We love Carla Hall. We enjoyed watching her on Top Chef because she exuded so much positive, fun-loving energy. Then we went to a taping of The Chew and discovered that she is just the same in person - so cool! So when she opened up a small restaurant in Brooklyn, we knew we'd need to check it out.
Carla Hall's Southern Kitchen is focused on one awesome thing: Nashville hot chicken. As it says on their website, it's a "unique twist on southern fried chicken, traditionally fried in an iron skillet and then tossed in a spicy cayenne paste." You can order by the piece, by the plate, or by the bucket and there are 6 levels of "heat" to choose from depending on how spicy you feel. And then there are a variety of classic Southern side dishes and drinks to pair with your poultry. We decided to try a leg and a breast (to sample both white and dark meat), the mac 'n' cheese, and savory cornbread. We went with the Hootie Hot spice (Level 4) so we could really focus on tasting the chicken instead of burning our tastebuds, but eventually Mel does want to attempt the BOOMSHAKALAKA (Level 6) just for fun.
The chicken was absolutely divine: sooooooo juicy and flavorful. The heat level was just-right, enough for a little kick without being overpowering. The sides were also delicious, and a perfect complement to the spice on the meat. Part of the restaurant's social media campaign is for diners to take a photo of their first taste of the chicken and post it with #HOTCHICKENFACE, so of course Mel couldn't resist a fun hashtag opportunity!
They also offer a small selection of classic Southern desserts. Carla is actually known for her great baking recipes so we decided to round off the meal with a whoopie pie. Super sweet and super delish!
The one challenge with this place is the size. We're used to small restaurants because, let's face it, city real estate ain't cheap. But even by city standards, Southern Kitchen is pretty small. They try to make the most of the corner spot they have with an efficient layout. The order counter is up front, and a bar counter with stools lines the window. There are two long communal tables, and the back is an open counter to the kitchen so you can see when your order is ready. We were lucky enough to get there when it wasn't crowded, which allowed us to grab the end of a table and the only high chair they have. But as we were wrapping up, we realized that large parties had a bit of trouble getting seats together and another family with a small child had to wait for us to give up the high chair. But the food is just too good to stay away, so we're thinking next time we go we'll plan on taking the food to-go and enjoying it outside by the water.
BOOMSHAKALAKA - we're coming for ya!
Hootie !
ReplyDeleteHOO! :-D
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