Conflict-A-chick OR my visit to Chic-fil-A

I hate the South.  Many of my closest friends happen to be from The South, but as evidenced by the fact that they are here and not still there, they obviously arent sold on the region either.  As an elitist Jew from New England, I hate Hate and am prejudiced against Prejudice. The Book of the Law states that "the word of sin is restriction." As a Pagan and Hedonist, I believe everything and anything goes (in moderation) except for murder and stealing, and even then I am Pro-Choice and feel like Robin Hood had the right idea. So, there are no absolutes in my worldview, which makes for a lot of confusion, an abundance of drama, and the inability to please everyone, including myself. FML.

A fast-food  chain known as Chic-fil-A has expanded into southern California in a big way, and all my southern expatriate friends, gay and straight, are performing cartwheels pf joy at the sudden availability of their wares. Chic-fil-A is apparently a Christian operation, shuttered on the Sabbath, and notoriously anti-gay. In spite of this, my southern gay freinds still wax rhadsodic over fond memories  of chicken nuggets slathered in Polynesian Sauce. The loudest voices against the chain are my activist friends Mito Aviles and Chadmichael Christian Morisette; although I admire the pair and lend my support to their causes,  they are vegan, and could never be seduced by the aroma of animal flesh no matter how noble the purveyor. My curiosity aroused, I climbed aboard my little electric scooter, and ventured off to the newly-opened Sunset and Highland store to see for myself what the fuss is about.

Arriving at High Noon, My little scooter bypassed the traffic jam of cars waiting in queue for the drive-thru and woefully insufficient parking lot. You can either drive-thru, get it to-go, or eat outisde at one of a handful of small tables. The building itself is aparently one oversized kitchen. There are four stations for ordering. The menus are well-organized, attractively presenting the chain's numerous permutations of chicken, chicken, and still more chicken. They offer a breakfast menu, and an array of sides and deserts, including cheesecake. Beverages feature tea and lemonade, which I wanted to try, but reluctant to transport on my scooter.The customer service is excellent. Like Starbucks, another behemoth I love to hate, they ask your name and attatch it to your order. You are never just a number at Chic-fil-A.  I ordered one spicy chicken sandwich, a chicken club, a small side of waffle fries, and a small side of cole slaw.  The bill came ro $13.25. The food arrived at the pick-up window with impressive speed.

Upon arriving home and plating the food, I was amazed at how pretty it was. The sandwiches looked nicer than they did on the menu. Crispy green lettuce, thin, flavorful tomato slices, tasty, aromatic bun, and the chicken itsef...well, it exceeded expectations. Probably the tastiest and most perfect fried chicken I've ever eaten. The waffle fries were fluffy and yummy. The slaw, although it resembled the KFC version, tasted really good. In short, this truly was the best fast-food I've ever had. My husband was impressed as well, downing the club sandwich with no complaints.

 I suppose you might say I drank the kool-aid, or in this case, the sweet tea, but in all honestly, I'm sold. Chic-fil-A rocks. My question is,  it  necessary to be thecratic and reactionary in order to produce delicious, visually appealing, and  reasonably-priced food on a mass scale? I've been a foodie for most of my nearly half-century on this planet and I must say, no other fast-food chain comes close to what Chic-fil-A offers in terms of customer experience and quality. I can only hope that Chic-fil-A will raise the bar for the industry.  I do prefer to feel good about those to whom I give my business.