Modern Vespa

OK, we can't get fried chicken, but last night, we drove across the island to hear some Christmas singing and figured we'd eat out at Ephessus, a delightful restaurant featuring Anatolian food. Our village was resettled by three Greek refugees from Smyrni in 1922, and we live among their descendants, so we have developed a liking for the customs and food of Greeks from Asia Minor.

One favorite, as a starter, is manti, a meat filled, steamed dumpling served with a yoghurt, paprika and sauce. Kind of similar to Russian pelmeni. The wife is from Russia, and when we first commented on that similarity a few years ago, it began a conversation about my maternal Belous ancestry.

So we arrive, seat ourselves and a nice young waitress, who we had not seen before, came to our table and welcomed us, and, probably due to our speaking English to each other, asked if we are familiar with their menu and Anatolian food. In my rudimentary Greek, I told her we were from Aspro Chorio and had eaten at Ephessus regularly before they moved to their lovely new beach front location. So, after pleasantries, we got down to ordering. I said we would like manti for a starter, and she frowned and said, "We just sold the last portion." Then she though a bit and said, "You came all the way from Aspro Chorio (27 km, but that is almost half way round the island). Let me tell the chef." She disappeared, and was back in a flash asking, "One portion or two?" I said one- just our starter, and then we ordered our entrees and some wine. She said it would take about 15 mins to make the manti, as they hade to make fresh dough. "Would that be alright?" Of course we said "yes", and in a minute, the chef (Russian wife) appeared and began making dough and then manti in the open prep area but the wood fired oven, smiling and waving "hello" to us. We were served fresh flat bread from the wood stove to keep us busy.

During the wait, the waitress chatted with us a bit, as the chef had told her I speak rudimentary Russian as well. The waitress had moved to Paros from Georgia (the original one, not the one north of Florida) three years ago. So we had a grand time discussion favorite Russian, Greek and Anatolian foods.

The manti arrived, and as always, were fab. The entrees were also excellent. When we were through, we were given the traditional, complimentary dessert, plus two shots of Makstika, a wonderful brandy like cordial from the island of Chios, "because we had to wait". By then the chef was able to take a break, and we chatted with her as well.

As we departed we said our thanks and farewells in Greek, Russian and English, much to the confusion of a French tourist couple who had arrived shortly after us.

May not have been fried chicken, but the though of fried chicken never crossed our minds. Far too busy simply enjoying life, great food, amazing hospitality and good company.

The MC group that some of us ride with is doing a pizza ride day, where we hit most of the pizza joints and rate them. Should be fun and fattening. I'll be able to tell anybody who wants to know where the best place to get pizza is. Anybody ever have Gus's hotdogs from his little stand in Waterviliet NY? Their Greek (owners) but damn those little dogs are good.

Speaking of pizza, judy, there is a woman, Pat, in the next village that lived in Riverdale, NY from about age 5 until graduation from the College of Mt Saint Vincent. Came back to Greece on holiday, met her husband to be and never went back to the US, except to visit. Five years later, her Mom and Dad retired and returned here.

She has a great little botique hotel, and up until the economic crisis, was running a restaurant as part of the hotel, making fabulous NY Style pizza. Occasionally, she will still fire up the oven and call us to come join her and her family for "the real thing". Her sisters and brother come with their families from New Jersey in the summer and we joke about their doing a "quality assurance inspection" of the pizza - an excuse to party with them as well.

When she shut down the restaurant, she taught a restauranteur friend on the other side of the island how to make NY Style, and they do a pretty good job of it, although not as good as Pat's.

Sounds awesome. Great pizza with great people. The woman who started the hotdog stand is from Greece. She has to be almost 90 but she's there everyday. Their closed on Sundays. Her sons do most of the work but she still cooks the dogs. They will send me a care package but they don't taste the same. Still have the grill they used when they opened. 60+ years of cooking them on i,t gives them their flavor.Now i want one.

Living in the UK, the thing that annoys me most about fried chicken is the plethora of rip-off copy-cat chicken joints.

The next village from me is Harlington. They have "Harley Fried Chicken". The guy doesn't own a Harley. It's over-cooked, dried out crap. Then there's "Kensy Fried Chicken", "Dixy Fried Chicken", "Sanjay's Fried Chicken", etc etc.

