Have you ever listened to klezmer? It's like kitchy Polka, but with words. The original Ska of Jews perhaps, Pogo of the Yids, the Zydeco of the Eastern Europeans. I know a song. It goes like this, "
Chicken, chicken chickechickenchicken, chiiiicken chicken."
We Jews love our chicken. Our primary medicine? Chicken soup? Our medicine for our fellows? Matzoh Ball Soup. Our "European Butter"? Schmaltz. Our fancee dinners? Chicken Cutlets.
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Desserts in rotation at Poulet this week ~
Venezuelan milk chocolate pot de creme, texturally dynamic rhubarb & cornmeal cake, Local Organic Lemon Cream, German chocolate cookies with chocolate chips, toasted coconut & pecans, the perfect snickerdoodle, very very good crunchy fried chicken, Knoll Farms verbena cream puffs, and a rhubarb-ginger-Lucero strawberry....
s u r p r i s e.
Poulet
m-f 10:30 am-8 pm saturday 10:30 am-6 pm 1685 Shattuck Avenue at Virginia Berkeley California
Kitschy Polka? Isn't that redundant? And the kitschiest of all polkas, of course, are the ones with words, especially the ones with words half in Eng. and half in Polish. A personal favorite, that my mom used to play LOUD and dance me around on her feet in the kitchen while making pierogi (how sterotypical, but true! She also salted her beer) was: "Moja droga jacie kocham, means that I love you so!"
Posted by: Melissa | 22 May 2006 at 02:34 PM
"The original Ska of Jews"
I nearly spit out my pain au chocolat when I read that.
That might be the funniest thing I've heard in a LONG time.
Posted by: Fatemeh | 22 May 2006 at 03:23 PM
I think the best concert I ever saw was Don Byron playing Mickey Katz at the Knitting Factory in 1991.
Pogo of the Yids. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
Posted by: Anne | 22 May 2006 at 05:10 PM
ha ha, this really made me laugh! Totally feel like buying a kosher chicken and making some kneidles now!
Posted by: tejal | 22 May 2006 at 07:54 PM
I love the picture. The chickens seem to be dancing. Chickens do dance you know, when the music is right.
Posted by: Lindy | 22 May 2006 at 07:59 PM
I spent one day in Berkely on my trip last summer and I am realizing more and more that it wasn't nearly enough! Another place to add to my list of places to visit when I get back.
Posted by: Ivonne | 22 May 2006 at 09:44 PM
Cream puffs? German chocolate? Lemon CREME??? pot de creme?
Could you be sure to add a few more desserts to that list so I can die of wanting? I guess I picked a heck of a time to go on a diet.
I think my heart just exploded.
*sigh*
Posted by: Kung Foodie | 23 May 2006 at 05:18 AM
this menu sounds great.
Jewish Ska, Zydeco of Eastern Europe, I love it!
I'll have to make a mixtape with all of these genres mashup up and mixed.
Posted by: roger | 23 May 2006 at 05:54 AM
Let me see -- I'll take two drumsticks for dessert, hold the whipped cream.
Lovely post, a nice way to start the day with a giggle.
Posted by: Kudzu | 23 May 2006 at 10:12 AM
I love how fried chicken is a dessert! That's for those of us who would rather have savory than sweet for the finish!
Posted by: Kim | 23 May 2006 at 12:04 PM
I had a work errand in Berkeley today, not far from Poulet. So, now the trick is: will I be able to wait till tonight to share the lemon verbena cream puff and the brownie with Derrick? I also got a little bit of the classic chicken salad. Yummy!
Sorry to have missed you!
Posted by: Melissa | 23 May 2006 at 04:08 PM
Picked up a cornmeal rhubarb cake for a potluck tonight and it was a hit. I was lucky just a little was left and I was not about to let anyone else take it home. Good job!
Posted by: Christi | 25 May 2006 at 01:42 AM
Shuna, I've got no idea if it works to the tune, but I've been singing "snicker snicker snickersnickersnicker sniiiiiiicker doodle" ever since you posted that.
I'm off the no sugar wagon now so do let me know when you do the caramel cake again, but that strawberry rhubarb thing might tempt me in the meantime ... pink is my vice.
Posted by: Charlotte | 28 May 2006 at 08:32 PM