Need proof there's a god? Behold chicken and waffles, a food that straddles the realms of savory and sweet like nothing else can. Some may say chicken and waffles lacks savoir fair, but we think it makes up for it with pure, unadulterated fried-goodness (and a crap-load of syrup).

But all chicken and waffle dishes are not created equal. There are myriad subtleties that go into perfecting this prized pièce de résistance: how deeply fried the chicken is, the sugar content of the syrup, and the waffle's density, just for starters. There's a science to this.

While we haven't cracked that elusive formula ourselves, we have tracked down the few who have. So leave your cholesterol apprehensions at the door and your calorie counts behind, and shamelessly dive in to the 10 Best Chicken and Waffles Spots in NYC. And if doc asks about your sky-high HDL's, feel free to blame Complex.