Revisiting some of the best fried chicken in the city

It was shortly after New Year’s Day when I decided to make another visit to Mellwood Tavern for Fried Chicken Tuesday. I try to go once a month if time allows, but it had been several weeks. I was dismayed when I found the door locked.

Then I noticed a sign telling me and all other comers that the bar was temporarily closed for maintenance. You know how it feels when you have your heart (or in this case, stomach) set on something, you’ve been thinking about it all day, and then you find out you can’t have it. It’s like going on a first date with the person you’ve been crushing on, only to learn you are squarely in the “friend zone.”

Well, two weeks later, Fried Chicken Tuesday returned, and so did I. You essentially pay based on your appetite, with dinners starting at $10 for a two-piece dark meat and topping out at $13 for a four-piece. All dinners come with two sides.

Mellwood co-owner Scott Crowder heads up the chicken operation, and he knows what he’s doing — he’s a former cook at the legendary Chick Inn, and his recipe and process is reflective of what he learned at that gig. In other words, it’s freaking delicious.

The perfectly-seasoned breading forms a sort of shell around the ample pieces of chicken, locking in all the juice and flavor you can stand. It’s the kind of fried chicken that will have you digging with your fingers to get every … last … morsel. No shame on Fried Chicken Tuesday, folks.

Every piece of chicken is cooked to order, so when you place yours, you’ll wait for 15 or 20 minutes. I believe the anticipation makes it all the better. I was sitting at the bar next to a couple who had ordered just ahead of me, and when someone else’s order came up, it sat near them for a few seconds.

The person at the end of the bar said, “You have no idea how badly I want to eat that.” Gotta wait your turn, pal.

Sides rotate, but you can always count on potato cakes and fries to be available. I love the spicy, mouth-watering greens, but I’m always extra happy when Crowder makes a batch of black-eyed peas. I heard him on this night telling someone that his baked beans recipe came from a babysitter who used to watch after him when he was a kid. He’s told me that his mother is the author of some of his other side item recipes. This is all to illustrate that this chicken dinner is the real deal, folks.

Anyway, there isn’t really a point to this column other than to say that if you haven’t gone to Mellwood Tavern for Fried Chicken Tuesday, you should. But wait until I order first so my wait isn’t so long. Deal?

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