FromtheSouthto yourmouth

CONVERSATIONWITHDERRECKJOHNSON ||| BYCHUCKBARNEY

with afuturistictwist.” What’sthe futuristictwist?

Evenas Oakland’sJackLondon Square experiences aculinaryrenaissance withtrendyeateriessuchas Lungomare, Haven and Plank, the Home of Chicken and Waffles remains the neighborhood’stried-and-truesoulfoodhot spot.Openedin2004byits passionate owner, DerreckJohnson, the bustling dinercontinues to thrive, thankstoits abundance of freshlymade comfort food, a warmfamilyenvironment andthe soothing soundsofMotown. Johnson, who alsorunsaHomeof Chicken andWaffles in WalnutCreek, tellsushow the ingredientsof successallcome together.

What is itabout themarriageof chicken andwafflesthat makesit suchabeloveddish for somany?

It’sjustagreat combination of thesavory andsweet. It’svery comforting. Itjust makesyou feel goodinside.

Soundslike maybe we should all beeatingmoreofit.

Theworldwouldbeahappier, friendlier place.

Still, you’llfind some people who have never tried it —people who considerit tobean unusual combination.In their minds, you mightaswell bemixing Pop-Tarts with a porterhouse steak.

Oh, yeah, there are some people who don’tgetit.Obviously, it’s more prevalentin cultures and communities thathave some ties to the South. Personally, mygoalis to expose our culture and our food to everyone.Besides, fried chicken is somethingthatcrosses all lines.

And a widevarietyof people have embraced yourplace over the years. Ourclienteleis,ofcourse,largely African-American. Butwehave customers from all walks of life, and theyreflecttheoverallpopulation ofOakland.(Former)Mayor (Jean)Quanis acustomer.We getpolice officersandpoliticians, entertainers andathletes.Alot of the Warriors — StephCurry, KlayThompson — have beenin severaltimes,aswellas many of theRaiders.

Soundslike it’sgonemainstream.

Definitely. You’re findingmore chicken and wafflesbeing served in mainstreamrestaurants and evensomefine dining establishments. They’retrying their own versionsof it,with mixed results. Theytry tofancyit uptoo much. It’sstill bestin its basic form.

Yes,basic. And there’ssomething aboutthose cinnamony waffles.

It’sour special recipe.

And you’re not going to share it with us?

Ofcourse not!

One of thedistinctive things about yourrestaurantisthecolorful painted portraitsofyour family members on the wallwith their namesake dishes.How didthat idea come about?

Igotthe idea driving downGrand Avenue. I sawthis artist(Peter Tom)painting amural on the walls of aschool.Istopped and askedhim ifhe coulddo something for us.

It’sarealhomageto family.

That’swhat it’sall about. We want to give people thatexperience of going to yourmom’sfor Thanksgiving or Christmas or on aSundayafternoon. It’sthe most American way to eat.

On your menu, there’sareference to “down-homeSouthernsoul food

LEARNMOREATWWW.HOMEOFCHICKENANDWAFFLES.COM

Thatmainly refers to the look of thediner.As a kid, Iloved “TheJetsons.”Itwas my favorite cartoon.SoIwantedabit of that “Jetsons”feel—with alot of bright, vibrant colors.

As an Oaklandnativeand a restaurantownersince 2004, you’ve witnessed the riseand fall and the rise again of Jack LondonSquare. How gratifying is it to see the culinary revival going on there?

Verygratifying. For a few years,it was likeadesertout here.Itwas extremelydismal.…Now,it’slike night and day.There’sawhole different kindofenergygoingon. Plank is agreataddition.Ireally enjoy eating atHaven.…Andit’s nice to beable totell peoplethat you don’thave togoto San Franciscotohave an upscale dining experience.

And now, thegoal, it would seem, is to keep it going.

That’sright.My hope is toseea few more family-friendly,everyday kindofrestaurants addedto the mix.That’swhat I thinkyou reallyneed tobringin even more people. Andthose peoplewill see that this place issafe,friendlyand alot of fun. You’vegotallkinds of different foods to choose from in athree-block radius.The water is beautiful. The weather’sgreat. What else canyou ask for?

That said,mostofthemedia attentionhas been directed atthe trendyneweateries. Do you worry that your place mightget overlookedamid all the hubbub?

Notatall! Down-home comfort foodfeedsthe soul andhas stood the testof time. And it can certainlystandthe trends of time.