jfibro wrote:I'm not sure how long they've been offering it, but last night at Frontier the special was $12 Fried Chicken, Cheddar & House Smoked Ham Hock Biscuits (4 pieces, biscuit and small side of slaw).
Not only was this a steal, it was some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. Incredible corn meal crust with a touch of heat, coating 4 perfectly cooked pieces of meat with a small side of syrup. The biscuit was as decadent and delicious as it sounds. If they continue this special, it will become a regular Monday night dinner.
Fried chicken night is now on Sundays at Frontier, advertised as "Free Range Chicken". $35 gets you a whole bird, four bacon cheddar biscuits. mash with chicken giblet gravy, and kale slaw. Still a good deal, about twice as much food as my wife and I could damage– they advertise the meal as feeding up to four, I'd say three with big appetites, but four would definitely leave sated with an app or two.
The chicken was good. A nice cornmeal-based crust, I'd wager deep-fried vs. pan (no telltale darker surfaces from pan contact, though the light is dim. Also, Da Beef's specimen looks a bit darker fried than what we were served). My biggest nit would be with their light hand with seasoning in the breading– the most discernible spice was a subdued garlic note which may have come from a brine. A small dipper of hot sauce– that we had to ask for– spiked things up a bit. However, we were somewhat ticked that we were upcharged 50¢ for "Jup's hot sauce" which tasted of Frank's more than something housemade by Chef Jupiter. The meat, itself, had a robust flavor, though was not as toothsome as some
free range birds that I've cooked with. The cut of the pieces was somewhat unorthodox– wings served as just the separated "fling", drumsticks (with the long sturdy bone structure of a happy yard bird), smallish thighs (oyster-less), and breast cut in two, presumably "airline style" with the missing drumette (though I dove into my one breast piece without thinking about its structure). Generally, we appreciated the smaller sized bites, which made it easier to share. Best fried chicken in Chicago? Nah, good for the corn-meal breaded style and great to have within stumbling distance from my front door.
The sides veered toward great though. Those biscuits, about a half pound each and not skimping on the artery-clogging add ins were the star of the meal. The mash was good, very buttery and the chicken giblet gravy reminded me of my grandma's, on the thinner side, but dark, rich, and savory. The kale slaw was even damned good with a pronounced hot sauce-spiked heat.
This place has changed the vibe and demographic of my neighborhood for the worst, particularly on the weekends. Though late in the afternoon on gameday, the place was surprisingly civilized for a bar with 2 million flatscreens. Its the tucked-in shirt Friday and Saturday night trixie and chad crowd that obnoxiously clamor up and down my stretch of Milwaukee and are responsible for the gridlocking valet parking within a three block radius. A silver lining is that their good food helps to make up slightly for the shitty hordes this place attracts.