So, you think youโve sampled enough fried chicken in our area to last you a lifetime?
Kay Lee (left photo), the owner of the brand new Kayโs Kitchen Authentic Chicago Style Fried Chicken, located (as we told you last issue) at 2808 E. Bearss Ave. in the Palms Connection plaza, says you havenโt tried the areaโs best fried chicken if you havenโt sampled her full-wing fried wings with her signature, authentic Chicago-style mild sauce (top photo).ย
And honestly, itโs hard to argue with her. Kayโs batter fries up extra-crispy and although the lemon pepper seasoning salt she adds to the chicken is a little salty, she says she (and her long-time cook, who goes by โDJ Cottonโ; heโs an actual R&B DJ for hire, with a DJ booth Kay set up for him upstairs) are always happy to alter the amount of the seasoning to suit your taste.
All I can tell you is that the chicken is so yummy, it doesnโt need the sauce, but Kay hopes you transplanted Midwesterners will appreciate its authentic flavor.
Photographer Charmaine George and I also loved the fried grouper (right; this photo was provided by Kay because, she said, the flaky, truly delicious grouper we were served wasnโt โpretty-looking enoughโ), extra-crisp fries (which were still crispy somehow when I took home my leftovers an hour later), the extra-cheesy mac-&-cheese (below left) and the decadent, homemade Key lime cake (bottom right).ย
Kay, who has operated two super-successful Kayโs Kitchen food trucks in the Riverview area, says she has been looking for a brick-&-mortar location for a while now and she is so happy that โGod brought me hereโ to introduce her outstanding, no-frills food โ including fried chicken gizzards and livers, shrimp, pizza โpuffs,โ basa fish, hush puppies, okra and more โ to a whole new community. For more info or to place an order, call (813) 893-0415 or visit KaysChickenKitchen.com. โ GNย
