Fried Pickles

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I grew up in Oklahoma.  In Oklahoma, Sonic drive-ins are like Starbucks in the PNW.  There is practically one on every corner.  I'm pretty certain I visited a Sonic several times a week during my youth.  My go to items were cherry limeades, tater tots, and fried pickles.  These are my comfort foods, and make me feel good no matter the situation.  It always reminds me of home.The closest Sonic to me now is just about an hour away. I have been know to make the drive for a hamburger, tots, and a cherry limeade.                                                                                                                                      

Sonic fried pickles were sliced dill pickles with a lite batter that just a hint of sweetness to it.  They were always perfectly cooked.  Lightly crispy, but not soggy.  They were called Pickel-O's.  These were first introduced by Sonic in 1968.  For some reason they stopped making them sometime in the 9o's I think. They re-introduced them in 2003, but apparently were not greeted with hungry mouths.

When I heard the newly opened Hollywood Tavern in Woodinville was serving fried pickles, I got very excited. I have visited other eating establishments in Seattle that have had fried pickles, but they were whole dill pickles or spears.  This preparation is not good and do not taste good.  If you are going to fry a pickle it needs to be sliced pickles.  This is exactly what Hollywood Tavern does.

Here they are in all their fried gloriousness.  I love the presentation.  I'm pretty sure my great-grandmother had the metal measuring cup, and my grandmother had that dish.  The dill pickles were coated in a cornmeal batter, and served with a house made buttermilk ranch dressing and a tangy hot sauce.  Both of the sauces were really good, and complimented the fried pickles.  The cornmeal batter was just a little heavy for the pickles, and some of the pickles had alot of batter on them.  But all in all they were darn good fried pickles and way better than whole fried pickles.  They are definitely Southern worthy!

I continued my fried theme, and decide to have the fried chicken sandwich. The sandwich had the same tasty hot sauce that was served with the pickles that gave the sandwich a kick and a good flavor.  The chicken was fried perfect, and was juicy.  It was more of a patty, reminded me a little of Chick-fila, but definitely tasted way better.  The fries were nice homemade, greasy fries.  Once my arteries were clogged with all things fried, I decided some homemade soft server ice cream with a chocolate magical shell would make everything better.  Who doesn't like..uh I mean love a good chocolate magical shell??