Last August the Department of Health shut down Harold’s Chicken Shack No. 2, and a sign went up indicating it would reopen under a new owner. This was upsetting–the dingy little storefront on the 3100 block of South Cottage Grove was my first and favorite Harold’s. It remained one of my favorites even after I’d eaten chicken at 34 other Harold’s this past year.
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The ordering area was grubby and dark, but fried yardbird did not get more decadent than a half regular with hot sauce at No. 2. A peppery lightly battered leg, thigh, breast, and wing were bedded on a nest of crispy shoestring fries atop two slices of white bread. The bird was drenched in a vinegary, bright orange sauce and boxed in cardboard, whereupon a unique series of reactions occurred: The hot sauce soaked into the crunchy batter, then slowly dripped from the chicken and mingled with the hot grease. This solution then seeped into the underbelly of potatoes and bread, and as the chicken was consumed, bits of cracklings fell into the net of fries, creating a miraculous open-faced sandwich worthy of peer review in Alchemy Today. But it’s not the same at every shack, and it’s near impossible to predict which ones fry good chicken. Counterintuitively, a few of the brightest, cleanest, and busiest sling the most manky, discouraging poultry outside of a crab trap. Most fall in a middle ground.
Many, many shacks lowered their overall score with the fries. It’s amazing how rare well-cooked fries are. Packaging counted: was the meal carefully wrapped or tossed in the bag? Cleanliness–were there dead flies trapped between the neon lights and the window? Did the air smell of sour mop water? In decor the shacks that scored highest remained true to Harold’s Pierce’s original restaurant design. Points were awarded for neon and prominent display of the original logo, original artwork, and a framed portrait of Harold Pierce.
