We survived the pumpkin spice fried chicken doughnut burger

There is a restaurant and juice bar in Santa Monica making a pumpkin spice fried chicken doughnut burger. It’s called Chomp, and the next time you’re there sipping a beet, apple, lemon and ginger juice, you can do it with a fried chicken doughnut burger in the other hand.

Why serve something so outrageously caloric where you can buy a juice cleanse package? Because it’s the height of pumpkin spice season, and owner Rolan Pongpuntara needed to find a way to highlight her pumpkin spice aioli.

“I like to go all out with my seasonal items,� said Pongpuntara. “We did a pumpkin spice aioli with cinnamon, fall spices, and we added a little kick. I knew fried chicken would be good. And why not a glazed crumb doughnut?�

The result? Fried chicken breast topped with pumpkin spice aioli, arugula, tomato and provolone cheese on a glazed cinnamon crumb doughnut bun from DK’s Donuts, which happens to be next door.

When you get past the initial shock and breathe a little, you realize it’s just another sweet and savory sandwich.

The doughnut is light and fluffy, the chicken crisp and moist, and the aioli has just a hint of pumpkin spice flavor. The cinnamon crumb doughnut topping gives the sandwich an overall sweetness, but the arugula does a fine job of balancing the flavors. Think fried chicken and waffles — a lot of syrup, a little cinnamon.

The burger is $5.95 and will be available starting Wednesday, through the rest of the month.

And if you feel guilty after eating it, just remember you can walk up to the counter afterwards and order that juice cleanse package.

1612 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (818) 448-1966, www.chompeatery.com.

I only eat the filling in pumpkin pie. Follow me on Twitter @Jenn_Harris_

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