We can now, however, add another poultry hopeful to that short list with Mémé, the quirky Fitler Square bistro whose recent lunch experiment with "fried chicken Thursdays" has generated serious clucking amongst the chicken cognoscenti.
Unlike those other destinations, though, fried chicken is hardly a principal pursuit for the relatively upscale Mémé, where cutting-edge chef David Katz is more likely to be found slow-poaching his chickens with foie gras in sous-vide bags before roasting them for dinner. But each week on Thursdays, the only day that Mémé serves lunch, the menu's single entree is fried chicken and a fluffy biscuit (with a bottle of Miller High Life, or iced tea) for $11.
It's not just a fair deal with a high-life wink of hipster style. This is a notable bird, with a leg and thigh that come wrapped inside a deep-brown crust that crackles with spice and a delicate, pliant crunch.
"I was thinking about bagging lunch altogether," said Katz, conceding that the residential neighborhood around Mémé sees little lunch traffic. "But what could we lose? Fried chicken is one of my top five things to eat in the world."
Not surprisingly, like any serious cook, the opinionated Katz has his own thoughts on what makes great fried chicken. He fries only legs and thighs ("I don't mess around with breasts, it's the worst piece on the bird. Dark meat, baby!") He cooks his chicken in batches slightly in advance of service, rather than piping hot to order ("it has to sit a while before you eat it, or it's just too hot and the flavors haven't settled down.") He prefers to fry yellow-skinned birds rather than the white-skinned breed he roasts whole at dinner ("the yellows have more fat, which helps give skin a little more pliable integrity - it doesn't shatter.")
