by Anthony Harrison

America seems obsessed with deep-frying anything humanly possible. Fried bacon. Fried Snickers. Fried butter. Fried Kool-Aid is a thing.

When I come across something fried, novel and somewhat healthy, I’m amazed.

Last time I was in Winston-Salem, I covered the Cycling Classic, and it was hot as hell. I’d walked miles following the cyclists on their route. By the race’s end, I was parched and starving.

Admittedly, I don’t know the city that well, so I asked a random race officiant where I could get some decent food on Fourth Street. They recommended Mellow Mushroom — with which I’ve been familiar since my days in Boone — and Jeffrey Adams, if I happened to desire a steak or a good burger.

Since I knew Mellow Mushroom like the back of my hand, I opted for something new.

While many options at Jeffrey Adams on the solely carnivorous side piqued my fancy, I have to admit I have a soft spot for a Caesar salad. And while their burgers tantalized my taste buds’ fantasies, I saw that their Caesar salad came with, of all things, fried artichokes.

As with many trivial decisions in my gourmand life, it came to a coin toss between one of their burgers and the Caesar with smoked chicken. Heads went to the Caesar. Considering the heat of the day, I was happy the lighter option won, though I wasn’t expecting too much.

Caesar dressing is the greatest thing this side of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a touch of salt and whole lot of pepper. The chicken, while superb, was not as good as my neighbor’s recipe. Romaine never disappoints.

But I was pleasantly surprised — those fried artichokes were worth every damned penny.

A panko coating added texture. The leafy artichoke hearts, bursting with their lovely, slightly-sweet flavor, disintegrated on the tongue with buttery texture due to the deep fry. And since the dressing was served on the side, I could dunk each panko-coated heart into the beauty of Caesar, adding those familiar, old-world flavors to the delectability of the new discovery.

We fry lots of things in this country, either for flavor or novelty. Fried artichokes meet my apex in both categories.

Join the First Amendment Society, a membership that goes directly to funding TCB‘s newsroom.

We believe that reporting can save the world.

The TCB First Amendment Society recognizes the vital role of a free, unfettered press with a bundling of local experiences designed to build community, and unique engagements with our newsroom that will help you understand, and shape, local journalism’s critical role in uplifting the people in our cities.

All revenue goes directly into the newsroom as reporters’ salaries and freelance commissions.

⚡ Join The Society ⚡