Gus’s chicken is more of a batter-fried phenomenon, with a thin, fragile crust that shatters under your teeth, releasing a flood of scalding juice.

He came up with the Lake Erie Monster, a mash-up of grilled cheese and batter-fried fillets slathered with a jalapeño-spiked tartar sauce.

But existing purveyors have come up with new treats such as Spam Sushi, and batter-fried cheese-flavored Spam cubes with a side of ranch dressing.