Posted by ayersian
, January 29, 2009 00:21
Since Thanksgiving, we’ve encountered distinctly different versions of fried pickles on both coasts. This popular menu item surely began in the South, though now it’s spread to practically every bar, grill, and casual restaurant across the country. The relative ease of breading just about any food has made trendy inroads on many menus, though the wetness of pickles demands a unique batter that discourages the crust from sloughing off in the fryer. Beginning our quest in South Carolina, our foodie pal & RF lurker Amyhow took us to the Chicken Shak at 200 Dobys Bridge Road (in the Shoppes at Town Square) in Fort Mill. These were the first whole dill spears (pictured above) that we’d seen, and the Chicken Shak must use some hot sauce (maybe North Carolina-made Texas Pete?) in their batter to give each bite a pronounced spicy kick.
Over the line in North Carolina, Charlotte’s Penguin Drive-In at 1921 Commonwealth Avenue features lightly battered pickle slices (above) that are mounded into a paper tray. These are more salty than sour and require long draughts of sweet tea—or, as many locals prefer, tall cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer—to manage.
Our Midwest entry is from the RF favorite, The Farmer’s Kitchen at 319 Walnut Street in Atlantic, Iowa. These pickles (above) are fried in the same batter as their renowned breaded pork tenderloin.
Over to the West coast, The Counter at 2901 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, California seemed like the perfect place for fried pickles. Their version (above) was heavy on the breading, and the pickle slice would often slide out if we didn’t bite firmly enough.
While dining with RF authority Desertdog at Thee Pitts Again at 5558 West Bell Road in Glendale, Arizona, our server talked us into an appetizer of their breaded dill pickles (above). I didn’t think they’d go very well with BBQ, but boy were they tasty! Their crispy onion rings use the same batter, and these pickles were spears cut into three-inch stubs and served in a little tin bucket.
All of this pickle talk raises an obvious question: where have you had the best fried pickles?
