I was trying to think of something different for lunch on Friday and maybe even something “fried chicken-y” and I thought of Union Kitchen on Memorial between Gessner and the West Belt. It’s in the old Lantern Lane Center where Fresh Market now occupies the spot where Rice Epicurean lived for decades and where Union Kitchen now occupies the spot where Hunan Emperor once resided.
After reviewing the menu, I went ahead and ordered the chicken fried chicken. I asked my waitperson if the chicken fried steak was as good as my mama’s, and she unhesitatingly shook her head “no”. So chicken fried chicken it was to be.
If you’re not from around here, chicken fried chicken is a chicken breast, pounded enough to provide a uniform thickness and then battered and deep fried and served smothered in cream gravy. Union Kitchen makes a good one. Their’s was served atop a mound of mashed potatoes and alongside sauteed veggies, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and asparagus. It was pretty darned good.
To start I ordered the soup of the day, which turned out to be one of the best bowls of French Onion I’ve ever had. The broth was rich and beefy, the cheese real Gruyere.
If you go, ask what the soup is and if it is FOS, get it.
I’ve had lots of different things there - the ahi tuna sandwich is terrific. It reminds me of a tuna roll at a sushi restaurant. Really good. The burgers are terrific; (Oh Yeah! Note to self!).