IN Search of... Fried Chicken

Editor’s Note: Jennifer Zyman, aka The Blissful Glutton, launches a series for Atlanta INtown this month that will track down stand-out examples of different foods. This month, fried chicken piles up on her plate; next month, eating with romance will find its way into her heart and our pages.

When Atlanta INtown asked me to write a monthly food feature, I knew I wanted to stay away from doing a “best of” list. I just don’t believe in them. Restaurant food quality varies from day to day and taste buds are extremely subjective. I started to think about my friends who are as passionate about food as I am. Those people ycall them foodies if you must) who tirelessly search for that one truly great meal. And, Voila, “IN Search Of” was born.

Collard Green Cafe opened when James Paige decided he wanted to use his corporate culinary background to open a Southern restaurant that used fresh ingredients and had some heart. He took some of his mother’s recipes and went to work. The place is a bit nondescript and tucked away in the back of a shopping center, but well worth the trip. James marinates the chicken overnight in a Lawry’s seasoning and then dips it into Zatarain’s flour before frying. The chicken gets another sprinkling of Lawry’s when it pops out of the fryer. The result is an impossibly crisp and moist bird that is just too good to pass up. 2566 Shallowford Rd., Ste. 112, (404) 634-3440. Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Pricing: $ (see key below)

The Colonnade Restaurant has been an Atlanta mainstay for 80 years. Their chicken is highly acclaimed and rightly so. It was my favorite of all and had the most surprisingly simple recipe. They start with a fresh, three-pound bird, which is dredged in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then fried in fresh oil (they say the fresh oil is key, because most places don’t change theirs on a daily basis). The portions are enormous and delicious. Perfectly crispy skin and moist meat make it hard to believe that the recipe is so simple. It even maintained its crispiness after a night in my fridge ythe true test of a good bird). 1879 Cheshire Bridge Rd. NE, (404) 874-5642. Monday through Tuesday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p,m,, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Pricing: $

Fat Matt’s Chicken Shack has been frying chicken for a good 10 years, but I only recently got to try it. They take their chicken very seriously. The chicken is prepared in a secret marinade and then double-dipped in pasteurized egg wash and seasoned flour before being fried in fresh oil. The result is a super-crispy skin with a lot of flavor in the meat. Not my absolute favorite, but quite good. 1811 Piedmont Ave., (404) 875-2722 or www.fatmattsbbq.com. Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Pricing: $

Restaurant Eugene’s Sunday Supper has to be one of the best deals in town. You get a three-course meal for 29.50, choosing from a variety of traditional Southern specialties. One of the choices is fried chicken, and this is the only night you can get it. They brine their chicken in a salt and water mixture and then dredge it in a flour, cornstarch, and black pepper mixture before frying it in peanut oil flavored with ham fat, lard, and Plugra butter. It was unbelievably crisp and very moist in the center. My only complaint would be that the flour could use a bit more seasoning. That would really make the dish pop. Still a winner among all those I tasted. 2277 Peachtree Rd., (404) 355-0321 or www.restauranteugene.com. Sunday through Thursday 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Pricing: $$$

Thelma’s Kitchen is tucked away near an overpass on Auburn Avenue and a bit hard to find. However, that does not stop the droves of people who have been coming here for years. I could not get much information on how the bird was prepared, but I can tell you how it tasted. It was well-seasoned but just not as crisp as I would have liked. The skin seemed to get soggier in between bites and was just not as enjoyable as other spots. Not bad, but it was not stellar. 302 Auburn Ave., (404) 688-5855. Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Pricing: $

Watershed is another one of those restaurants that constantly gets awards for its fried chicken. They only serve it on Tuesday nights, and people have been making a bee-line to the Decatur restaurant ever since they started. The chicken is brined and then marinated in buttermilk before being dredged in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. It is then fried in a mixture of lard, butter and country ham. With all this lovely prep work, you’d think the bird would be amazing. I have to tell you it wasn’t. It was soggy, burnt in a few places and under-seasoned. Way overrated in this girl’s humble opinion. 406 W Ponce De Leon Ave., (404) 378-4900 or www.watershedrestaurant.com.  Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Pricing: $$

Son’s Place is one of the first places that come to mind when people talk fried chicken in Atlanta. When the original owner, Deacon Burton, passed away, many were afraid they would be deprived. Well, his son took over, and the chicken is still happening. They brine the chicken in a water, salt and pepper mixture before dredging it in flour. The key to their crisp chicken is in the 60-year-old cast-iron skillet they fry it in. The bird is well-seasoned (just salty enough) and has great crunch. 100 Hurt St. NE., (404) 581-0530. Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Pricing: $

PRICING KEY:
$ - $10 and under
$$ - $20 and under
$$$ - $30 and under

You can also visit Jennifer Zyman’s Web site, www.blissfulglutton.com , where she chronicles her dining experiences in Atlanta and beyond.