Dish No. 86: Fried Chicken With Two Sides at Soul Fixins

By Robert Sietsema Sun., Aug. 1 2010 at 12:57 PM

Categories: 100 Dishes to Eat Now, Sietsema

Welcome to 100 Dishes to Eat Now, Fork in the Road's handy list of some of our favorite dishes -- old standbys and new finds alike -- compiled daily.

Today's pick: Fried chicken with two sides ($8.95) at Soul Fixins.

Soul Fixins
225 West 28th Street
212-736-1345

For over a decade, Soul Fixins sat at Ninth Avenue and 34th Street, luring in cabbies and pedestrians who, if they didn't know the place already, were shocked to find a good soul-food spot in that location. Then a year or so ago it disappeared, only to pop up again in a much more obscure location just north of F.I.T.

The place still specializes in chicken, and you can pick baked chicken, barbecued chicken, chicken and dumplings, smothered chicken, curried chicken, and buffalo wings, but the finest permutation of all is just plain fried chicken. The quarter bird doesn't have a thick coating, only a light dusting of flour, and you can be sure the skin will be crunchy and intact. Sides are agreeable, especially the mac and cheese, which has a little extra cheddar thrown in for good measure. And we like the chicken and dumplings as well, with a creamy white gravy and dumplings small enough to fit in your mouth. You won't have room for the banana pudding. Sniff!