Food Review: Bayleaf Cafe

Months ago, I started hearing whisperings of a local soul food restaurant that served chicken and waffles.  Where the pairing of fried chicken and a syrup-covered breakfast waffle may seem a little strange to the uninitiated, this eclectic comfort food combination has been standard fare on the menus of traditional African-American restaurants for decades.  The history is a little bit fuzzy, but many believe the dish traces its roots to Harlem-based restaurateurs catering to night club patrons who had danced most of the night away, and then spilled out into the streets too late to have dinner, but too early to want breakfast.  Other legends claim that the pairing caught on shortly after Thomas Jefferson brought the waffle back from France in the 1790s.  In any case, this uniquely southern delicacy is a rare find in SLC.  The fact that it works so well is a bonus.  It is just one of the many comfortable, made-to-order dishes available at Bayleaf Café.      

To experience chicken and waffles in all of its glory, I had to consider the context of the myth.  I would have to try the dish in the middle of the night, after an evening of dancing and soul music.  Anything else would be outside of the appropriate framework.  Now I don’t pretend that this is how I always operate, but since Bayleaf seems to be steeped in tradition, I thought it appropriate to create the right context—especially for my first visit.  Late one weekend, I headed over to the Urban Lounge to catch a set by the Vile Blue Shades. Not the most traditional soul music, but the best I could get on short notice.  Once the dance floor cleared, I made my way to the café. Located on Main Street, Bayleaf is primarily a breakfast and lunch place.  It’s open 24-hours on the weekends.  So in the middle of the night, after an incredibly long day, I sat down with a glass of Blueberry Lemonade ($2.49) and had the kitchen fix me a plate of Chicken n Waffles ($8.99).  The platter that arrived shortly thereafter made me wonder why these two foods are ever served separately.  The boneless chicken breast was coated with a crunchy breading and fried to a moist and tender perfection.  The single, crisp waffle accompaniment was spiked with just the right amount of cinnamon, slathered with butter and served with the perfect amount of syrup.  Individually the foodstuffs were certainly above-average.  When served on the same plate, I understood immediately why everyone had recommended it to me.  It is better than the sum of its parts.

Photos:

Page:  [1]  2  Next >>

Comments on this article

Posted on March 4, 2010 by NWFP

I live two blocks away and work one block away from this place. The food is some of the most delicious stuff I've ever tasted in SLC. However, the service is the absolute worst service I've ever received in the fine city. Hopefully, Bayleaf can hire a better wait staff and give raises to its cooks.

Posted on March 5, 2010 by bennett

yeah, the servers are a bit hit and miss, but when they're on, there's nothing better. It's not so much an issue of bad service, it's more that there are rarely enough people working the room.

Posted on May 7, 2010 by CD

My husband and I ate there, the food was decent. The place had a good vibe, and I def want to try some of their other foods. As others mentioned, the service is not great. They try, but don't quite get there. I sent them a comment on their website, never heard back. Not even a generic "thank you please try us again" response. Everyone is so curious to try them, so they are busy now, but if they don't step it up for customer service, they might not last too long. That would be sad.

Add a comment

Please keep your comments on the subject of the article.
We will delete your comment if it is racist, misogynistic, sexist, bigoted or just plain lame.
No HTML allowed!