Percy “Frenchy” Creuzot transplanted spicy New Orleans chicken to Houston in 1969 and the rest is history. While Willie May’s Scotch House remains the New Orleans benchmark for insanely great Creole fried chicken – Frenchy’s is a noble torch bearer and one of the finest fried chicken huts in the world. Do not leave Houston without trying this epic chicken, as well as the wonderful Creole sides.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken is known for their namesake menu item, double buttermilk battered fried chicken. The fried coating on this chicken is extra thick and extra crunchy. Before sinking your teeth into the succulent chicken, first slather it with HBFC's whipped honey butter. The sweetness of the butter is the perfect match for the slightly spicy chicken. HBFC is a fast; casual-style restaurant where you wait in line to place your order, then grab a seat and your meal will be brought to you. It's a great place for a quick meal, and it's definitely worth the trip to Avondale.
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At his Uptown hangout, named by Esquire magazine as the Best New Restaurant in America for 2015, Israeli Chef Alon Shaya pulls from modern Middle Eastern, Turkish, North African and Greek flavors. Diners pack the blue-and-white space outfit with cushy leather seats, ring chandeliers and a back patio to share dishes like kebabs, baba ganoush and tabbouleh, creamy hummus kicked up with curry-fried cauliflower, and falafel -- all accompanied by wood-fired pita bread. Shaya’s menu reflects the ongoing evolution of Israeli food and Louisiana’s abundance, incorporating seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients, the result of Alon’s close relationships with local farmers fostered through his ongoing work with the Crescent City Farmer’s Market. No wonder the restaurant was named the country's Best New Restaurant at the 2016 James Beard Awards. Reservations are definitely recommended for lunch and dinner, especially for larger groups.
Fabio Viviani has joined fellow “Top Chef” contestant Stephanie Izard on Randolph Street with his new, two-story eatery Bar Siena. Just across the street from Izard’s Little Goat, Bar Siena is dishing up top-notch Italian food in a casual space. The perfect place to meet friends, order a bunch of things and share. The menu has lots of starters, plus pizzas and calzones. The Taleggio Focaccia, pictured, is fantastic. Fresh focaccia is filled with stracchino cheese, topped with arugula, sprinkled with sea salt and more cheese, and then drizzled with truffle honey. It’s sweet, salty, cheesy and doughy all at the same time. It’s like focaccia, calzone and pizza had a baby. The gnocchi with prosciutto sausage, rapine, Parmesan and chili flakes showcases soft and pillowy gnocchi and the sauce packs a kick of spice. Brunch fans will enjoy the Short Rib Hash. Large pieces of short rib are stacked over roasted potatoes, and topped with a poached egg and garlic hollandaise.
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When you think of Italy, you probably think of Rome, Florence, Venice and Naples. You probably don’t think of Piedmont, a region in northwest Italy known for producing some of the best wines in the world. Osteria Langhe, a restaurant near Logan Square, is the perfect introduction to Piemontese food. Owner Aldo Zaninotto is the son of Italian parents who ran an Italian restaurant in Belgium, and it was his dream to open his own restaurant. In 2014, he opened Osteria Langhe to introduce Chicagoans to Piemontese cuisine. The menu changes often, but some classic dishes are always on the menu. Don’t miss the traditional Vitello Tonnato, showcasing poached beef served with a tuna, citrus and caper sauce. The poached beef is tender and juicy and the rich aioli is a fitting pairing. If available, order the Tagliata, pictured. This Piemontese New York strip steak with gorgonzola and Madeira glaze and crispy potatoes could rival any steak in the city. If you want to try Italian cuisine beyond the typical Italian red sauce so common in America, Osteria Langhe is the place to go. Zaninotto’s passion and Chef Cameron Grant’s culinary skills make the food taste even better.
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In a town crazy for chicken, Romados is simply the best. At this unassuming Portuguese pit stop in Montreal, the flame-broiled, well-seasoned Portuguese-style chicken is rotisserie grilled over an open fire, spatchcocked and served with Montreal “soft fries.” The kicker is the house-made spicy sauce, which is poured on with a paintbrush and is thoroughly addictive. This institution deserves its fame and should not be missed on any serious foodie tour.
The 1st crispy tacos (a la Taco Bell) were invented in San Bernadino California at Mitlas (founded in 1937). The Denver fried taco is credited to the family that owns the Mexico City Lounge in Denver and the ingredients are the same: crispy shell, spiced ground beef, iceberg lettuce, grated yellow cheese and salsa. In Denver,however, the tacos are fried on one side until the cheese melts out the edges and crisps and for this reason they are simply better. The fried steak taco at Mexico City Lounge is one of the great contributions by Americans to Mexican cuisine. Do not leave Denver without trying a tray of 4-5 of these addictive beauties.
In the central and south region, bún bo is as famous as pho in North Vietnam. Comprised of rice vermicelli, a special broth and beef or other ingredients, the broth is pungent with lemongrass and is cooked for many hours with beef bones to make it lightly sweet. In the central region, especially in Hue City, bún can be very hot and spicy. Ba Dieu is locally agreed to be the best place for bún bo. At this place, bún is accompanied with many kinds of beef, including tendon and flank, and pig leg. To make it easy, order a “thập cẩm,” which means one bowl with all of them. This shop is on a small street and only operates for a few hours a day. It might be tricky to catch them in action, but it is well worth the try.
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In central Vietnam, this dish of cold vermicelli with grilled pork, papaya pickle, cucumber, greens and roasted peanut includes a special sauce made of pork liver and peanuts. But in other regions, local people use sweet and sour fish sauce instead. Opened for decades, this small eatery is always crowded with visitors hungry for its pork wrapped in betel leaves and grilled on hot charcoal. The mild smoke from the charcoal adds a plus point to the dish. It’s definitely some of the best Bò lá lốt in Vietnam.
Banh canh is a distinctive dish of the central region of Vietnam because of its noodle. The noodle is made with tapioca flour or rice flour and tapioca flour. It has its own taste, depending on the flavor you choose: pork, fish ball, crab, snakehead fish or Vietnamese pork sausage. Squeeze a little lemon juice into the bowl, then add a tablespoon of chili sauce. The sweetness of the fish, crab or “chả cá” already tickles the tongue. Don’t forget to dip a stick of the hot yellow fried bread into the soup for maximum pleasure. This place used to be the only noodle shop in the area that was surrounded by a vast rice paddy long ago. The whole area was undeveloped until bridges and roads were built and local people were able to open their businesses. Despite the development and its spreading reputation, the flavor remains unchanged.