It's National Fried Chicken Day! Five Places to Celebrate in St. Louis

Today, July 6, is National Fried Chicken Day. So why don't you celebrate the festivities the only logical way: Eat some fried chicken! Yeah, yeah, we all know that Hodak's is the area's most famous fried chicken, but here are some of Gut Check's favorite spots.

Porter's Fried Chicken
3628 South Big Bend Boulevard, Maplewood
314-781-2097

Recently featured as one of my 100 Favorite St. Louis Dishes, the fried chicken at Porter's is outstanding: crisp exterior, juicy interior and, if you like, very spicy. It is also an absurdly good value. As pictured above, it costs only $4.99.

Young's Restaurant & Ice Creamery
206 Meramec Station Road, Valley Park
636-225-6677

The individual pieces are given a saltwater rinse, coated with the obligatory secret breading and then cooked in a pressure fryer. (You could call it Broasted if Broasted weren't already trademarked.) The batter is thin and crisp, with just enough residual oil to give the chicken that extra fatty indulgence without toppling over into greasy. The breading's seasoning is restrained, accenting rather than masking the taste of the tender chicken.

-- "Fry Me to the Moon," November 26, 2009

Pat's Bar & Grill
6400 Oakland Avenue
314-647-6553

Look at that batter! You can almost hear it crunch. If you can resist the temptation to devour all the breading before you dig into that chicken, you will find moist meat that, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, is nearly as indulgent as its breading.