On the third stop of #TheCrawl, Parson’s entertained our deepest crew of participants food critics as 17 eager chicken connoisseur’s embarked on the Logan Square establishment. Known for their combination of (purple) dranks and spicy chicken wangs, Parson’s was ripe with expectation.
Whereas stop #2 of the Chicken Crawl was hindered due to user error (it was damn cold outside), Parson’s outdoor seating was pristine. I really appreciated the classic southern picnic-y feel of the red and white checkerboard umbrella’s mixed with the more modern ping pong table and bags sets - it felt like a country oasis thanks to the high fences which separated us from the noise of the city. The indoor setting had a completely different (yet appropriate) rustic and industrial design that meshed very well with the Logan environment.
The drink selection was quite large, although I was a little disappointed they didn’t have any iterations of the classics (sweet lemonade, sangria, etc.). With that said, they did offer several unique frozen cocktails, including the Purple Drank. I’m normally opposed to anything purple (too often tastes like cough syrup), but this was actually decent - it tasted very much like a wine smoothie.
The sides didn’t leave too much of an impression. The expected highlight was the Cheese Curd Fritters, and while tasty, I’m confident that our neighbors to the north would more aptly satisfy our Curd taste buds. We also ordered the Pimento Toast, Baked Beans, Southern Creamy Slaw, and Texas Toast - again, didn’t leave too much of an impression. The one side that did leave a positive impression, at least according to our resident pickle expert, was, well, the pickles. I’ll defer to Tracy for the more in depth pickle analysis.
Alright, the reason we all showed up: The Chicken. I was able to try several dishes (thanks, Dave and Brian!) so I feel pretty confident that I got a thorough representation of all that Parson’s has to offer.
Parson’s Hot: Thus far, this order of chicken was the best piece of meat I’ve experience on #TheCrawl. The moist bone-in flavor of the meat combined with the spicy seasoning on the exterior breading was everything I could’ve asked for. As someone who gets rabid hiccups when consuming foods that are too spicy, the amount spice was absolutely perfect. Often when I eat spicy foods I forget that I’m eating and just try to finish because it has too much heat, with this, I enjoyed every bite.
Fried Chicken Sandwich: This is the first chicken sandwich I tried on the crawl and I was not disappointed. I really appreciated how they used a chicken thigh because it added an extra layer of rich flavor that you just don’t get from the more traditionally-used chicken breast. It does have a little more fat, but that additional flavor is definitely worth the sacrifice.
The Half Fried Amish Chicken: This dish definitely had the most visual envy of all the plates that were delivered to our table. As the name suggests, it legit was a half chicken inclusive of seemingly 12 pieces - including breasts, thighs, wings and legs. Unfortunately, this chicken’s envious appearance did not deliver on taste. Whereas the previous two dishes were full of flavor, this bird fell short on flavor and was rather bland. The breading was plain, the meat was dry and it was more akin to something I’d cook up at home when I’m eating purely for substance. I’m guessing they named it the Amish Chicken because it was devoid of any excess flavor, and they instead opted for the “simpler taste.”