Crafted Taphouse
523 Sherman Ave. Coeur d'Alene, craftedtaphouse.com, 208-292-4813
Open daily 11 am-close for dine-in and takeout
Every dish at Crafted Taphouse is named after someone who's a "master of their craft," and the Rockafella Y'all is no different.
Named in homage to Jay-Z's label Roc-A-Fella Records, the downtown craft beer bar and gastropub's take on classic chicken and waffles has been a bestseller since Crafted's opening seven years ago.
"It's a very unique twist on chicken and waffles," says owner Rob Berger, "and has a strong Pacific Northwest influence thanks to the scratch-made huckleberry sauce we use on it."
Diners definitely rave about that house-made huckleberry sauce topping the Rockafella Y'all ($18), calling it the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the savory bacon and juicy fried chicken.
The sweet, tart sauce drips down over the star ingredient of the dish, a chicken thigh that's sous vide cooked before being drenched in a buttermilk breading and deep fried.
The choice to employ sous vide in the cooking process, Berger says, means that the chicken is "cooked to perfection and extremely juicy every time."
"And the bacon, whipped cream and egg on top create a flavor profile that nobody has ever experienced with chicken and waffles," he adds.
The masterful entree truly towers once plated. Alternating layers of the green onion-infused Belgian waffles, bacon and fried chicken are held in place by several skewers, and then topped by an over-easy egg, making for a worthy inclusion on any foodie's Instagram feed.
While you may be rightfully distracted by the carefully crafted culinary creation that is the Rockafella Y'all, don't forget that Crafted also boasts a whopping 62 taps of craft beer and cider ranging from "local to very not local."
