Poppy + Rose

True to its name, Poppy + Rose smells like wildflowers the moment you step through the door. The bright, cheery space has a corrugated metal ceiling, and offers what could be the best chicken and waffles in town. The waffle is a crisp, rectangular grid with a soft, barely sweet golden interior that creates an ideal texture contrast. The chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tender, with a bone-in and boneless piece that boast a craggy, crunchy coating with plenty of pepper. Even the white meat is decadently moist with zero excess oil. The chicken perches atop the waffle and is sprinkled with sliced scallions that appear decorative until you add one to your bite, and suddenly the richness is tempered by the sharp green note. A little dip of each bite into the real maple syrup and suddenly the fantasy balance between savory, sweet and sharp is a genuine reality.