I've often bemoaned the state of fried chicken in New York. Granted, I am coming from a position of ignorance, in that I've really never had fried chicken anywhere else. Still, there is a lot of talk about "great" fried chicken right here in New York, and I've certainly been to some of the talked about places. In general, I find them fine but lacking. This has led to a quest - no, an obsession - to fill the void left by the idea of great fried chicken.
In a recent interview, Jeff Ozersky commented on fried chicken in the City:
"I'm also sick of mediocre fried chicken in New York, deep fried and
served without any kind of gravy. Almost none of them are as good as
KFC. If only KFC would use good chickens, the world would be a better
place."
I recently went to Popeye's and said it was about as good as any of the "great" places I've been to in the city. Ozersky goes a step further by saying KFC is better than most, not just as good. This, of course, will require a trip to KFC very soon.
In some ways, Ozersky's comments may come as some kind of vindication, some kind of reassurance that it's not me, it's the fried chicken. Indeed much of it is mediocre! However, to say that fried chicken is mediocre, is to imply that there is fried chicken that is not mediocre but excellent, delicious, scrumptious, satisfying, the platonic ideal of fried chicken.
And so the obsession rages on, myself haunted by the Ghost of Fried Chicken, pushing forward to an inevitable doom.
