My End Of 2015 Fried Chicken Post

- My 2015 FavoritesManhattan InnIf I had to pick the ONE fried chicken that just totally blew me away, this would be it. I can't believe none of the food media people wrote about this. Forget fuku, forget Root & Bone, forget everything...just go here.

Howlin Ray's

Egg

Federal Donuts

The Breslin

Yafa Deli

Ma Peche

Gentry Chicken

*For more info on any of these places, check out my fried chicken project website

- Places Food Media People Are Not Talking About But Really Should All of these places serve EXCELLENT fried chicken yet I have never seen any of these places in any fried chicken lists. Manhattan Inn - See above J'eatjet? - I hate sausage gravy but the one served at J'eatjet? changed my mind. Egg - Looking for something simple and delicious and just a solid plate of fried chicken? Ma Peche - Yes, the food media loves David Chang and gets load of press but people mostly talk about the fried chicken dinner at the noodle bar and fuku. The habanero fried chicken at Ma Peche is crazy good and should be getting a lot more press. 44 & X - I had low expectation for this place but it surprised me. Marietta - Peaches HotHouse, the sister restaurant, gets most of the love because of their Nashville inspired hot chicken but Marietta does a better job. Yafa Deli - Anyone that loves fried chicken, knows about Yafa Deli but I rarely see it on any "Best Of" lists. Broadway Bakery - Feeling nostalgia? The fried chicken here tastes just like old school Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sidecar - A solid plate of fried chicken at this local Park Slope spot.

- Favorite Sandwiches Cheeky Sandwiches Wilfie & Nell Parson's Chicken and Fish Delaney Chicken The Commodore The Meat Hook Sandwich

- All The Places I've Been In 2015 -Manhattan The Breslin Hudson Common Maharlika Filipino Moderno Ma Peche Mighty Quinn's Barbeque Delaney Chicken The Smith 44 & X Wilfie & Nell Root & Bone Egg Shop Cheeky Sandwiches Birds & Bubbles Spitzer's Corner Bian Dang Pies N Thighs Seoul Chicken fuku+

-Brooklyn J'eatjet? The Commodore Wilma Jean Egg Yafa Deli Pies N Thighs Red Star Sandwich Shop Abilene Manhattan Inn Shake Shack Wangs Marietta Beehive Oven Esme Mayfield Endless Summer Sidecar Fawkner Keg and Lantern

-Queens Broadway Bakery Queens Comfort Sweet Afton Mister Chicken to Go BocBoc Chicken Delicious Engeline's Restaurant and Bakeshop

-Los Angeles Tokyo Fried Chicken Co. Ledlow Howlin Ray's Gentry Chicken

-Philly Federal Donuts

-Chicago Parson's Chicken and Fish Honey Butter Fried Chicken Longman and Eagle

Behind-The-Scenes At Black Seed Bagels

Every morning at 5am, the oven at Black Seed Bagels is already on. When I arrived on a Friday morning at 5:30am, Dianna Daoheung was already tending to the oven, setting things up, sweeping, getting the place ready to open at 7am. Most of the crew rolled in around 6am. Waking up at 4am that morning, I was thinking to myself.....WHY?! Why did I decide to wake up this early in the morning to go photograph at a bagel shop? But I really wanted to see what actually happens before the shop opens at 7am. I wanted to experience, even though it was just that one day. And I wanted for you to see as well. Bagels and croissants and pastas and pulled pork sandwiches don't magically appear. There are hours and hours of work that go into making it. Bakers are up at 3 in the morning to get that delicious bagel ready for you at 7am. Working on this project really made me appreciate the work that goes into running restaurants and the people that are running the restaurants.

Behind-The-Scenes At Margot's Pizza

After taking a bit of time off, Adam Kuban stepped back into EMILY for his bar pie pizza pop-up, Margot's Pizza. I went and spent a good few hours in the kitchen with Adam, Emily, and Matt as they prep for the pop-up.

La Belle Farm Trip With Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited by Baltz & Company to a duck farm trip with Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnete, owners and chefs of Toro NYC, Toro Boston, and Coppa. Along with other media people, we met up at Toro and took a shuttle up to La Belle Farm in Sullivan County.

La Belle Farm is one of the only three foie gras producers in the country. Everyone on the farm was super nice and gave us a personal tour of the farm. They took the time to answer all our questions, even the tough questions surrounding the controversy over foie gras.

After we were done with the tour, we were all treated to a fantastic meal cooked by Ken and Jamie.