NOW TRENDING: Nashville Hot Chicken
At the start of the year, I noted that Nashville hot chicken - that manner of dousing fried chicken in hot sauce and serving it over a piece of white bread - was among food trends picking up steam .
>> The 2016 trends for Atlanta restaurants
Curiously, just a day or two after filing that story, O’Charley’s Restaurant and Bar sent a press release announcing that it would be launching a new Southern-inspired menu on Jan. 4. Among the dishes that made the final cut: a Nashville hot chicken sandwich. Curious to try? O’Charley’s locations closest to Atlanta are in Tucker, Austell, Fayetteville, Stockbridge and Douglasville.
Then, wouldn’t you know it, fried chicken fast-food chain KFC sent notice it was adding Nashville hot chicken to its menu. Available in both extra-crispy chicken (breast, drum stick, thigh) and tenders, Nashville Hot contains a blend of spicy cayenne and smoky paprika and is crowned with pickle chips. It launched in all KFC locations in the U.S. on Jan. 18.
Not into chains? Check out the Atlanta indie restaurants doing the hot chicken thing. At One Eared Stag, you’ll find it listed on the dinner and brunch menus as “pastured hot chicken, pickled cucumber, toast.” The dish is so popular that chef Robert Phalen fears an outcry should he take it off the menu.
>> Read our review of Gus's Fried Chicken in Atlanta
At White Oak Kitchen and Cocktails, chef Todd Richards is hitting on two foods in the news: His hot fried chicken is served with a trendy porridge of cheesy rice – a nod to porridge's West African ties – and smoked peanuts.
Finally, Saturday or Sunday brunch at Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall is not complete without an order of its Nashville hot chicken biscuit. On the menu at Ladybird since it opened a year and a half ago, this dish isn’t going anywhere.
WHERE TO EAT HOT CHICKEN
Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall, 684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-458-6838, http://www.ladybirdatlanta.com/.
One Eared Stag, 1029 Edgewood Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307, 404-525-4479, http://oneearedstag.com/.
White Oak Kitchen and Cocktails, 270 Peachtree St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-524-7200, http://whiteoakkitchen.com.
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