Eat This: A Two-Handed Chicken Sandwich in Irving

You have to fuel up before a concert. Food, drinks or whatever your vice, you don’t want to be the sucker who pays $25 between sets for one of the worst burgers you’ll ever eat. Take it from the Observer’s staff music writer: finding a pregame checkpoint to get ready for a long night out is a necessity.

Dallas has some signature one-two punches. Corner Market before going to the Granada Theatre? Yes, please. A quick run to Taco Heads across the street from Dickies Arena? See you 30 minutes before doors.

This is part of what makes the Toyota Music Factory special. If you’re headed to a show there, you’re treated to a deep roster of food options before it begins. Thirsty Lion, Cork & Pig, Pacheco Taco Bar. There’s something for everyone, except when My Morning Jacket starts in an hour, and every place has a line and a wait. What do you do then? You take a risk, and you go to the only place in the shopping center that’s empty, Kitchen 101.
Take it from the Observer’s staff food writer (still me, they work us like dogs (Editor's note: You have to go to a concert and eat? For work?! Bummer!), it’s easy to spot red flags at restaurants. The first, and most obvious, is that a restaurant is empty while everything around it is busy. Hoist that rag. Secondly, and more of a personal thing, if a restaurant has a massive, non-cohesive menu, steer clear. Kitchen 101 offered brunch, flatbreads, sandwiches, bowls and salads with flavors sourced from nearly every cuisine imaginable. There’s a huge coffee bar AND a huge alcohol bar. Did we mention a fully stocked dessert display case?

You could consider both red flags flying confidently at Kitchen 101. But we operate on a three strikes and you’re out system, and also on a “we’re going to miss the first song if we wait for a table, so let’s just go here” policy. Let’s see if one of the sandwiches is decent.

We ordered a Baja Cali chicken sandwich with a side order of fries, totaling $17, took our pick of the 100 empty seats and waited.

Minutes later, we were presented with the most intimidating platter of food that doesn’t get you a T-shirt for finishing it. Two halves of a massive ciabatta, piled with grilled chicken, avocado, cherry tomatoes and red onions. Some things are Instagrammable; this was tape-measurable. Don’t forget about that extra side of crispy fry wedges and a stack of thick-cut pickles to go with it.

But if quantity were everything, Golden Corral would be Michelin-starred. It's the taste that counts, so we wrapped two hands around the sandwich (we could've used three) and dug in. Delicious. The ciabatta was good enough to eat on its own, with a crunchy exterior and spongy interior. Red onions and cherry tomatoes combined for a tangy curveball to the chicken, and the fries were perfectly crisp.

We've been multiple times since and can't bring ourselves to try anything other than the Baja Cali on Kitchen 101's sprawling menu. Perhaps other sandwiches are better, or bigger, god forbid. Next time we're in Irving, we don't even need to look at the menu.

If we've learned anything, it's never to judge a restaurant by its menu or its aesthetics, at least not until trying it. And as for the future, if you're stopping through Irving for any reason, Kitchen 101 is absolutely worth a visit.

Kitchen 101, 316 W. Las Colinas Blvd. Monday - Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.