The Chicken Lady Cafe and Catering - CLOSED

Los Angeles, CA. In a city that seems to have put health on the upward trend, finding a good fried chicken can be such the chore. I'm unlucky (or lucky) enough to find pizza, burgers, and coffee within a few blocks, but fried chicken? Could I venture a little further and give the standalone boutiques a try and have it not be regrettable? Well that was the hope as a friend of mine walked up to The Chicken Lady Cafe and Catering on this obscenely sunny California afternoon. 

From the moment we entered, the experience took over with pleasantries and warmth in but another plaza inset restaurant. We hit the tail end of the lunch hours, but managed to get our orders in and take our seats along the sidewalk. The location doesn't host the best of people watching, but conversations among friends are facilitated by the traditional and tasty American cuisine. I ordered the usual, well we both did, and fell in like all over again.

Chicken Tender Platter

Chicken Tender Platter - comes with three tenders, a side (mac 'n cheese in our case), a simple salad, and cornbread. Ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, and a balsamic vinaigrette accompany the plate but how they are used is up to the individual - why not experiment?

Chicken Tenders (close-up)

Look at that breading! The white meat chicken was light, crisp, and absent the expected oil greasing the tongue. The breading was mild in flavor, but tasty through and through; it brought me back to a few childhood moments where I licked my fingers clean of some fried chicken goodness. I found myself picking up the flaky crumbs and eating mindlessly, considering a second order. Sad to say, I did not, but I thought about it (that counts right?!). My friend kept pausing between bites, asking how it was, but my responsive "Mmms" were unmistakably obvious.

Mac 'n Cheese (close-up)

The mac 'n cheese was neither gooey nor dry, and a fair addition to the plate. It was consumed in seconds, I mean, I didn't want it to get cold! Granted I wanted more chicken, but it's hard to say otherwise at an eatery that takes great pride in their rendition of southern comfort. All-in-all, the mac 'n cheese gave me a good feeling with my already sustained chicken happiness. The cornbread and salad were afterthoughts, fine: yes, addictive: no, eaten: of course.

Another chicken shot...why not??