All tend to be Indian/Pakistani owned, serving very low quality chicken, poorly cooked.

There's a big KFC on the A4 Westbound, due north of Heathrow. Theirs is usually pretty good. By and large, we don't have a great choice for good fried chicken here.

In SoCal, I'm quite partial to El Pollo Loco (fire grilled, not fried) in Santa Clarita. There's also a really good KFC in Kingwood, Tx.

I also enjoyed awesome Bojangles chicken in Charlotte earlier this year.

I don't get the whole fried chicken with honey, but it tastes good. I just wish KFC here did biscuits and mashed potato - we just get fries.

Chips (fries are for Yanks) are the national starch food of the UK.

Hell, we ate at a wonderful Chinese restaurant in Lanzarote that offered a choice of chips or rice, just for the British, the waiter told us. Sizzling duck with chips? No wonder the sun now sets on the Empire.

I've been eating here since I was a little kid. Very good fried chicken and yeast rolls to die for. If you are ever in the area, it's a great place to eat for southern cooking.

http://www.eatatwades.com/

Don't mention Chinese food!!!

(Struck down with e.coli poisoning from bad Chinese since last Friday night...)

I was looking up the Chick-fil-A menu and noticed the amount of MSG they use.

The chicken is seasoned in a mixture including MSG, then coated in an MSG-laden crispy coating. So that's double MSG!

Then I checked out KFC, and realised, at least in the USA, that they also use copious amounts of MSG....

Dave

When you reach my age, you stop reading ingredient lists. Flavor is all that counts.

Are we still talking about Fried Chicken?

Duguay's Chicken in Gardner, MA. I won't cross the country just for the chicken, but if I cross the country I'll surely go there.

I hear ya! I couldn't give a toss about me - I've got 40+ years of fried brain cells - MSG isn't going to do squat to me.

However, I'd have reservations over feeding it to my two kids, aged 1 and (nearly) 5.

If you're ever on the southside of chicago....where people will tell you never to go. There's a chain of restaurants called Harold's Chicken Shack. All I gotta say is DELICIOUS!

There are new one's on the northside if you're afraid of going to the southside.

check them here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold%27s_Chicken_Shack

MSG is a table condiment in Japan. I have no problem with it.

Around here, there is a family-owned diner that still uses the Henny Penny recipe. That's what their sign still says, it has not changed since the 1960s, and it beats KFC any day.

Over the years, I stumbled across many small restaurants where the fried chicken put KFC to shame. Unfortunately, the Army always transferred me soon after.

It is easy to get good fried chicken in Jacksonville. It is probably the state bird in neighboring states.

But on a group ride to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA recently we ate at the Pirate's House in Savannah. I had the "Award Winning Pecan Fried Chicken" It was pricey and I was skeptical, but it turned out to be very good. It was fairly typically fried chicken with a honey and pecan sauce poured over the top. And it was enough food for two people to leave full although I ate it all myself.

MSG = Makes Stuff Good

My better half makes an oven 'fried' chicken that is the best damned fried chicken I have ever had! Not only is it delicious, but it is far less mess and slightly (but only slightly), less lethal to your circulatory system than the cast iron skillet fried variety.

I'll see if I can scare up her recipe and post it on this thread.

Damn I am stupid. Why did I click on this thread while on prep day for a colonoscopy??? Back to black coffee, water and green jello. Definitely won't be looking at the pizza thread until Thursday.

Good for you Sticky!

In May, I'll be a 10 year colon cancer survivor.

http://www.travelchannel.com/video/prices-chicken-coop-scoop

Price's Chicken Coop is a popular spot in Charlotte, NC. Just a couple blocks from the original BoJangle's restaurant. Every time I roll by Price's, there's a line out the door. Tasty stuff, but I am trying to avoid that much grease these days.

As a teenager, I fried KFC chicken in a Geno's Restaurant outside of DC on Route 1. I haven't eaten it since.

My mom makes the best darn fried chicken, but won't share her recipe. I've seen here use a double egg bath before the chicken hits the pan, but she won't let me watch the whole process. I have no idea what she does to make the breading. I think she uses real salted butter to fry in instead of oil or Crisco or lard, but I'm not really sure.

