TO HONOR THEIR HISTORY. ♪
♪ >> AT MAXINE'S CHICKEN AND
WAFFLES IN DOWNTOWN
INDIANAPOLIS, THE PAN-FRIED
CHICKEN IS THE EPITOME OF HOME
COOKING, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
BEFORE IT HIT THE MENU, THIS
DISH WAS MADE FOR DECADES AT A
HOME ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF
INDIANAPOLIS, WHERE A WOMAN
NAMED MAXINE BONELL RAISED HER
TEN CHILDREN AND FED THEM WELL.
>> MY MOM COOKED VARIOUS DISHES
THAT ARE FAVORITES.
NOW HER FRIED CHICKEN, LOVE IT,
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? SHE DID TEACH US THAT.
THAT WAS ONE OF HER, PRETTY MUCH
SIGNATURE DISH, HER FRIED CHICK
ON.
ON. -- CHICKEN.
-- CHICKEN. I WOULD WATCH HER FRY THAT AND
THAT'S WHERE I PICKED UP MY WAY
OF COOKING THE CHICKEN IS FROM
HER.
HER. THE PAN-FRIED CHICKEN, I'M
FRYING IT JUST LIKE MY MOM WOULD
FRY IT.
FRY IT. >> FOUR OF MAXINE'S CHILDREN OWN
THE RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN
INDIANAPOLIS.
INDIANAPOLIS. IT'S A TRIBUTE TO THEIR LATE
MOTHER, FEATURING HER RECIPES
AND OTHER SOUTHERN COMFORT FOOD.
AT MAXINE'S HOUSE, PAN-FRIED
CHICKEN COOKED LOW AND SLOW INTO
THE SKILLET WAS A STAPLE.
>> SUNDAY MORNINGS, MY MOM WOULD
GET UP.
GET UP. WHEN SHE WOULD START COOKING,
SHE WOULD FIX HER BISCUITS.
BACK THEN, THERE WAS FRIED
CHICKEN FOR BREAKFAST.
IT JUST WASN'T A DINNER MEAL OR
A SUPPER MEAL.
IT WAS BREAKFAST.
♪
♪ >> DANISE REMEMBERS WHEN SHE WAS
LITTLE, HER MOM AND DAD KEPT
CHICKENS IN THE BACKYARD.
HER DAD WOULD BUTCHER THE
CHICKENS AND THEN TURN IT OVER
TO HER MOM TO WORK HER MAGIC.
>> SHE WOULD WASH IT AND SEASON
IT REAL WELL AND THEN SHE WOULD
PUT A GREASE ON.
LET THE GREASE GET HOT AND THEN
SHE WOULD FLOUR THE CHICKEN AND
FRY IT, YOU KNOW, COOK IT DONE.
AND IT WOULD TAKE LIKE 35, 45
MINUTES TO COOK IT.
>> AT THE RESTAURANT, THE
PAN-FRIED CHICKEN IS SERVED
PERFECTLY CRISPY AND LIGHTLY
SEASONED ON THE OUTSIDE.
JUICY INSIDE WITH TRADITIONAL
SIDES THAT WOULD YOU HAVE FOUND
AT MAXINE'S HOUSE.
>> FOR BREAKFAST, DEEP FRIED
CHICKEN.
CHICKEN. YOU EAT WHAT YOU HAVE, BISCUITS
AND FRY.
AND FRY. THAT AT DINNER, I MEAN, IT WOULD
BE FRIED CHICKEN.
ARE SHE WOULD SLICE UP TOMATOES
AND DO HER FRIED CORN AND SHE
WOULD DO HER GREEN BEANS AND SHE
WOULD DO THE MACARONI AND
CHEESE.
CHEESE. SHE WOULD DO POTATO SALAD.
SO IT WAS ALWAYS AN ARRAY OF
SIDE ITEMS THAT SHE WOULD DO
WITH HER FRIED CHICKEN.
>> THERE WAS NINE OF US.
SO WE WOULD SOMETIMES TRY TO
TAKE TURN EATING, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE THE TABLE WASN'T BIG
ENOUGH FOR ALL NINE OF US TO
SIT.
SIT. BUT LIKE I SAID, SHE WOULD HAVE
PLENTY OF FOOD FIXED ON THE
STOVE, YOU KNOW.
SHE WOULD HAVE IT ON THE
CABINETS.
CABINETS. WE WOULD GO FIX OUR PLATES.
>> MAXINE NEVER ACTUALLY OWNED A
RESTAURANT HERSELF, BUT SHE
STILL MADE A CAREER OUT OF
COOKING.
COOKING. >> SHE HAD VARIOUS JOBS THAT I
CAN REMEMBER, BUT, YOU KNOW, HER
MAIN JOB THAT ALLOWED HER TO, I
GUESS, CONTINUE HER CRAFT WAS
SHE WAS A COOK AT ST. FRANCIS
HOSPITAL FOR OVER 30 SOME YEARS
UNTIL SHE RETIRED.
SHE WAS A WORKING LADY, DURING
THAT TIME WHEN A LOT OF WOMEN
MAY NOT HAVE WORKED.
>> ALL RIGHT, GUYS.
WE HAVE --
>> FAST FORWARD TWO GENERATIONS
TO 2007.
TO 2007. IT WAS MAXINE'S GRANDSON WHO HAD
AN IDEA TO OPEN A RESTAURANT IN
HER HONOR AND ADD A CONTEMPORARY
TWIST SERVING CHICKEN AND
WAFFLES.
WAFFLES. THE FAMILY TALKED IT OVER AT A
THANKSGIVING DINNER.
THANKSGIVING DINNER. THAT WAS THE ONE HOLIDAY WHERE
MAXINE REQUESTED FULL FAMILY
ATTENDANCE.
ATTENDANCE. IN 2008, MAXINE'S CHICKEN AND
WAFFLES OPENED AND ALTHOUGH
DEMENTIA KEPT MAXINE FROM HAVING
A HAND IN THE BUSINESS, SHE HAD
BEEN THERE IN SPIRIT FROM THE
START.
START. >> SHE TAUGHT ME THE
FUNDAMENTALS OF COOKING.
SHE REALLY DID.
WHATEVER SHE COOKED, SHE COOKED
IT WITH A LOT OF PRIDE AND SHE
COOKED IT WITH A LOT OF LOVE AND
THAT'S WHAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS
THAT PRIDE AND LOVE THAT'S IN
THAT DISH.
THAT DISH. >> MAXINE PASSED AWAY IN 2012 AT
88 YEARS OLD.
FOR HER FAMILY ONE OF THE JOYS
OF THE RESTAURANT IS SEEING
FAMILIES SIT DOWN TO A MEAL
TOGETHER, A RITUAL THAT MAXINE
CHERISHED SO MUCH.
>> THIS RESTAURANT WAS BORN OUT
OF LOVE.
OF LOVE. WE WANT TO PASS THAT LOVE TO
GENERATION TO GENERATION, TO
GENERATION.