after dinner sneeze

t says:  The other day, a and v decided that it was time to rectify a wrong.  We had had Federal Donuts’s donuts, but not the fried chicken.  So we set out to fix the problem:

March 2012, Saturday Brunch, Party of Several.  We ventured over the 2nd and Federal (actually, it’s a block over from 2nd and Federal), where we were greeted by a huge line.  Fortunately, a and v were already there, in line, and right about to order.  Woohoo!  They ordered, we transported the chicken back at their crib, and then I proceeded to plate the chicken.

FedNuts chicken

I can’t remember all the flavors, but I’ll see what I can do:  chili-garlic, traditional buttermilk, zatar, honey-ginger-something, and something else.

The chicken was easily the second-best fried chicken I’ve ever had, with first place going to Meritage’s Korean Fried Chicken.  Ironically, it was the chili-ginger (i.e. the one most like a Korean fried chicken) that was the crowd favorite, for its vivid flavors and spicy oomph.  The chicken was fabulous on all the flavors, however.  It was nice and juicy and tender despite the car ride and time spent waiting for me to arrange the chicken into like groups on a single plate for the above picture (I was drooling the whole time).  I think a special honor goes to the buttermilk, which was most surprising for us – I guess we expected it to be a bit boring when compared to the other fancy flavors, but no, it hung right in there with the rest of ’em.

Moral of the story: despite Rotisseur‘s frequent jabs at FedNuts (I’ve gone there often enough to overhear a comment or two), they do a good job at a great pricepoint.  We’ll be going back again for sure – and I think a and v already have!