What About Bobwhite?

ALPHABET CITY, EAST VILLAGE, NYC — I can hardly follow all of the food news, gossip, events, changes in this vast city of too many restaurants. Yet as my mail inbox and text message inboxes and voicemail messages and posts I'm tagged in on Facebook bombard me on an almost daily basis, certain items seem to stick out or take hold on my conscious.

Some of those items that take hold I might forget about for a long period of time. So when I do remember them, I find it best to take advantage of the memory sooner than later, often choosing to do something about it at the time the memory hits.

So was the case when—and don't ask me how—Bobwhite Lunch & Supper Counter randomly re-occurred to me as I was sifting through the smoldering embers of the remains of my near 50-year old memory of decent fried chicken places I have been wanting to try out.

Located in Alphabet City in Manhattan's East Village, Bobwhite is a humbly-sized space with a cozy counter with stools and a couple of peripheral table seatings that serves up a likewise humbly-sized menu of just 8 main dishes—chief among them their very favorably received fried chicken platter, which comes with cole slaw and homemade biscuit.

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The fried chicken is expertly executed, three pieces showcasing textbook golden brown crispy skin and giving way to succulent, juicy chicken meat. A drizzle of some honey and some hot sauce bring me right back to my (genetic) southern roots, as does the not-too-wet and nicely vinegary slaw, and warm, flaky, buttery biscuit.

I came prepared with an appetite, so I was happy to order the mac and cheese as well.

Al dente macaroni encased in gooey, oozy, creamy cheese sauce that had sharp flavor notes and good body, which wasn't too soupy and didn't "overset" as it cooled. (Most places don't have both quality fried chicken and macaroni and cheese—this place does.

So I am officially highly recommending that you too make more of mental note to make a visit down to Bobwhite for some spot-on fried chicken and other southern comfort food staples. You'll thank both me and yourself for remembering to get there sooner than later.