Fried chicken should be easy. After all, there are only two things to get right: the chicken and the breading. But the truth is, fried chicken is one of the easiest dishes for a restaurant to get wrong. It's rare to find perfectly moist and tender white and dark meat coated in a crisp and spicy shell that doesn't fall off the chicken if you even look at it funny. And while some of the big chains have perfected technique, they've sacrificed quality ingredients. So the Post's fried chicken is a rare bird indeed: juicy and flavorful flesh robed in a peppery crust in just the right proportion.
See also: 100 Favorite Dishes of 2014
The Post, a Big Red F effort that opened in January on a quaint street in Lafayette, starts by brining its chicken before bathing it in buttermilk and dredging it in a gluten-free flour blend. Juicy and flavorful all the way through, drumsticks, thighs and breasts are pressure-fried to seal in moisture and lock the crunchy crust in place.
Served with a pool of country sausage gravy and a couple of pickle chips, the fried chicken needs no accompaniment, but collards, slaw and black-eyed peas all emerge from the Goodbird Kitchen (as the Post calls it) with the same care and attention to detail. Quaffable session beers add to the backyard cookout style of the place without distracting from the flavors of the food. Good bird, indeed.In advance of the Best of Denver 2015, we're already loading our plates with contenders for the best dishes in the city. And over the next nine months, we'll be sharing many of them with you, counting down (in no particular order) one hundred of our favorite dishes before the the Best of Denver 2015 hits the streets on March 26. In the meantime, if there's a dish you think we need to try, tell us about it in the comments section below, or shoot us an e-mail at [email protected].
Hungry for more? All the dishes in our 2014 countdown are linked below.
No. 100: Chile Relleno at La Fiesta No. 99: Gurage Kitfo at Megenagna Ethiopian Restaurant No. 98: Cochinita Pibil at Work & Class No. 97: The Greggers Tongue Sandwich at Olive & Finch No 96: Baum Cakes at Glaze by Sasa No. 95: Goat hot pot from Viet's No 94: Head cheese from Beast + Bottle No. 93: Kettle Chips from Amerigo Delicatus No. 92: Pork Belly Confit at Solera Restaurant and Wine Bar No. 91: Tacos Campechanos from La Calle Taqueria No. 90: Biscuits from Denver Biscuit Co. No. 89: Clams and Chorizo at Gozo No. 88: Aburi Sushi at Sushi Den and Izakaya Den No. 87: Kimchi and Sausage Torta at City, O' City No. 86: Mar y Tierra Molcajete at Paxia No. 85: Crispy Pork Spare Ribs at Table Top No. 84: Chips and Dip at Euclid Hall No. 83: Chile Relleno Burrito at El Taco de Mexico No. 82: Scallop Crudo at Stoic & Genuine No. 81: Ceylon Curry Dosa at Khazana No. 80: The Lambada Torta at La Torteria No. 79: Pork Bulgogi at Dae Gee No. 78: the Pulled Pork Pig Pen Sandwich at Boney's No. 77: IPA Mac & Cheese at Hops & Pie No. 76: Chiles en Nogada at Chili Verde No. 75: Udon Noodle Bowl at Bones No. 74: Cinnamon Rolls at the Duffeyroll Cafe No. 73: Smoked Turkey Croque-Madame at Acorn No. 72: Pickled Lake Michigan Perch at Trillium No 71: Oysters at Jax Fish House Glendale No. 70: Venezuelan Tostadas at Empanada Express Grill No. 69: Tahini Cauliflower from Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs No. 68: The Ham and Cheese Tartita from Maria Empanada No. 67: Ronnie's Favorite from Rosenberg's Bagels and Deli 66: Shoo-fly Pie from the Long i Pie Shop No 65: Czech Potato Pancakes at Sobo 151
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