Modern Vespa

So as this weather in the Midwest is too cold to ride, at least for me, my mind wanders to things such as......food. We did hot dogs and pizza, now I move to fried chicken. As you can see I don't usually aim these threads at healthy food, just tasty. So when I was younger, you could get great fried chicken at so many places, and I don't mean KFC or Popeyes, I mean great fried chicken in restaurants. It seems that great fried chicken in restaurants nowadays is rare. So any great suggestions? There is a little take out place in Chicago, called the Fish Keg, that has great fried shrimp but also great fried chicken. There is a new restaurant in chicago that serves honey fried chicken that sounds great but have not tried it yet. Any thoughts?


Larry

I like KFC Original Recipe, really. I suppose I have had better but not as consistent. Fired chicken? Easy to mess up but can be difficult to get "right."

So consistent, even if average, get's my vote. On Tuesday's Popeye's has a drumstick and thigh deal for $1.29. I picked up a couple orders of spicy this last Tuesday and it was good enough after dousing with some hot sauce.

I think if you want great tasting chicken, you actually have to start with great tasting chicken! I think the factory farmed chickens that are 'manufactured' for maximum weight gain and minimum cost to produce are pretty bland and horrible. I think much of the pork and beef on the (mass) market is also equally disgusting!

1.Pies N' Thighs in Williamsburg, Brooklyn(actually featured on Diners,drive in's and dives). 2. Peaches hot house(Fort Green, Brooklyn). Jimmy's Diner(Williamsburg, BK). All in no particular order, but I now need to sign off MV so as to see who is still open and most importantly, who's still delivering at 1:40am!!!

Another horribly cruel thread. Can't get it here unless we make it ourselves, and it's messy to make properly!

Now, the free range chickens here are superb, and Greek oven roasted chicken is magnificent, but we still long for American style fried chicken, and it is on our mandatory cuisine list when we visit The Colonies.

Right now, even KFC or Popeye's sounds good.

sorry about starting these food threads of things you can't get in Greece but having been to Greece a couple of times you have great food there and a beautiful country.

It's 8:30 in the morning, here, and I suddenly want a bucket of chicken!!

Larry- Yes we have great Greek food, and more great Greek food, but on a beautifu; small island with a permanent population of 12,000, all we have is great Greek food and one Thai restaurant with a limited menu that's open 8 months of the year. Haven't got a complaint in the world, but we just don't have the "luxury" of the many varieties of food available in, for example, the US. If we go out to eat, it's not based on what food we are desirous of, but who we want to see when we dine.

And, can't get many of the ingredients to cook some dishes ourselves, even though our local grocer will move mountains to get stuff for us.

So yeah, the food threads make our mouths water, and there is nothing we can do about it.

I guess I could start a "Best Gyros Pita" thread, but then most of you actually think real gyros is made with fine ground, pressed and processed meat.

I've just had a KFC

YUM!

Betty's in Anniston, Alabama. When you order, the waitress says, "The chicken takes 20 minutes, because we don't fry it until you order it. Is that OK?"

It is well worth it.

My grandmother made the best damn fried chicken in the world. You have to have an iron skillet, a whole chicken (she got them out of her yard) and lard or Crisco to fry in. We have come close to reproducing it, but so far there's always a little something missing. Last Christmas my son tried a recipe that called for brining the chicken, and it was the closest we have come yet. It makes a mess, but like all quixotic goals, the satisfaction is often in the process. That being said, the best carry out fried chicken in this region comes from Lee's Famous Recipe.

Just as well, you'll be with us longer. The free range chicken is enormously healthier. Since our Greek artist friend passed we jones for her roasted chicken. But since we've gone veg, it's reduced to an occasional drool. Like right now.

I've always been a fan of late night gas station fried chicken. Can be risky though.

http://www.dinahschicken.com/

the best on Cali..

Bojangles in North Carolina beats KFC by a country mile. :^)

I'll bet that with a little careful instruction/correction and a few tries, one of those fine Greek cooks could turn those free range chickens into just fine roasted chicken. Got buttermilk?

And now we know you are not a California native.

http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/12-Sayings-Only-People-From-California-Will-5055139.php

Oh dear, another tasty food thread.

Soooo, for those of us that live outside of the US, in Europe namely, fried chicken is a problem. Yes we have KFC, but only the young kids go there. I never liked it in the US !

As Aviator said, the Europeans have excellent recipes for roasted chickens in all kinds of varieties. When done Med-Style, I'd even make it a 50-50 for taste.

Fried chicken is done best down south, my personal opinion. Home style restaurants, often all you can eat. That's the best chicken in a restaurant.

Also, down south is probably in my opinion, the best for "at home" fried chicken too.

Mercy, I've had the pleasure of having real good fried chicken several times.

Bojangles is great. When I was 16 I made biscuits in one. The thing that I love about Bojangles is their cherry soda. Good chicken also.

