South Seattle: Cheap Eating with Blue Scholars

"Slick Watts" music director Jordan Nicholson, MC Geo, DJ Sabzi and Me

In the Blue Scholars music video "Slick watts" the hip hop duo give shout outs to some of their favorite places to eat around Seattle. Dick's Drive in on Cap Hill. Pizza Ragazzi in the U District. Original Philly's in South Seattle.






As University of Washington students, and as musicians, they've learned how to stretch the dollar and find what Sabzi calls a sweet spot. That same spot I keep searching for: where the food tastes great but you never feel like you've spent too much money.

Here are three more sweet spots from Blue Scholars

1. Inays in Beacon Hill
2503 Beacon Ave S Seattle, WA
98144
Phone number (206) 325-5692

"Well it IS still technically morning right now, " says MC Geo. " and what we Filipinos love to do is basically have all day dishes --dinner dishes, lunch dishes--throw an egg on top of it and call it breakfast."

For $7.75 you can have either tapsilog. That's beef. Longsilog ( sausage) or Tosilog ( with pork).

"So that's the "Silog" part of it." says Geo. "Filipino for egg."

Uncle Ernie has been serving up down home Filipino cooking for more than ten years. And his meals hit the spot.

"It's a high protein breakfast." says Sabzi." Give me that energy for the day."

On Friday nights things can get a little more saucy here.

"Friday nights, word is they have a crazy drag show." says Sabzi "We haven't had a chance to see it ourselves yet but some of our friends have recommended it to us."

Seven blocks down Beacon Avenue we visit another Blue Scholars sweet spot

2. El Quetzal
3209 Beacon Ave S
Seattle, WA 98144
  Phone number (206) 329-2970

They've been serving Mexican City cuisine since 2004.

"All the sauces they make here are fresh", says Geo. " Best one in Seattle. Got a kick to it. They're not afraid of putting some spices up in their stuff."

 

While Sabzi orders the skirt steak huarache,  a $9 pre Columbian traditional dish, Geo orders another $9 meal : torta gignates--a sausage and egg sandwich. The dude must like eggs.

"Never had it before." says Geo."This is my first time having it and I'm gonna get this the next time and probably the time after that too."

 

I got the fish tacos. Tiny apple slices add a zing.


3. Pho Bac , the little red boat in the International District, is our final stop.
1314 S Jackson St (between S 12th Ave & S 14th Ave)
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 323-4387

 

"Established in 1982: The first pho in Seattle" says Sabzi who has become a pho expert over the years.

 

Sabzi takes a moment to teach me a few lessons:
"What makes pho is the broth which takes about a day to make at least so there's a giant vat of broth in the back and then whatever you order they take the raw ingredients throw it in the bowl bring it right to you. its very fast very cheap."

A small bowl costs $6.50 and it's not that small.

"I'm actually suddenly really hungry for this." announces Geo.
"Yeah me too." says Sabzi.

 

Sabzi has a few more lessons to share:

"If you're gonna get pho, the word 'pho' better be in the name of the restaurant and you want to get it at a place where it's the only thing on the menu. Also, keep your broth and contents at an even level cuz drinking the broth is just as important."

 

This is great pho, but after three meals for lunch I have to quit. Geo finishes the whole bowl.

"It's just that good." he says.

So there you have it: a study in Cheap Eats from our very well versed, and very full experts.

"They don't call us scholars for nothing."

Renton Cheap Eats : Heaven Sent Fried Chicken

        At Heaven Sent Fried Chicken in Renton you can meet the man who makes the world's best fried chicken. Just ask Oprah.
     "Oh yeah man!" says Ezell Stephens. "She had my chicken two night in a row... and once she got back to Chicago, she wanted it again for her birthday so she flew me out. And it's been Oprah's fried chicken ever since.

   The chicken may be Oprah's but the recipe belongs to Ezell Stephens. And even though he's been frying chicken for 40 years, Ezell is still having fun.

  "When you're the best at what you do, it's never boring. Never."

The past few years have actually been anything but boring.

 After legal battles with his former business partners and his ex-wife, Ezell had to give up the name of his famed Seattle chicken chain: Ezell's. So this high priest of poultry came up with a new name.

"It's a true name." says Ezell, who is wearing his "God is Good All the Time" t-shirt and a cross around his neck.. "It's not a made up name."

The name is Heaven Sent.

" Did you notice it's just got baptized?" Ezell says as we watch him soaking the chicken."Just baptized that chicken man. Heaven Sent: you gotta baptize it" Ezell laughs. ( And it's an infectious laugh).

The name has changed. The recipe has not. That's what draws regular customers like James Pryor who knows all about what went down between Ezell the chicken chain and Ezell the man.

"Since the whole thing went down I kinda picked a side and came here for the original." Pryor says.
"And any regrets?" I ask
 "Absolutely not. That's why I'm here today."

  We were kind of surprised Ezell let us into the kitchen where we could see him seasoning the spicy chicken with flour and what was probably cayenne. Wasn't he worried somebody who knows a lot about food would be able to figure out what his ingredients were?

"Some of the people will know WHAT it is,  but not what it IS." Ezell laughs.

I don't know if this is a secret but Ezell deep fries dark meat for 19 minutes and white meat for just 16. I would have thought it was the other way around.

"Everyone comes in here saying 'Wow your white meat is not dry like everywhere else where it's dry."

 So here's what the world's best fried chicken looks like. It's incredibly crunchy on the outside but when you peel away the top what you get is  succulent on the inside. If it's not the best chicken in the world, it's at least the best chicken in MY world. Bread rolls are light and tasty. The Sweet Potato Pie is another Oprah favorite. You can also get the award winning Faygo soda here. You'll probably want your order to go but there's a nice park across the street.


Extra hint: You want a fresh batch if possible. Check to see what Ezell's doing in the kitchen.

Heaven Sent Fried Chicken
509 S 3rd St Renton, WA 98057
(425) 917-3000
7 days a week, 10 AM to 9 PM

There are also locations in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle, Rainier Avenue in Columbia City and in Everett but every time I visit the Renton eatery Ezell is there.

Heaven Sent Fried Chicken.com
Evening Magazine story