Some days are for quinoa salads, kale smoothies and juice cleansing ... and some glorious days are for feasting at Amy Ruth's.

Amy Ruth's is a popular Harlem restaurant, flocked to by those in search of good old, down-home Southern cooking. Chef and owner Carl Redding named the joint after his grandmother in Alabama, who gave him his first lessons in the kitchen before he went on to cook at former Harlem soul food institution Wilson's and under the employ of Reverend Al Sharpton.

Thus, the signature dish here carries the reverend's moniker: juicy deep fried chicken perched atop a perfectly-crisp-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside waffle. You can ask for a tender chicken leg so large it practically covers the entire waffle or choose chicken wings piled so high you wouldn't be surprised to see your brunch take flight. This dish is more than enough to sate your appetite ... so make sure you come with friends to be able to sample Amy Ruth's other delights. We also tried the fried catfish, covered in just enough batter to start your bite off on an enticingly crisp note before breaking apart to reveal the succulent flakes within. I did not have the fortitude to try the deep fried porkchop smothered in gravy, but the rapt enjoyment of our friend who ordered it made it clear that it was a dish worth coming back for. Even if my caloric conscience somehow got the better of me, I would easily find bliss in having more of that addictive fried okra. That's kind of like having a kale smoothie, sort of ... right?