Taproom on 19th

2400 S 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(267) 687-7817
Website

The Taproom on 19th has been around for a while, but given its location in deep South Philly, it maybe hasn't gotten the hysteria that many more accessible (but inferior) places have. But that is okay by me, as it means I don't have to wait in line behind some new Fishtown resident that I would hate anyway.

The menu here is perfectly sized, and pretty much everything on it is a win. A couple of stand-outs that I very much enjoyed recently were the fried cheese curds and the Japanese fried chicken sandwich. Don't overlook the burger or cheesesteak, however. If fried curds or chicken are on a menu, I am almost always ordering them. These two were no disappointment.

The curds, sourced from "The Cow and the Curd" are little gooey sticks of magic. The breading is a light cornmeal-ish coating, and the salty stringy cheese takes me back to Wisconsin when I discovered these regional delicacies over a decade ago (along with New Glarus beer). In both cases, beer + fried curds = happiness. I would venture to say these are better than anything I have had in the Badger State. A taste of the chipotle lime dipping sauce actually gave a sharp kick of acidity and late smokey burn. Too often these aiolis are bland town. Not here.

The Japanese fried chicken sandwich was just out of this world. The shishito pepper aioli and the ginger pickles were just icing on the cake.

The brioche, which I am generally not hugely into, was the perfect vessel for this fried manna from heaven.

The chicken thighs were battered with a slightly sweet, shatteringly crunchy shell. The flavor on its batter reminded me ever so slightly of eating a corn dog. Yes, a corn dog. The sweet cornmeal flavor was the perfect bit of sass to match the tender meat inside. This was the best fried chicken sandwich I have had in recent memory. Simple perfection.

The juicy thigh was just right for the application. And there was plenty of salt to get my taste buds dancing. I am pretty sure I contemplated having Uber drop me back off here towards the end of the night for a sequel.

Although they didn't look like much, the fries were addictive as well. Sure, they might have come out of a freezer but I'm not a hater of pre-cut fries, I quite like them! The inner potato was fluffy, while the outside was crunchy and salty. Not much else you could ask for. All around, the Taproom on 19th blew away expectations.

Boxcar Betty's

1922 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 225-7470
Website

With fried chicken sandwiches all the rage in Philly, I sought out a worthy competitor on a recent trip to the low country. As could be expected, the results were spectacular. The design on the exterior of this place took it from a boring, non-nonchalant standalone building, to a funky, hip chicken spot. All it took was some pallets, reclaimed wood, and cool neon lights.

They specialize in fried chicken here, and it is basically a couple of sandwich options, a couple of salad options and some sides. Short and sweet; simplicity at its best.

I decided to take a trip around the menu with a "Boxcar" and a "Chicken & 'not so waffle'". Also, an order of pickled fried green tomatoes was obviously not to be missed. Man, do I love the low country.

They must have one heck of a designer on board because all of the packaging, along with the interior decor, was clean-lines and reminiscent of a timeless fast-food joint that I've always dreamed about. Like Chick-fil-A but really classy in all-around execution, with a casual side note of extra pep.

Up first, their classic namesake: the Boxcar.

Pimiento Cheese, Peach Slaw, House Pickles, Spicy Mayo. Everything was in perfect proportion, the flavors were incredible, and the light and crispy breading was heavily seasoned, something a lot of fried crusts lack. This was probably the best chicken sandwich I have ever eaten.

The balance of ingredients was on point, and why the hell doesn't every place in the country use pimento cheese on everything? I just don't understand. It is the pinnacle of processed cheese & mayo innovation. Tangy, creamy, a hint of spice, it goes well with everything.

The fried, pickled green tomatoes were such a brilliant retort to the fried pickle trend. They benefited from the same well seasoned batter, and the acidity punched through the heaviness typically associated with fried food (that I may or may not have been dipping in ranch dressing). The pickled tomatoes were still very crisp, a texture that's usually lost in the fryer.

The "not so waffle" (obviously because it is served on bread) came with: Bacon Jam, Maple Syrup, Pimiento Cheese, Tomato. Even though there wasn't any waffle, all of the necessary flavors were creatively applied, and then some.

Again, you can see the quality of the ingredients and the execution of the sandwich are both about perfect.

The version was sweeter than the Boxcar, and had a totally different flavor profile. Probably because it was made with mostly different ingredients. The bacon jam and maple syrup combined to form a sweet and salty one-two combo. Pimento cheese added all the richness you could handle, and the tomato helped to freshen up this potential gut bomb.

Like everything else, the fries were incredible. Perfectly cooked, hand cut fries just sealed the deal on this place. Coupled with some spicy mayo to dip, you were certainly not losing any weight here. But if you come to a fried chicken joint with the intention of dieting, you should just turn yourself right back around and beat it. God I wish they had one of these in Philly.

