Before I heard about the standalone Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken in NoHo, I stopped by Blue Ribbon Bakery Kitchen in the West Village for lunch with some friends. Half of a bird is admittedly a little aggressive for lunch, but there was something calling my name.
That something is called Old Bay. The pieces of chicken came covered in a healthy shower of the red seasoning (at least I think it was Old Bay), that healthy mix of mustard, paprika, celery salt, and the handful of other spices and dried herbs I don’t care to name.
The mashed potatoes and gravy and the mustard greens were somewhat ornamental, although the vegetables were at times a welcome respite from mouthfuls of crunch and juicy meat. The gravy was definitely extraneous. (I never thought I would say that about gravy, but it just happened.)
The price point is a little hefty – $26 pre-tax-and-tip for a plate of chicken? A little daunting for a casual, oft-packed lunch spot. If this were Sunday at ad hoc, then maybe. Highly recommend the chicken, just had a tough time digesting the bite it took out of my wallet.
Blue Ribbon Bakery Kitchen
35 Downing Street
New York, NY 10014
(Yelp)
House of Hao's 