The best way to enjoy the Southern-inflected charms of Crispy Bird is to check all of your preconceived notions of a fried chicken joint at the door. Martha Hoover’s snug, dark-washed eatery decorated with framed chicken glamour shots strays deliciously off the comfort-food path into the equally satisfying territory of charcuterie (a plate of salty country ham and house pickles), diner classics (mini pork tenderloin sandwiches), and Asian fusion (fried Carolina Gold rice flavored with crispy chicken skin and persimmon sauce). The voluptuous headliner is frizzled to a deep caramel hue and joined on the plate by slaw and more pickles, which is about as downscale as Crispy Bird gets. Scratch that. The best dessert on the menu is a curl of maple soft-serve under a mantle of Magic Shell.
INSIDER TIP
“It says this on our menu, but I think it gets overlooked—we can add shaved truffles and/or caviar to any of the dishes at market price. The fried rice with caviar is truly next-level.”— Maddy Barnas, Patachou, Inc. marketing director
115 E. 49th St, 317-744-0000
