Tag: food

finding the best fried chicken

Somebody recently used our (underutilized) “Contact Us” form to ask: “Where’s the best fried chicken?” I can answer this one.

This was at Monte Ne Inn. All they serve is fried chicken and sides. You get a table, and they bring the food out. There’s no ordering, except for a drink and then later cobbler with ice cream (which is also great). They bring all the food you want. Worth a visit if you’re ever in northwest Arkansas.

The best fried chicken is at my mom’s house. Unfortunately, her house is not open as a restaurant, so you don’t get to experience it. I can tell you about how she makes it, though. She buys the whole chicken, cuts it up, puts on a breading, and fries it. Then she uses the grease to make gravy (milk-based, Southern style) to go on biscuits and homemade mashed potatoes. This is one of the best meals possible. It’s time-consuming, but worth it.

Which restaurant has the best fried chicken? That’s hard to answer. I don’t often get fried chicken at restaurants anymore because it’s somewhat disappointing by comparison. I would recommend looking for some country-style kitchen where they cook everything from scratch. Find one that’s not a chain, where it’s older people working there, who cook for others because they like to. A place where the food is cooked to be delicious, rather than squeezing out more profits. A place where they use real butter. We have a few of these where I live, and the food is consistently good.

There are probably chain restaurants with good fried chicken. You could ask for suggestions from friends who have similar taste preferences. If you ask online, you’ll get answers that will include almost every restaurant*. Perhaps you should make this your own adventure quest: over the next few months, try different restaurants to see whose is the best. It’s a fun time. 🙂

I wish I had more answers on this. Ultimately, the best option is learning to cook it yourself. It’s more work that way, but it tastes better, and it saves you money, too.

* I saw this with an online discussion for the best pizza place in my town. It was funny for how absurd it was. People listed every single pizza place there is, including gas stations and the lowest-cost pizza places where the main emphasis is the low-cost. Someone mentioned a place that’s more famous for children’s games and parties, where the pizza is definitely not high quality. I don’t want to dis’ them by name, because they all have a role, if that’s what you’re looking for, and we all have our preferences. But to say they have the best pizza is absurd. I recommend asking friends who like the same restaurants as you.

What do you think about the idea of a food adventure quest where you find the best instance of a type of food in your city?

chicken nuggets with caviar

At the 2025 US Open, they had some strange food choices this year. The tournament is non-profit, yet they charge so much money, even $400 for a grounds pass, which doesn’t get you into the main stadium. (There’s a backstory there regarding the money, but that’s beyond today’s post.)

Supposedly the regular chicken nuggets were $26, which is crazy. But they also offered chicken nuggets topped with caviar (fish eggs) for $100. Have a look:

Even if I had enough extra money to drop $100 on a meal for one, I wouldn’t get this. I just don’t get it. It seems like people who eat caviar typically wouldn’t order chicken nuggets. Or am I missing something here? And if your customers are willing to pay $100 for a quick meal, couldn’t you offer something really awesome and still make a nice profit? (And yet they’re non-profit.)

What do you think? Would you even consider ordering chicken nuggets with caviar for $100?

Is a taco a sandwich?

In the last post we discussed whether a burger is a sandwich. This topic may seem like a trivial issue, and often it is, but the definition of a sandwich was recently debated in an Indiana courtroom where a judge had to rule whether tacos are sandwiches.

There is a zoning policy in Fort Wayne where a shopping center can’t have fast food outlets but it can have sandwich shops. A taco restaurant wanted to open but was told it wasn’t allowed. Apparently the restaurant owner was adamant about getting that location, so he took it to court. The judge ruled that tacos and burritos are “Mexican-style sandwiches”, so the taco place can open there.

So add that to your debate with friends about the definition of a sandwich. There’s legal evidence to support one side. Although personally I would not consider tacos or burritos to be sandwiches.

So let’s look at the official definition of a sandwich, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

1a) two or more slices of bread or a split roll have a filling in between.
1b) one slice of bread covered with food.
2) something resembling a sandwich.
especially : composite structural material consisting of layers often of high-strength facings bonded to a low strength central core.

That last definition seems problematic. I figure it’s referring to a generic use of the term for non-food items, but it doesn’t seem like a valid definition to say if something looks like a sandwich then it is. Perhaps they should clarify it as non-food usage. But I’m no etymology expert.

Also, back on topic, the first definition seems legit, but it does not include tacos or burritos, unless you are going to argue that a taco shell or tortilla is bread. I’m not prepared to go that far.

The second definition (1b) doesn’t work for me. If you accept that, then pizza is a sandwich. That stretching it too far.

Who knew it was so difficult to decide what a sandwich is? That’s what makes this a potentially fun conversation with your friends.

Is a burger a sandwich?

If you’re with a group of friends and looking for something to discuss, here’s an idea. Also, this works particularly well at a restaurant, since it’s about food. You could start the discussion with the premise of, “I heard something unusual and want to get more opinions on it.” Then ask:

“Is a cheeseburger a sandwich?”

Then just sit back and watch… 🙂

It’s obviously a simple question, but it often provokes debate. One could argue that it’s just meat and cheese and toppings between slices of bread, which is what a sandwich is. The counter argument is that it’s grilled food, so it’s not just a sandwich. Also, it just seems wrong to call it a sandwich. They seem like different categories of food.

Someone may argue that a sandwich is made with sliced meat, deli-style, which seems like a valid point. However, many restaurants sell a chicken sandwich which has fried or grilled chicken. If someone claims the chicken sandwich is mislabeled, then ask if it’s a chicken burger. 🙂

FYI, according to an official definition at Britannica, a burger is a sandwich, but feel free to draw your own conclusions.

If the topic was fun to discuss, follow it up with, “Is a hot dog a sandwich?”