Wichita Falls – Downtown Wichita Falls has been bustling with business since 1882. One of the hubs for business here is over on the corner of 8th and Lamar. There you’ll find the old Hamilton Building, a cornerstone for companies in this corner of Texas since 1927. But if you can make your way past the entrance to the ornate lobby and take the side door to a mysterious ordinary hall, you’ll find a latent location with lots of really good food.
Kyle Dalka is the crazy man of Hungarian descent that decided to open his eatery with interesting offerings in this literal hole in the wall. “When we opened, we really only expected to get a lot of the building traffic, but we’ve grown such a clientele from across town even,” explained Kyle.
Kyle grew up in an Indiana town but then he grew up tall and he grew up right, and he left for Texas where the stars are big and bright. His first stop was the Capitol City. Unfortunately, Austin was just not the place for Kyle. “I loved it. It’s great. It’s expensive. Me and my wife were having a kid. I was 21, so it was just not possible at the time, sadly,” said Kyle.
So why Wichita Falls? “So at that time, an article had come out about (Wichita Falls) being the cheapest place to live for a big city. This was supposed to be a stopping point. In 2 years, we were going to get our bearings straight and move to a bigger city again. And we got stuck here,” said Kyle lovingly.
Kyle kicked off his own culinary creation in a food truck but then moved to the Hamilton building in 2018. “This had been a great restaurant space for two other restaurants that are still locally owned here. It’s been an incubator for some restaurants to be able to go on and do bigger things,” said Kyle.
Kyle is on track to do the same thing thanks to his creative culinary twists on totally terrific dishes. “We’re trying to do things that everyone can have some knowledge about, but then flip it on its head,” said Kyle.
Today, we’re trying two of those marvelous mishmashes. The Korean chicken sandwich and the Waldorf Salad. “People will just go crazy over the salad. It’s nuts,” stated Kyle.
Considering our sizable stature, it was comical to see together in Kyle’s itty-bitty kitchen but that didn’t stop Kyle from getting things started with the sandwich. “Everyone eats a fried chicken sandwich. We just dip ours in a Korean style barbecue sauce with a jalapeno lime aioli, lettuce, quick pickle, cucumbers, and cilantro,” explained Kyle.
Kyle dips breaded non-GMO chicken into a secret combination of Korean urbs and spices. “This is one recipe that we hold near and dear to our heart. Everyone who comes in here has to work here a little while before they’re actually able to make it,” said Kyle.
Once fried up, it gets placed on a toasted brioche bun with aioli, hydroponically grown lettuce, locally grown cilantro, and quick pickled cucumbers.
Next up, the chicken for the Waldorf salad.“We marinade it in a ton of lemon juice, garlic, oregano and olive oil,” said Kyle. While that cooks, the salad is sorted with a variety of ingredients, from local lettuce, Granny Smith apples, fresh red grapes, aged white cheddar that comes from Waco, and candied pecans. “So this is where it changes. We also add avocado and it just comes with a side of our white balsamic.” Considering the dressing was green, I had a few questions. “We use a bunch of herbs in it, so chive, basil, thyme, white balsamic, shallot, honey, salt and pepper. And then we emulsify it with some of that Texas olive oil,” explained Kyle.
“I pretty much know where the good salads are and this is one,” said customer Tara Rice.
You got that chicken marinated and cooked to perfection on top of that incredible bed of lettuce, and all the flavors coming out of that dressing. All those fresh herbs just make an incredible difference. “The best salad you’re going to get in town,” said customer Martin Kipp.
Easy to say, the Waldorf is worth checking into. As for the Korean fried chicken sandwich. “It’s very different. I’ve never had it anywhere else,” said Tara.
The chicken has an amazing flavor with a little spicy and then you get into those cucumbers and that jalapeno lime aioli, and it just puts a whole other twist on that Korean chicken. Sort of like a little bon mi me flare with a Texan kiss.
“This adds a twist on the spices, so it’s fantastic to try something new with a different spin on it,” said customer Karen Bivonn.
You might remember the great fast food Chicken Sandwich Wars of 2019. This blows it out of the water. “Good food, it’s original, it has its own spin on things,” stated Martin.
Well, if you’re looking for some unique food in Wichita Falls, just find the Hamilton building and come on in the side entrance to Progress and Provisions, a perfect stop on The Texas Bucket List! “You’re going to get food here that’s local, fresh and something you probably never had before,” stated Kyle.