Month: July 2020

Party Fowl – Cool Springs, TN

If anyone has read my blog throughout the years, then it is known that I love hot chicken. When I am visiting Nashville, I must get hot chicken at least once. With restaurants slowly opening from the pandemic, I was able to try a new place for hot chicken called Party Fowl.

I started off by ordering a cold, refreshing “adult” cherry slushie. It was sweet and delicious. It was a great way to start knowing my mouth would probably be on fire the rest of the meal.

We started with a few appetizers to share around the table. The Fowl Balls were a creative New Orleans style dirty rice ball. They were deep fried and served with a white BBQ sauce. These were not spicy. They were full f rice flavor from the Cajun seasoning. The white BBQ sauce was creamy, but I thought it took away from the flavor of the rice ball.

The other starter was the Hot Chicken Poutine. Now if I were to go back, I would actually order this as my meal. They use crispy French fries and cover them with cheese curds and chicken gravy. Then they top it with hot chicken. They chop up chicken tenders for this and I was able to select the heat level, so I went with medium.

The flavor combination of the spicy chicken with the salty gravy and creamy cheese paired so perfectly together. The medium heat of the chicken was a lot spicier than I was expecting. It does not hit you right away, it kind of creeps up on you. Eventually it mellows out but not without drinking some water and eating a few French fries.

So, when it was time to order my hot chicken plate, I went for the medium spice. I knew that would be spicy enough. I got the hot chicken and beignets. It is basically my dinner and dessert on the same plate.

The chicken was fantastic. It was crispy and spicy. The heat was the right amount to make my nose run but not lose my sense of taste. The chicken was plump and juicy as well. The slice of Texas toast was soaking up the grease from the chicken as well as the spice. I did not dare eat that.

I also must talk about the side I chose, the mac and cheese. It was homemade with creamy cheese and a crispy top layer of cheese. It is the perfect side with hot chicken. I also feel that the creamy cheese helps calm down the spice.

They also have homemade potato chips. They cook these up in bacon grease. They are light and crispy with a slight hint of bacon flavor.

The beignets were the perfect addition to this plate. The fluffy fried dough was covered in a bourbon glaze and topped with powered sugar. It was the complete juxtaposition to the chicken.  The bourbon glaze was sweet and tasted perfectly with the semi-sweet dough.

The next time you are in Nashville, you need to check out Party Fowl for their hot chicken. You will not leave disappointed.  Check out their website at www.partyfowl.com

Enjoy!

T

Country Chicken ‘N Fish – Lakeland, FL

I absolutely love fried chicken. It is one of my favorite comfort foods. There is this little hole in the wall place in Lakeland, Florida that has been cooking up homemade fired chicken for decades, Country Chicken ‘N Fish.

You can just walk up to their window and place your order.

I had been passing this restaurant for years and always noticed a line of people waiting to order. I finally made a stop. I picked up an 8-piece bucket to enjoy at home. They have some picnic tables outside if you want to enjoy it there, but most people get theirs to go.

The chicken was piping hot when I got my order. It cooled off a little by the time I got home, which as a good thing. The breading on the chicken was super crispy. It locked in the moisture of the chicken, so it was very juicy. The flavor of the breading was your classic southern style, slightly salty with a hint of black pepper. Nothing fancy, just simple.

The wings were extra crispy and very meaty. They are the perfect kind of wing you want when watching football.

They have a few other items on their menu including fried fish. I definitely want to go back and try that. I can see why this restaurant has been around for a while. The food is great, and the staff was very friendly.

Check them out at https://www.yelp.com/biz/country-chicken-and-fish-lakeland

Enjoy!

T

A & N Italian Deli – Clearwater, FL

A while back I wrote about an Italian market called Felice’s Deli. They have amazing dishes and desserts that can be eaten there or taken home to enjoy. Well it turns out they have a sister location called A & N Italian Deli. It is in Clearwater, Florida. I was excited to check them out.

They are a little smaller inside, but they still carry all the desserts, deli meats and cheeses, and prepared Italian specialties, like meatballs and eggplant.

For my visit I wanted to get a nice, big Italian sandwich. I figured I would not go wrong with The Godfather. This sandwich was loaded with Genoa salami, capicola, pepperoni, mortadella, and provolone cheese. There was so much meat. Then they added a little tomato and lettuce. They drizzled Italian dressing across off the it. The dressing soaked into the fresh made sesame seed hoagie roll.

The bread was amazing. It really tied the entire sandwich together. The crust was crunchy and held together nicely. The meats were so tender and full of flavor. The saltiness of the meats were smoothed out by the creaminess of the cheese and the fresh juiciness of the tomato.

Knowing the meaty sandwich would fill me up, I got some desserts to go. The mini cheesecakes and mini cannoli would be perfect for later.

The cannoli were amazing. The shell was crunchy and had a hint of cinnamon. The filling was extremely smooth and creamy. There was no grittiness to it at all. The few chocolate chips added a little extra crunch.

The mini cheesecakes were also creamy in texture but firm. One was topped with cherries and the other with blueberries. That added a little extra sweetness to each bite. The graham cracker crust held it all together but did not take away from the cheesecake itself.

I loved my lunch and dessert from A & N. The flavors were wonderful. It is nice to find another authentic Italian deli in Florida. Check them out at www.felicedeli.com

Enjoy!

T