Back when I was in college, a few brave foodies and I ventured out to East Nashville to try the original Nashville hot chicken at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack (not to be mistaken for Prince’s hot pancakes). Bolstered by our youthful sense of invulnerability, we went straight for “hot” (4 out of 6 on their scale). We’re pretty sure they must fry “xxxhot” in the fires of Mt. Doom, because the “hot” alone was spicy enough to make me want to empty a fire extinguisher in my mouth.
But the tongue-numbing pain was worth it, because the taste of Nashville Hot Chicken is unlike any other. It’s so good, “Nashville Hot” should live alongside “baked” and “fried” as standard ways to prepare chicken. A week later, we continued our campaign of culinary masochism by trying Bolton’s, another Nashville staple. Again, the flavor outweighed the sizzling pain.
So when I heard PARISH on North Highland was offering Nashville Hot Chicken, I was equally hopeful and skeptical. Other emulation attempts I’ve tasted have all come up short, so as I cruised down 75 with my friend James, a fellow Prince’s veteran, we tempered our expectations.
Thankfully, PARISH won us over right away with their Tuscan Kale and Blue Crab Toast appetizers. I think of salads as little more than heartburn prevention, but this one was a standout. The new crab toast perfectly blended flavor with texture.
Then, our delightful waitress Grace placed the main event before us. James and I had each polished off a pint of Emergency Drinking Beer (a real beer by Wild Heaven) to numb the oncoming pain, and after nibbling on the accompanying mushroom salad, we dove in.
After our first few bites, our eyes met. Holy Moses, they’ve done it; they’ve nailed Nashville Hot Chicken. Following our revelation, James and I fell silent, devouring our fiery fowl with glee.
But it gets even better. The oral sucker punch we suffered at Prince’s and Bolton’s never came. We were experiencing all of the authentic taste without feeling like we were chewing on a flare. Grace would explain that they deliberately toned down the heat to bring the taste to a wider audience. Smart move.
Then, because we hate our bodies, we wrapped up the evening with some delicious chocolate bread pudding sprinkled with candied bacon. While normally I’d lose hold of my senses over bacon-covered chocolate, the Nashville Hot Chicken stole the night. It’s the taste of Nashville without the need for travel or a visit to the ER, and you should try it this Friday (the only day of the week they serve it).
PARISH: The Brasserie & Neighborhood Cafe is located at 240 North Highland Ave, Atlanta, 30307. They accept reservations online.