Not cheap ($16.50 on the lunch menu) but definitely worth a hike: Vidalia in D.C., on M Street.

It's some years since I was out in the Midwest USA but have good memories of a fried chicken restaurant between Janesville and Beloit. I just wish I could remember its name!

After a bit of googling, it may have been Scotties...perhaps.

$80 for 50 pieces of chicken? Let's hope some real gold is in that "golden brown" bird.

'Eh, but maybe not such a bad price if the chicken really is great. Maybe I will ride by next time in Glendale? Which is often enough. Ok get the hell out of here with that fancy pants fried chicken

Best fried chicken - my grandmothers, either one. I haven't fried chicken in so long I suspect I've forgotten how though I was thinking about it the other day when I ordered a Cajun fried turkey for Thanksgiving.

I used to make pretty good fried chicken but it is so messy and our solid cooktop says not to use cat iron on it and you really do need well seasoned cast iron for good home style fried chicken.

Last good fried chicken I had out was in Arkansas at some place I stopped on my rise back from DC April 2012. Doubt if I could find it again but it was maybe an hour southwest of Little Rock. It was one of those country buffets. They had really good hush puppies but their cornbread was too dry.

Fucking dry cornbread

Story of my life.

This is what we've come to. We can't boil water (let alone fry or sauté anything) without spending 15 minutes with freaking paper towels and Ceramabrite cooktop lotion trying in vain to restore our bloody GE Profile range top to its intended finish. We're hoping to sell the house just so we can include that cursed stove in the listing.

Whether or not one was hooked on KFC or the like, when it is no longer an available choice, it suddenly takes on a much greater desirability.

Are we glad that every cafe, taverna and restaurant here is family owned and operated. Absolutely. That's what makes life here precious. Folks who have done the Greek Islands Rallies can attest to that. Chili's, Olive Garden, KFC and the like ain't gonna give you complimentary wine, sea urchin appetizer and dessert to go with their great Greek meal. Nor will you be invited into the kitchen to see what's available first hand and really pick your portion size.

In short, dining out here is not just an epicurean treat, but a social and human delight, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Still doesn't mean that we don't occasionally long for a nice, impersonal, serving of fried chicken, even if it's KFC or Popeye's. And, we get that "fix" as well as a few others when we visit The Colonies. Our offspring understand and schedule the obligatory stops. My sister is still a bit confused by it, but then I've been confusing her for 70+ years.

There is some pretty good fried chicken available on Sundays at Mack and Kate's in franklin tn if anyone is ever passing thru. The only caveat - they aren't frying the whole bird, but chunks of breast meat. It's damn good, but you sense somehow it would be better if you had to work around the bone like the old days.

Living in the Chicago area we do have options of virtually any type of food we could want, but it is never the type of experience you describe, always much more impersonal except at the few places we frequent a lot where they recognize us. Also i have only had sea urchin once. I have never been to your greek island but it does sound amazing.

That doesn't sound like fun.

I thought we were talking about fried chicken.

Yes, it is amazing, and we very happily traded living within 30 or 40 min max from every kind of food under the sun for the dining experience here, as well as numerous other delights.

We may miss the variety, but not enough to spend a nanosecond thinking of moving back to where it is available.

Good fried chicken? That's easy. The trick here in Oklahoma is to find anything to eat that ISN'T fried.

So true! There are parts of the country I have visited for work where everything on the menu seems to be brown and fried...even the pickles!

I like the southern stuff the best. They also do a great pulled pork sandwich. We have restaurants like AL'S. However having been to Greece and Cyprus i do love the way people run them. Not just about the food it's getting to know the people who make. it. 8) I miss the $100 Swarama's (sp)and fruit smoothies i got in the Souks of Saudi. I think it's the atmosphere of where you get something that help as well. KFC is good for a chain tho.

You have some good places like that over there too, Judy. I like the Village Noodle House on Smith street, and for artery-clogging gooey goodness, The Shack in Kailua. Yum.

Q yes we do. Kua'aina hanburgers in Haleiwa are the best burgers. Giovanni's shrimp scampi, out of their famous white truc,k is to die for. Both places you mentioned are great also. Many yet to be discovered by me as well. When are you coming over again?

I used to spend a week per quarter there for work, but my job has changed so I don't have any current plans to go anytime soon. Really enjoyed my time there though!

If you ever get over here give me a heads up and i'll take you to lunch at one of the above mentioned places.

Do you think there should be a new section in "Fun and Games" for Best Chicken, Burgers, Pizza or Places of interest for Scooter travelers to visit ?
I was gonna make beef stew tonight, looks like it will be KFC.. and an extra order of coleslaw.

Our place in Breckenridge has GAS which was one of its many attractions. When we clear out the garage here in January for some foundation work I'm hoping to discover what happened to the few cast iron pans/pots I kept. If I can't find them then they are gone forever. Then I'll have to go through all the hassle of properly seasoning a new deep frying pan for Breck.