First Look: Hill Country Chicken

Just as Hill Country blew the barn doors off of the then nascent New York barbecue restaurant scene with its authentic (down to the wood they burn) Lockhart Texas-style barbecue, the new Hill Country Chicken aims to enter the current New York fried chicken wars.

Full disclosure: I've had the pleasure to know Marc Glosserman, the owner, since he first opened Hill Country and perform legal services (when I'm not eating his food) for his restaurants. In no way does this effect the genuine love and passion I share with Marc for the food and authentic Texas experience he has created. And after entering the doors with the wishbone handles you'll feel at home too. It's like entering your grandma's kitchen circa 1955, complete with Formica tables and Sputnik chandeliers.

For the health-conscious, Grandma Els' skinless fried chicken doesn't sacrifice on taste with its incredible buttermilk batter. But Hill Country Chicken will appeal to every type of chicken-lover in the family. Kids will cluck happily over the huge boneless chicken tenders on steroids and the hand-cut to order skin-on French fries, or equally good cheesy fried mash potatoes. And purists like me will get their wishbone wish with the juicy Hill Country Classic double-coated deep-fried Texas chicken.

Before heading to the downstairs party room designed to look exactly like grandpa's wood-paneled basement, be sure to grab a slice of one of their pies: Bourbon Pecan, Apple Cheddar, Banana Crème, Double Cherry, Lemon Meringue, or the one that blew me away...a deceptive Key Lime look-alike called the Salted Margarita Pie, which I swear tasted like tequila. YEEHAW!