Growing up, my late Nana would always make fried chicken. Thighs, breasts, wings…no part of that bird was left out of our frying pan. And her fried chicken was delicious, crispy, and addictive.
Up until last night, I thought I had lost my taste for fried chicken after my Nana passed away in 1999. None of the fried chicken could compare to hers—whether from a fast food dive or “upscale” home-cooking joint, the crispy coated birds were just grease-bomb artery cloggers. Then I tasted Wishbone‘s classic craft fried chicken and it was like I was eight years old, chomping on a thigh during holiday dinner. With each bite I understood why the line at Wishbone, which opened last week in Lee’s Hoagie House’s former home at 4034 Walnut Street, was almost out the door when I stopped by on Tuesday night. And this person agrees.
Wishbone is co-owned by veteran chefs Alan Segel and Dave Clouser who spoke with The Insider back in June about their plans to open a shop with a “takeout, delivery, some seating, a small menu… and no pretense.”
Battered in buttermilk and pretzel crust, Wishbone’s classic fried chicken, available in dark or white meat and offered at $8.95 a pound, was tender, crispy and juicy and had a minimal aftermath of grease (there’s also a Thai coconut curry & basil special offered, which I didn’t try due to food allergies). A variety of dips are offered at $0.50 each (I tried the pimenton aioli and modern BBQ), but—while good on their own—they lack the kick necessary to a proper accompaniment to the delicious (albeit slightly salty) chicken.
While the chicken’s a production, Wishbone is not. It’s nothing more than a “quirky” take out joint done cafeteria style with an upstairs seating area and decked out in a simplified country-inspired decor (think ceramic roosters and tin watering cans with flowers). It’s in its evolving stages as the general manager Erica Hope told me, so expect a few bumps like waiting 10 minutes for more chicken or stopping by to a closed shop because the chicken’s run out. As of Thursday, Wishbone is tentatively open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with possibly later closing hours during the weekends.
– Annamarya Scaccia
October 31st, 2013 at 3:05 pm
So this place is sufficiently delightful that we should forget all our bad feelings about Lee’s Hoagie House getting kicked out with barely any notice because it wasn’t sufficiently trendy enough?
October 31st, 2013 at 9:40 pm
Agreed! The owner of Lee’s said campus apt. kicked them out e cause they “wanted something more reflective of the neighborhood”!!
November 4th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
Is that what happened? I only know what the previous WPL article said, which was that the owner of the Lee’s franchise retired after 28 years in business and 14 years after her husband passed, who she said was the real heart of the operation. Previous article mentioned that the potential buyer of the Lee’s license was shopping around the neighborhood and that Campus was entertaining new offers, like this one. Seems like the neighborhood could likely keep both of these places in business; doesn’t have to be either/or.
November 1st, 2013 at 11:28 am
do they say where they source the chicken from?
November 3rd, 2013 at 1:26 am
This place serves freakin’ chicken tenders a la McDonalds but twice as expensive and with shitty service.
WTF? WTF? WTF?
Who needs that?
Hello Popeyes!! The real deal.
November 3rd, 2013 at 1:28 am
Ate there. Yuck. Frozen chicken tenders. Totally gross.
November 4th, 2013 at 10:34 pm
So disappointed in this place! It doesn’t have real fried chicken, just chicken tenders, which are fried in a bland, chalky coating. I’m sure the Penn kids will eat it up, but I’ll be waiting until Federal Donuts shows up.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:23 am
From the philly.com article: [T]hey didn’t want to sell breasts, thighs and legs. “If you’re under 30, you’ve probably never seen a bone in your life.”
That answers that question…. Federal Donuts (or homemade) fried chicken it is!
November 5th, 2013 at 1:18 pm
Yup. Federal Donuts is only like the fastest growing business in the city, but this guy is all “Whaaaaat? Bone-in chicken I mean what is that even like anyone has ever heard of that.”
November 5th, 2013 at 7:35 pm
What an incredibly obnoxious quote! Pssh, this is one under-30 who vastly prefers bone-in, dark meat chicken over boneless tenders. It’s not like all of were raised on intravenous McNuggets.