If all goes according to plans tomorrow night I will trying out a place in Chicago called "Honey Butter Fried Chicken" it is a new "foodie" fried chicken place that has gotten good reviews, although for fried chicken it is a bit pricey, but hope it will be good. Review to follow


Larry

I prefer chicken prepared this way also.

...and you are not an LA native. Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles, has the best fried chicken, period. The combo of chicken and waffles may sound unusual, but if you ever find yourself in LA, give it a try.

http://www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/

Congratulations!

I got good news. Don't need to go again for 10 years. Now for some fried chicken for lunch.

Do you like Fried Chicken as much as this guy????
When anyone asks about doing a chicken run for lunch, this song gets played.

That is good news and surely worthy of some fine fried chicken!

As I was casually reading this thread several things came to mind:

1. I have this funny story about country fried food. When I first arrived in the US of course I took a job as a waiter at Country Kitchen. Everytime someone ordered the chicken fried steak I felt compelled to tell them the steak was not chicken. It was a misnomer that I just couldn't get over. So there goes my tip. Psss... was that waiter just rude? Everybody here knows chicken fried steak is not chicken. It is BEEF. Oh well...

2. I just have not had the perfect fried chicken yet. I seem to love Popeye's and KFC. Which makes sense and that's because this thread is here.

3. Free range chickens appear to be the best. I recently watched this documentary about raw milk and free range chicken. The chickens are kept in 12X12 cages and eat the low growing grass and they poop. Then next day two people move the 'cage' carefully to the next fresh spot of grass. So not only do the chickens have a clean environment but the soil is also fertilized at the same time. They do that before they raise their cattle which requires higher pasture. That means grass fed chicken and a low incidence of respiratory problems which happens with the ones that are not free range.

Best fried chicken in my opinion, my mother's and following close behind is my grandmother's. But, they don't fry chicken any more. If you like hot fried chicken Nashville is the place to be. I've had Prince's, Bolton's, and Hattie B's. They're all great, but I immediately search out an ice cream cone. That stuff has a great taste but it's uncomfortably hot.

For regular fried chicken I hear Gus' in Memphis is one of the best. They have a location in Nashville now so I'll have to try it.

Another good meal that's based on fried chicken is chicken and waffles. Several places around here have it on their menu.

Thad

I like reading about eating habits, especially American, since this site is predominately US.

Chicken is probably my favorite meat. I eat rarely red meat. Maybe a good steak every 3 months or so. Otherwise not.

I know the taste of your fried chicken, but the amount of fat is for me a turn off. Big time. The thought of waffles along with it....well not too healthy either, so I'll gladly pass.

I love good food, and eat quite well. Just no fatty stuff for me. Fried chicken? Once a year, maybe.

Good fried chicken isn't greasy.

We do have some interesting eating habits...... We're not talking healthy eating here. Although, I have been known to wash fried chicken down with a Diet Coke.

Gus is good - I recommend it (Nippers Corner). I need to get to Princes soon.

"Everything come out OK?, or did you have to work it out with a pencil?" Ancient orderly joke. The lovely get her GoLYTELY next week. I hate #3! GoLYTELY, indeed.

Definitely the worst part. Mine was docolax and miralax.

Well, see, that's healthy.

so tonight we tried "Honey Butter Fried Chicken" a new hot foodie type fried chicken place in Chicago that has gotten very good reviews. So my and my families opinion.

The chicken is very good but way over priced. The sides are fair and also over priced. The corn bread is just ok. The honey butter is awesome but putting that on fried chicken is a bit over unhealthy but it was tasty.


So I am glad I tried it, will not go back again, while it is good it is too expensive for fried chicken in my opinion. Oh well will keep looking


larry

^^^^Craving my grandmothers fried chicken.


Edit-Make your own.

1.Take a good free range WHOLE chicken. Cut it in pieces, cutting out the excess fat. Rinse well.
2.Soak in buttermilk overnight, then drain the next morning.


Fry it up with a good dusting of flour and seasoning. I don't like batter. That IS NOT Southern. 8)

I don't think Beef Wellington would agree. He likes his southern style fried chicken.

Oh snap.