Treylor Park

115 E Bay Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 495-5557
Website

I took a long weekend trip to Charleston and Savannah recently, and you will see some food from those trips coming up, because boy, did I EAT. Treylor Park was a hip bar that had a good beer selection, great prices, and some amazing waffle fries.

Even in February, you could sit outside (man I love The South), and they had a back alley entrance to an outdoor bar that was separate from their general dining area.

With a Fernet bike hanging, I knew what my after dinner drink of choice would be.

The Treylor Park Nachos Grande consisted of waffle fries, pickles, fried chicken, bacon, cheddar, chive ranch dressing and a balsamic gastrique. My god. These were some of the best nachos/smothered fries I have ever had. The ingredient list reads like my death row menu. And the fries were perfectly crispy, and made for perfect scooping vessels.

Bits of fried chicken, surrounded by ranch and bits of pickle? Heaven.

I was surprised with how well the balsamic went with the plate. It makes sense to have the vinegar cut the fat a bit, and I would not change a thing. It was indulgent perfection on a plate. The bartender said if he was only getting one thing, it had to be the Nachos (I was on my way to dinner). He was right. And then he bought me a shot of Fernet.

Next time I visit Savannah, I'll be hitting Treylor Park again for sure, maybe between lunch and dinner so I can take my time and really get deep into the other menu options. To be continued...

Cafe Soho

468 West Cheltenham Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19126
(215) 224-6800

Café Soho is located in Philadelphia’s own Korean neighborhood, a neighborhood that I wish was A LOT closer to the city proper. With places like Jong Ka Jib for the best soup around, and various other BBQ and traditional Korean restaurants interspersed throughout the area, the neighborhood is full of spicy authenticity.

Soho, however, is like the hot (good-looking and hip) Korean professionals' nightclub. Oh, and they serve the gold standard for the infamous Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) that became the hot new food item in the past couple of years.

I never wrote about Soho before because the omnipresent lighting in there made all of my (iPhone) pictures turn out terribly. So, armed with a nicer camera, we embarked on a journey and KFC was had.

I can’t imagine what this place is like on a weekend night. Because even when somewhat empty on a weeknight, they still have the atmosphere and brilliant lighting of a sleek Asian-inspired club.

All glitz and glamour aside, I was here for some fried chicken. They have a limited menu, but everyone in-the-know gets the wings. See below for the steps to a shatteringly crispy crust on these things.

When they arrive, they are glistening like ultra crispy, puffy footballs of poultry. They offer four flavor varieties, soy garlic, hot chili, seasoned (a mix), and plain. I usually go with one half chili and the other soy garlic.

The texture on the wings is pretty incredible. They encompass everything you wish traditional buffalo wings had, namely a ridiculously crispy exterior, but also a tender, juicy and well seasoned interior and sauce that is hot enough to make you sweat but won’t drown out your palate.

Check out the sultry, tender poultry meat underneath that beautiful crust. Delicious.

Now this place isn’t cheap, at $20 for about 18-20 wings - they measure by weight - but they are a pretty good size, and the experience alone is well worth it. You can ask them to split up the sauces, which is a good idea, in my opinion. That way you can get a taste of their range in flavor profiles. So make a mission of it, head to Olney, and get your KFC on. Also, if you are fat like me, you can stop at Jong Ka Jib a block South on 5th street, and get some of the best soup ever - to go, for second dinner.

Federal Donuts Fried Chicken

1219 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 687-8258
Website

Well, I have written about the donuts at Federal before, but for some reason, I forgot to write about the chicken when I went back. Probably because I ate it so fast I forgot to take pictures.

Chicken starts at 11:45, and if you are lucky, you can score some fancy donuts (if they have any left) with it. They serve it both wet and dry. My personal favorites are the chili garlic for wet and the harissa for the dry. That being said, you are about to see something entirely different, because I wanted to give a new flavor a spin that came recommended by a reader. There are a couple of stools, but you will have better luck if you do take out. It IS fun to sit there and watch the action while you pick at chicken, however.

I went for the wings, which come six whole wings to an order ($9). In a box. It's amazing.

Oh wait, they also give you a side of house made pickles, which are quite delicious.

AND they give you a donut to go with it. Chicken and donuts are a winning combination.

The buttermilk ranch wings are intense. Think of perfectly fried chicken, shaken in a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch. Really quite good, but I would rather have mixed them up a bit – had I not been stopping in for a snack by myself, I would have ordered a couple of other kinds as well (see recommendations above).

The skin on these birds is really fantastic. The perfect amount of crunch gives way to a perfectly moist and juicy interior.

The best part, is that you can throw any extras back in the box and eat them somewhere else. I did this, but ate them when I got to my car. Next time I am there, I will try and remember to take some shots of the other versions.

Basically, if you haven't heard of Federal Donuts by now, you wouldn't be reading this. But since you have, go eat here.