When we moved into our house in November, I was hopeful that we’d have nice neighbors, or at least, not awful neighbors. In our old house, we didn’t actually know many of our neighbors but the ones we knew were really nice, although we weren’t close with any of them.
Our new neighborhood is like nothing I could have imagined. Our neighbors are AWESOME!
Fridays are for neighborhood happy hour- we head out to Rachel and Sean’s front yard with our folding chairs and drinks. The kids ride bikes or run around and the adults have drinks and chat. There’s been a neighborhood bags tournament. A few weeks ago we had root beer floats at happy hour. The evening the power went out, we all ended up in front of our house hanging out until it got too dark to be outside.
Saturday mornings are neighborhood short run where we run in a big group. Often there are spontaneous gatherings on porches, in back yards or on the sidewalk. It’s a wonderful place to live.
There is a neighborhood text chain where people regularly request tools or offer up extra cake. So last week when Sean texted to ask if anyone was passionate about chicken sandwiches and would be interested in doing a chicken sandwich comparison, it wasn’t surprising that everyone responded with enthusiasm. I don’t actually eat that much fast food, but I do love judging and comparing!
So today was the day! At 11am, we gathered and came up with a plan. We had drivers go 4 different places- McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, and Popeyes. We brought back chicken sandwiches and fries from each. Chickkk Filet was not considered because they hate everyone and therefore were not eligible. This is St.Paul and we don’t stand for hate.
Each taster ended up with a half sandwich from each place. We went one at a time, making comments about texture, bun, sauce, moisture of the chicken, etc. The fries were palate cleansers in between.
KFC was a close second. The chicken was good. It was crispy. There was a LOT of mayo so that was a knock against it. But it was a good sandwich. 
The Burger King sandwich was last. Upon first bite, we were all a little surprised- there was a mustardy sauce that was different than the others and was nice at first. However, after a few bites, the sauce was too much. The chicken was good, the bun was good.
In the end, Popeyes was a clear winner. KFC was a respectable second. Burger King came in third. McDonalds was a very disappointing last place. My eyes were much bigger than my stomach and by the time we were finished, I didn’t think I’d ever eat anything again. However, it was a very fun comparison and we are already brainstorming the next food group we can compare!
