Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers with Matt Selman

"Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers with Matt Selman" is Episode 296 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers with Matt Selman" was released on April 15, 2021.

## Synopsis

Matt Selman (*The Simpsons*) returns to talk work lunches, chicken sandwiches, and Raising Cane's. Plus, the debut of Who Had a Cow, Man?

## Nick's intro

Beagle. Golden retriever. German shepherd. Poodle.

Familiar names dot the list of America's most popular dog breeds, compiled annually by the American Kennel Club.

But for 29 consecutive years, likely soon to be 30, one breed has held the top spot: the Labrador retriever.

First bred in the nineteenth century in Newfoundland, Canada, as a fishing dog, the breed's proficiency for hunting and farming tasks has made the Lab ubiquitous in North America, and its popularity continued as the US shifted from an agrarian to a manufacturing and then a service economy.

And it was a Labrador retriever that inspired the name a quixotic passion project of entrepreneur Todd Graves: a restaurant that served only chicken fingers.

Graves worked back-breaking jobs as a boilermaker and sockeye salmon fisherman to save the money to launch his business, opened in 1996 in Baton Rouge, just steps from Louisiana University. The eatery's simple menu of chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, and Texas Toast, served with its signature secret-recipe sauce, was a day-one hit with the college crowd and rapidly expanded with Graves' namesake pet Labrador appearing on its signage (and serving as its brand ambassador until the dog's death in 1998).

And so in 1999, the moniker was passed to a second Labrador retriever, who died in 2016.

And so a third Labrador now serves as the living mascot for the chain's 500+ locations.

(And also serves as a symbol of a broader American hierarchy that ascribes value to animals based on their friendliness and cuteness. Dogs for companionship; chickens for meat.)

This week on *Doughboys*, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers.

## Fork rating

* Crinkle-Cut Fries
* Coleslaw
* Texas Toast
* Cane's Sauce
 Mike Mitchell
	+ six Chicken Fingers
	+ Crinkle-Cut Fries
	+ Texas Toast
	+ Coleslaw
	+ Cane's Sauce
	+ Lemonade
* The Sandwich
 Matt "The Tinefather" Selman
* Chicken Fingers
* Crinkle-Cut Fries
 Emma Erdbrink

The **Spoonman Bite of the Night** went to putting a Chicken Finger on the Texas Toast. This was also **Selman's Chew of the Dude**.

Nick refrains from rating Raising Cane's since he did not try the chicken; Emma's 5 fork rating is in his place.

(To note, Nick does consider Raising Cane's a 1 fork restaurant for vegetarians.)

## Who Had a Cow, Man? 🐮

This is the debut of a new quiz segment, in which Mitch and the guest guess which *Simpsons* character said a series of food-related quotes. A bonus point is received if they can also name what episode it is from.

**Matt Selman** wins!

## Roast Spoonman

Fudge Nelson
Pudge Nelson
Michael Anthony Hall (for resembling Van Halen's bass player)
Giant Meal-io Estevez
Ally Eaty
Anthony Michael Mess Hall

## Quotes

**Nick**: Smooth. Easy. Inoffensive. No one's really having a good time, but also no one's really complaining.

**Nick**: What class did you take?
**Mitch**: Intro to Chicken Fingers.

**Selman**: Definitely.

## The Feedbag

If I'm frequenting such an establishment, how do I make it so I don't expect them to give me free items all the time?

## Photos

1/2 Sweet Tea, 1/2 Unsweet TeaCrinkle-Cut FriesColeslawTexas ToastThe SandwichLemonadeThe Crainiac ComboThe Sandwich