what's your comfort food?

burritos, curly fries, nachos, mac and cheese, ice cream, cookies, mashed potatoes, cheese and crackers, chocolate, carne asada fries, chinese desserts, banana chocolate chip pancakes, chicken parmesan, pasta, fettucini with porcini mushroom oil, grilled cheese, bacon, sushi, baja fresh, pad thai, burgers, fried rice, thick cut steak fries, afritada, pho, clam chowder, mc donald's, bao, tom yum soup, philly cheese steaks, pizza, tapioca milk tea, sunflower seeds, vitamin water, mini paisa, chips, ham and cheese hot pockets, smoothies, thai iced tea, chicken alfredo, kentucky fried chicken, kung pao chicken, chocolate covered nuts, loaded baked potatos, bacon cheesburgers, cheesesteaks, filet mignon, beer, korean bbq, hamhocks and beans over cornbread, ben and jerry's strawberry cheesecake, udon...

Comfort food is one of those buzz words that people instantly identify with. It's what you go to when you've had a bad day. It's what you grew up with. Comfort food can be simple, refined, ethnic, or nostalgic. No matter what you identify as your comfort food or how you define it, one thing is undeniable: It's delicious.

A couple of weeks ago, I sent out a note on facebook to get a conversation started around comfort food. The above list represents a compilation of the responses I received, reflecting the attitudes of Gen Y on the subject.

When I think of comfort food, a lot of things come to mind. Home fries, my mom's home cooked sinigang, garlic noodles... but really, nothing takes the cake like fried food. It's indulgent, satiating, and "finger licking good."

A few weeks ago, I visited Brown Sugar Kitchen, [Tanya Holland's restaurant in West Oakland] to indulge in the ultimate comfort food: fried chicken and waffles.

Brown Sugar Kitchen is anything but your typical chicken and waffles joint. The space was small, yet very tasteful in decor, creating a sophisticated spin on the traditional diner. The lighting is dim and artwork is strategically placed around the room. While there is a bar top and tables in the restaurant, there is also a sleek coffee bar that serves pastries and drinks to warm the soul -- mighty leaf tea and blue bottle cofee. We waited about half an hour to be seated, with plenty of other patrons waiting before and after.

We started with the shrimp gumbo, served with rice and packed with okra. It was well-seasoned and authentic. The gumbo was nice and dark, the product of a labor-intensive roux and spiced for complexity. But the real star of the show was the chicken and waffles. My boyfriend isn't a fan of chicken and waffles, but after tasting Tanya Holland's rendition he's completely sold. Tanya's waffles are made of cornmeal and served with brown sugar butter, which quickly melts into the waffles since they're served hot off the grill. These waffles were unbelievable. Amazingly crisp with a nice buttery texture. I'm usually the type who likes to take my time eating, so it was a nice surprise to see that the waffles maintained their crisp texture rather than turning into a mush. While the waffles are served with apple cider syrup, I much prefered the preserves that were available for use on the countertop. The boysenberry preserves were completely complimentary. Sweet, but not too sweet and packed with real fruit. The chicken was equally amazing. Crisp on the outside, moist on the inside and completely flavorful throughout.

Needless to say, we left with food colma and were completely incapacitated for the rest of the afternoon. But it was definitely worth it.