Chick & Benny’s brings something unexpected to diners
Chick & Benny's, 1659 W. Warm Springs Road, serves chicken and beignets. The name is a homophone.
"I don't think I'm homophonic," jokes Michael Goldenberg, who opened the Henderson eatery in February with his twin brother, Mark, and their families.
The chicken, breaded and fried, is served as tenders and in sandwiches, in various combinations with fries and other sides. A beignet, French for "fried dough," is described by Goldenberg as a "light, glorified doughnut."
"We figured, let's make something different," he says, noting the popularity of beignets in France and New Orleans. "And the best thing about it is that it's an all-day dessert product, unlike a doughnut, which most people eat in the morning."
Since the limited menu also contains a beef link-stuffed baguette called the Parisian Dog, perhaps they should have called it Chick & Benny's & Frank's.
"Nah, that's too long," Goldenberg says.
One thing you shouldn't swallow is the story of the eatery's creation displayed in the restaurant and on its website. It claims that the twins were separated at birth and "freakishly united" at 50 years old at a quiche convention in Paris.
"The twins part is true," Goldenberg says.
The brothers -- raised in St. Louis -- had a 30-year falling out after college, then fell back in at their father's funeral five years ago.
"God does work in mysterious ways," Goldenberg says.
They decided to open a restaurant on the site of a former Java Detour by Green Valley High School in Henderson, Mark's home for seven years. (Michael lives in Waco, Texas.)
The decor is modern, with hand-blown glass pendants, marble countertops and steel-top tables. Chick & Benny's, which seats 34, is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. No reservations are necessary.
Entrees: Chick combo, $7.50; Chirp sandwich, $4.50; Parisian dog, $5.50
Dessert: Beignet, $5.50
Information: 434-5024
