Saturday, February 3, 2024

The Chick Inn: The best place to dine INN for Chicken!

The Chick INN: The Place best to dine INN for Chicken.


Chicken is God’s gift to the taste buds; it’s the food of the gods and mortals alike. What more could I ever say to sing the praises of this much-adored protein throughout culinary history? I won’t attempt it, but what I will do is point you in the direction of an incredible chicken restaurant in West Harlem. It's called “The Chick Inn,” and you’re going to love it.

The Chick Inn is NEST-led in the Hamilton Heights section of West Harlem, specifically at 3508 Broadway. I promise, no more corny chicken puns. Their second location can be found in Kipps Bay at 415 3rd Avenue in downtown Manhattan. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of dining at the Harlem brick and mortar and have since become a devoted fan.

For those of you who appreciate décor and ambiance, you will enjoy the restaurant’s exposed brick white walls, wooden shelves, and long wooden bar. The moderately sized space is cozy and bright, with an interesting mix of rustic and modern styles. There is ample seating on the left and a large, comfortable wooden bar for a solo diner like me to relax and spread out a bit.

Allured by the aroma of my neighbor’s appetizer, I started my meal with the Chicken Tenders appetizer, which you can add fries to if you wish—I decided not to! You can choose between 3 ($11) or 7 ($17) pieces, which are served with a house-made buttermilk ranch dipping sauce. I selected the 3-piece option because I’m finally watching my waist contract rather than its usual expansion. Self-control at a delicious chicken spot is a bitch!

The tenders’ crispy breading was delicious and well-seasoned. It was lightly breaded and crispy enough to give you a wonderful crunch as you bit into it. The chicken itself was moist and flavorful, which, I feel, is a rarity these days. As a self-appointed chicken “tendie” expert, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend where restaurants are serving tendies so dry and hard they could double as hockey pucks. It was wonderfully refreshing to enjoy a plate of tendies that were delicious. The house-made buttermilk ranch they were paired with was pure perfection.

I can’t believe I am doing this, but I must sing the praises of their buttermilk ranch. Let it be known, I am not a fan of ranch sauce at all. I will never understand why this mayonnaise (the devil’s snot), sour cream, and milk nightmare concoction is so popular. Ordinarily, the smell and overpowering flavor of mayo immediately repels me, but there are rare moments where I can see the appeal. The Chick Inn’s house-made ranch won me over with one whiff and bite. It was rich, unctuous, and tangy. It elevated this simple appetizer to another level. I think they need to upgrade this dish to an entrée.

As I finished my tendies, my Chicken with Rice ($19) entrée arrived with my roasted corn and sautéed spinach sides. The chicken with rice meal comes in three distinct options: Pesto, Cilantro, and Spicy Vodka. I chose the cilantro option (very Boricua, I know) and ordered the Roasted Corn and Sautéed Spinach (both $8) sides to complement the rice from the sides' menu.

The aroma from the chicken with rice was intoxicating, and the light green hue was gorgeous. The dish was creamy and had a subtle and delightful flavor. I've had cilantro rice dishes that were so pungent (and unpleasant) that I might as well have been chewing on the raw leaves. As delicious as cilantro is, in large quantities, it’s incredibly gross and off-putting.  This entrée had a wonderful balance of flavors and textures.

The dish featured a combination of white and dark meat, which was soft and well-seasoned. It damn-near melted in my mouth and provided a stunning umami contrast to the cilantro. The fact that it was able to have its own distinctive flavor among all the cilantro further proves my point:  The Chick Inn’s version of this common Latin American dish was well executed and superb.


The sautéed spinach and roasted corn arrived a minute or two after my entrée. The sautéed spinach, prepared with olive oil and slivers of garlic, had a delightful and fatty bitterness. It helped cut the heavy creaminess of the cilantro rice. It was simple and understated, yet it added an extra dimension to the meal. Fortune favors the bold; you never know when a whim will turn out to be pure culinary gold.


Unfortunately, the roasted corn was mediocre and disappointing. I was expecting to enjoy that incredible combination of sweetness and smokiness you get from roasted corn, but it just wasn’t there. This dish was made with non-sweet corn, which was good, but it didn’t provide me with the sweet contrast I was looking for to round out the meal. You can’t win them all, I guess.


Harlem is full of chicken spots, but The Chick Inn stands out in its bold and unique take on God’s gift to the taste buds. So, if you find yourself in West Harlem and are hungry, then walk INN and give the Chicken Inn a try. Okay, so I lied about the bad puns. Despite my sad attempts at comedy, the Chick Inn is no joke, and I’m sure you will love it.

Go taste for yourself.  ¡Buen Provecho!


The Chick Inn

3508 Broadway

New York, N.Y., 10031

www.nychickinn.com

212.234.3084

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