-regular thing that normal people do for dinner. Except that is not the case in the Fussy household. There are a lot of reasons I don’t care for take out meals, which we won’t rehash now. But suffice to say, when I decided to get delivery, I was wading into strange and unfamiliar waters.

Pizza was out of the question. Chinese take-out was removed from the consideration set. As a company man, I turned to the Yelp mobile app to discover our delivery options. Somehow, despite all odds and reason, we were within the delivery radius of Allie B’s Cozy Kitchen!

In the past I’ve had Kizzy Williams’ food at the Food Pantries for the Capital District’s Harvest Evening Celebrations. She tends to do very well in these culinary competitions which involve making delicious and hearty dishes with everyday ingredients.

But I’ve never been able to make it out to her restaurant on Clinton Avenue.

Part of the issue, I suppose, is that I typically try to eat healthier. Fried chicken isn’t something I eat regularly, even though it’s a food I love deeply. However, after hours and hours of raking, this is what my soul needed. And not just chicken, but the sides.

There’s something magical about the trinity of collard greens, candied yams, and macaroni and cheese. I like my greens with a dash of hot sauce, so those three sides take on the roles of spicy, sweet, and savory.

Even better, these sides travel well.

The fried chicken survived the trip well enough to be a testament to just how good the fried chicken would be hot and fresh from the kitchen. And now more than ever I want to make an excursion down to Clinton Avenue for a proper fried chicken dinner. That is also when I would hope to try Kizzy’s homemade sweet potato fries.

Maybe the grilled chicken quarters slathered with housemade barbecue sauce would be a better option for future delivery needs. Or perhaps the answer is the pork ribs. Because I have to confess this was not just a real treat, but it was also a game changer. The next time my heart years for this kind of food, instead of making the thirty minute schlep there and back, I can just reach for my phone and order with a few clicks and my thumbprint.

It’s almost a no brainer. Although it still is no substitute for experiencing a place in person. But I can’t even tell you how much better this was than the conventional delivery options. What can I tell you? I’m sold.