March 19 is National Poultry Day. No, seriously!
I’m taking this to heart. Maybe it’s because I’m a crazy chicken lady—I own more than 150 poultry-themed items, from sculpture to stationery—but this is one important holiday in my book. So in honor of the humble bird, we’ve compiled some of our most popular chicken recipes below, and I’m prepared to make some chicken-centric claims.
1. Honey Butter Fried Chicken may be the best clucking fried chicken around.
2. Leghorn Chicken (959 N. Western Ave., Chicago, 773-394-4444) has just opened. Haven’t gone yet, but Lesley Smith, our designer, says that it’s the bomb.com.
3. Find Filipino-style chicken at Pecking Order (4416 N. Clark St., Chicago, 773-907-9900), be it grilled, fried or roasted.
4. Big Jones (5347 N. Clark St., Chicago, 773-275-5725) has the best sit-down-in-a-real-restaurant fried chicken in town.
5. Bistro Bordeaux (618 Church St., Evanston, 847-424-1483) has a very fine classic French roast chicken for two.
6. Best wings around: Found Kitchen and Social House (1631 Chicago Ave., Evanston, 847-868-8945) makes crazy-good Twice-Fried Chicken Wings with smoked chilis, lemon and honey. I swear they must be sprinkled with crack. Totally messy and addictive.
7. Harrison’s Poultry Farm (1201 Waukegan Road, Glenview, 847-724-0132) is the best source around for all-natural poultry, be it turkey, chicken or duck. They even carry goose and quail. If it weren’t so darned far from my house, I’d go there more often.
MIB’s Best Poultry Recipes
- Chicken Paprikash
- Chicken Milanese
- Ottolenghi’s Chicken with Clementines and Fennel
- Potato Chip Chicken
- Chicken Vesuvio, Take Two
Photo courtesy of Found Kitchen and Social House.
