3.4.13

The Chickery


http://www.thechickery.com/

Ahhh...the aroma. I think we first noticed this small place on Camden by the aroma - this unforgettable aroma of roasted chicken. Also, the memorable rooster graphics were hard to miss. Chickery was an instant candidate for lunch sometime soon. Especially since we both work nearby. We only hoped that this is not an overpriced KFC going through a rebranding effort.

APPEARANCE
bright yellow, very light
Lots of glass and somewhat of a rustic look overall. The details of this modern loft seem to be paying homage to a small, southern town eatery. We first noticed some vintage cola containers near the door. We loved the theming from the custom barn-style incandescent lamps hanging from the ceiling - these lights looked like they might have been reincarnated from their past life as hen warmers. There are two styles of wood - not very well blended though-out. One type is covering some of the walls – it is artificially aged wood, dyed in light violet. The second, authentic type, we noticed under the counter - with barn nails holding some of the boards together. Another, not-to-miss element was the type. Some on the walls had guiding principles about Chickery – generic content, but cute style of writing.

SWIRL
no long legs, chilled wine leaves some moisture on the glass walls
We walked up and ordered their quarter chicken (white) and chicken fingers sandwich. The price seemed relatively high at first, but we realized that it all included one side which was not such a bad deal after all. The cashier was pleasant, but definitely in no mood to chat – understandable, considering the stampede of people around us. According to her, the most popular menu item was their pulled chicken sandwich, but we set our mind of something else already. We came there at 13:10, but it was likely packed at around noon. It was still busy at this later lunch hour. We grabbed the number and sat ourselves on the side, the bar stool area was all busy. Next to us were two ladies from an ad agency, hoping the ambiance to spark some creativity in them.

NOSE
light citrusy smell breaking through, crisp    
The wait was looong. We sat for about 10 minutes before our food appeared. It looked like quite a few folks were waiting anxiously for their orders to arrive. At some point, the waitress activated and served all the tables almost at once. My quarter chicken was served on waxed paper on a metal tray with a side of bbq sauce. Looked great, a bit small though. Ma Cherie's sandwich had a bit more presentation to it – the sandwich halves were pierces with thin slices of radish and carrot on a toothpick. A definitely loaded meal!

PALATE
tong biting, crispy taste; earth tones, but very light overall
I found my chicken not overly dry, but Ma Cherie disagreed. It was still very tasty with an original rub and with their excellent bbq sauce. A simple, but genius meal. Well cooked throughout and not burned at all. The sandwich on the other hand, was not simple at all. It had pickles, cut greens and a piece of buttermilk breaded crispy chicken inside. Cajun mayo inside and a bbq sauce on the side had it work Maybe a tad difficult to eat due to all the goodness packed in and the chicken sticking out of everywhere. Nonetheless, I had a few bites and enjoyed it quite a lot.

FINISH
Could use some more maturing. Well rounded overall. 
Nice...despite the wait, we left satisfied. The place has great atmosphere and good food. We both thought we should’ve tried their fries, but shortly realized that they don't offer any. Oh well...still worth visiting again, especially to try those bleachers at the front.

Overall - a young unoaked Chardonnay
The Chickery on Urbanspoon

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