Sandwich Of The Week: The Nugget Spot's Cheezus
Formerly of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, chef Jason Hairston recently opened The Nugget Spot just east of New York's Union Square as an homage to one of his favorite childhood foods: the chicken nugget.
As the name suggests, TNS is dedicated to serving the finest nuggets you've ever had. They use hormone-free proteins and fresh vegetables exclusively, and make all their nearly one dozen sauces in-house — including the 16-ingredient barbecue sauce. Each morning, the team begins with raw, never-frozen chicken breasts, and transforms them into adult-friendly treats such as the Cheez Louise (cheese cracker-encrusted chicken nuggets served with their O.G. Ranch sauce) and the Wake N Bacon (bacon-coated chicken nuggets alongside maple syrup). The menu includes entrées like chicken and waffles and sides like oven-roasted Brussels sprouts... and then there's the Cheezus.
The Cheezus is a hoagie-style sandwich inspired by the classic po'boy, but instead of crispy shrimp or fried oysters, chef Jason Hairston uses Captain Crunch-like cereal to crust the chicken, which is then deep-fried to crunchy perfection. The nuggets are topped with nacho queso and pickled jalepeños for a cheesy, salty, sweet, and spicy sandwich. We're willing to bet you've never eaten anything quite like it, which is why it's this week's sandwich of the week.
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