Fried chicken is having a moment. In January, popular burger chain Shake Shack released a fried chicken sandwich to much fanfare. To showcase its new Nashville Hot Chicken to the media, Kentucky Fried Chicken hosted a cocktail party in New York the same month. And at last week's South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the Chicken Coupe event saw several chefs serve their own versions of the fried dish. To bring a piece (or a few pieces) of the trend to meetings and events, here are five places to order the Southern-style dish.
With outposts in Brooklyn and the Flatiron district, Hill Country Chicken in New York serves Texas-inspired comfort food. Adapted by a family recipe, the "Mama Els" style features skinless chicken that's removed, seasoned, battered, and rolled in cracker crumbs. Available for pickup or delivery with advance notice of 24 hours, catering packages include chicken breasts, thighs, wings, or tenders. Sides include buttermilk biscuits, pimento mac 'n' cheese, salads, and miniature pies in flavors such as bourbon pecan.
Chicago restaurant Lillie's Q has a takeout window known as LQ Chicken Shack. The eatery dishes out buckets of Southern-smoked fried chicken with honey, and sides include biscuits with honey butter, potato salad, stone-ground grits, and mac and cheese.
Burger chain Shake Shack recently drew buzz for launching a new chicken sandwich. Dubbed "Chick'n Shack," the sandwich is served on a potato roll and made with cage-free chicken breast that's slow-cooked in a buttermilk marinade before it's fried; toppings include pickles, shredded lettuce, and a tangy buttermilk-herb mayonnaise. Select locations of the nationwide chain make the sandwich available for pickup catering orders.
For a healthier take on the dish, Lyfe Kitchen offers "Art's Unfried Chicken," named after chef Art Smith. The chicken is coated with whole-wheat panko and seared. It's served atop roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, dried cranberries, cashew-cream sauce, and Dijon vinaigrette. The chicken can also be substituted with meat-free proteins from Gardein. Lyfe has locations nationwide, including in Chicago; Palo Alto, California; and Boulder, Colorado.
Vancouver's Railtown Catering prepares a canape of chicken karaage, a Japanese version of fried chicken. The chicken is marinated in ginger, garlic, yuzu, and soy sauce before it's fried. Then, the bite-size pieces are are topped with yuzu mayonnaise and shaved jalapeño peppers.
