Fried Chicken and Flying Saucers

EH and I have been trying to be good about eating at home, but we never turn down an invitation to meet a friend out for dinner.

So on Wednesday we ventured to Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken in downtown. The only other time I have been was with EH on a HOT July Friday afternoon where we sat at the bar overlooking the open kitchen and ate off styrofoam plates and watched the cooks do their thing.

This time we slid into a bench and waited for our friend to arrive. 

Gus's is really casual and offers bottled beer and individual bottles of wine - served in your own plastic wine glass! I love it though - something about the old school plastic plaid table coverings and drinking wine out of a plastic cup sort of sets the stage.

EH opted for an Acadia beer - really good! And I hope I got the name right, I'll have to do some digging.

We started out the night with a Southern staple - fried green tomatoes. Which is not only one of my favorite foods on the entire planet, but also one of my most treasured movies!

 

The tomatoes were perfection and the only thing lacking was the prepackaged ranch. If they came up with something on site it would have taken these over the top. But! Still good. We were happy.

EH and I both don't go out of our way to choose bone-in items so we opted for the chicken strips, though our friend got a plate of wings and thighs and said they were amazing.

I opted for the mac'n'cheese and baked beans - and each meal is served with plain white bread, which of course made me quote another cherished movie all during the meal - The Blues Brothers!

After dinner we strolled down to The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium which has tons of tons of great beers on tap and the UFO Club - which tracks what beers you try in order to ultimately get your name on a saucer hung on the wall. Of course we joined!

You can spot all the saucers up towards the top - the different colors indicate how many you've had. We are at a solid one but you have to start somewhere!

I opted for something light, though I can't remember the name. The choices can be overwhelming so I always ask the bartender for their recommendation. Whatever this was, it was delicious!

 

While EH went for something more dark and brooding.

I tried to snap a picture of our friend's but it was terrible as far as iphone pics go. 

If you need a new casual meal spot or fancy some great beer, I highly recommend stopping by either of these places! Might as well hit up both if you find a parking spot downtown.

Cheers!