Go For Braised Leeks, Stay For Fried Chicken
Pavle Milic's restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz., has garnered local acclaim and national attention since opening in late 2009. In the small kitchen behind the restaurant's 14-seat counter at FnB (Food & Beverage, a hat-tip to the service industry), chef Charleen Badman serves good seasonal food sourced from local farms and vendors. FnB's most famous dish may be the one Food & Wine named one of the 10 best restaurant dishes of 2010, the braised leeks with mozzarella, mustard breadcrumbs, and a fried egg. It's delicious, but even more memorable during a meal in April were the fried green tomatoes with green goddess dressing and feta, and the fried chicken (pictured), which had a crunchy exterior and fantastic moisture. If you can swing it, try to get in on Sunday nights where industry folks graze on dishes like chilaquiles, pho, sancocho, mac and cheese, Sonoran dog, and ramen. And for these reasons this dish made my list of most memorable meals of 2011.