The Cullen in Prahran has an upscale eatery attached called Gramercy Bistro. It had been written up as one of the top 10 best places for finger licken Southern Fried Chicken in Melbourne, so we had to check it out.

It is also conveniently on the way home from work for the Chick, so it was a perfect option for a quiet Friday night. We arrived in time for “Wet Hour” (like happy hour but wetter). The Chick went for the $5 Mojito which was a bit too sweet but good enough for $5 and Hollywood tried a local St. Kilda brew.

The menu hid the chicken in the Small Plates section labelled “Southern Fried Chicken Ribs”. As an American, the Chick found the phrasing odd, making it seem less like chicken and more like beef. Add to that some Jalepeno poppers, beetroot carpaccio, zucchini fritters and a burger to share and we had a meal.

We were warned that the poppers varied in spiciness, so the Chick was pleased to find they were on the hot side. Good, but we’ve definitely had better.

The beetroot carpaccio came with a stuffed zucchini flower, fried, plus walnuts, and pomegranates seeds. The flowers were nice, but the beetroot lacked a bit of flavor, it worked well wrapped around the zucchini flower.

The zucchini fritters were the best of the entrees, with a light flavor and lovely whipped goat cheese on the side. More please!

The Chick was very disappointed with the Chicken ribs. They were the right texture, good chicken pieces, fresh and came with a nice dill dipping sauce. But the breading was so salty it overpowered everything else. Hollywood was happy to consume the plentiful pieces left by the chick (a very sharable portion) but agreed it was saltier than he’d prefer.

The burger came from the grill, so was a bit charred. Not a star burger, but it was packed with yummy bacon and came with garlic aioli and nice thin crispy fries.

For dessert we ended with a delightful white chocolate cheese cake. It was a decadent morsel perfect for sharing that had the right balance of flavors.

The bill added up quick here, and the plates are hit and miss. The Chick wouldn’t go for the chicken, but would go back for the fritters, however Hollywood found a good option if you are in the neighborhood.

Hollywood’s Rating: 6/10

The Chick’s Rating: 6/10

It’s been a bit since we have explored the latest in the Melbourne Fried Chicken scene and we just found out about a new contender, so it’s time for some good ol finger lickin’ fried chicken. Dr Juicy Jay’s has all the potential to be the next big thing in the land of fried chicken especially with a hip name like Dr Juicy Jay’s Fried Chicken and Crab Shack.

Dr Juicy Jay’s is located in The Public Bar, a live music dive bar in North Melbourne, a suburb that holds special memories for Hollywood. We reached the Public Bar and we have to admit that this place lived up to its reputation as quoted “The Public Bar, with its peeling paint, sagging couches and toilets that promise an olfactory adventure, is probably the only joint divey enough to do this food justice. “It’s a shithole,” says Will. “I love it.” So will you.”. How can we resist a place with a description like that?

We went during the week and the place was full of patrons savouring the limited menu and one table was taken up by a photo shoot. I can only assume the result is now gracing their facebook page. We managed to find a spot at the bar and put in our heavy order of Shrimp (Creole style shrimp, new potatoes, lemon, butter, garlic and old bay), Juicy’s Low County Boil (Traditional Frogmore-style Crab Boil of local crab, cob corn and sausage with plenty of seasonings and spice),  and most importantly, the Southern Fried Chicken which was described as Juicy’s secret blend of 21 herbs and spices, golden fried. Then the Chick noticed the Corn Dog on the menu and had to put in a second order, it is rare to find good corn dogs outside county fairs and it was worth a shot!

The food arrived gradually. The shrimp arrived first which was a big portion of 22 pieces of shrimp drowned in a great garlic butter sauce with lemons and potatoes and accompanied by hot sauce. The shrimp was hot, succulent and tasty full of garlic/butter/lemon flavors. Some of the best garlic shrimp we have ever had.

Shortly afterwards the crab boil arrived accompanied with sausage and cob corn. The crab was superb and the Chick smashed it with a great sense of joy. The crab was fresh, the butter was perfect and the sausage matched well. It was a mess in the best possible way.

Finally the corn dog and fried chicken arrived. This was Hollywood’s first corn dog and was not a fan of it due to the taste of the coating. Whereas the Chick felt that it needed a smaller dog to properly balance the flavors and the dough was a bit undercooked.

The Fried Chicken was right on the spot in terms of portion with approximately 20 pieces of chicken strips that were hot, steamy and full of flavor. We couldn’t taste all the 21 herbs and spices but the taste of cajun was all over it. After digging into the chicken we did notice that it was just a little bit overcooked/dry as you can also see by the dark color of the breading. However that didn’t stop Hollywood from smashing all the chicken pieces. The side ranch sauce was ok but seemed a bit thin. The herbs were fresh, but it didn’t have the right strength to match the fried chicken properly. The Chick went for the hot sauce instead.

Dr. Juicy Jay’s Fried Chicken

All in all, the chicken was good but the true stars of the show were the shrimp and crab and that’s probably the reason why it’s called a crab shack. The Chick will remain vigilant for the best Aussie corn dog experience.

Hollywood Rating: 7.5/10 Clucks

The Chick’s Rating: 7/10 Clucks

We have finally been able to review this Kodiak Club, and it has been a long time coming. Whenever Hollywood mentioned The Chicken Scene and how we are trying to put a spotlight on Melbourne Fried Chicken options, someone would always say “You need to try The Kodiak Club” or  “the best wings you can find are at the Kodiak Club” would float about. So it was with high expectations that we set out for the Kodiak Club.

Where Grizzly’s go to unwind with a good cocktail.

Kodiak Club sits on bustling Brunswick St in Fitzroy and is named for the iconic Alaskan Grizzly bear, which are known to enjoy a good chunk of fatty meat, but they are not nearly so picky about the breading as we are.

A quick perusal of the American comfort food inspired menu (where is the Mac n Cheese? The Chick wondered) concluded with the following order: Jalapeño Bottlecaps, 3 Deviled Eggs, a half dozen of the Kodiak’s famous buffalo wings, a Kodiak burger, and an order of Chicken and Waffles. The Kodiak also boasts a good range of drinks and we chose to stick with the American theme; The Chick got a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Hollywood smashed a Brooklyn Lager. Christina ended up with the ‘house white’ when they were out of her preferred wine.

Fun Fact: Kodiak Bears do not live in the Sierra Nevada

The menu advertised the fried chicken as buttermilk fried chicken served on top of a buttery waffle with real Canadian maple syrup on the side; but Hollywood was worried it wouldn’t be enough. The Chick assured him we could always order more wings or chicken if the portion size was not American inspired.

Entrees: A new take on Jalepaño Poppers and a posh Deviled Egg

The Deviled Eggs and Jalapeño Bottlecaps arrived first and delighted from the first bite. The Chick remembers Deviled Eggs from simpler times growing up on the West Coast of the US, The Kodiak take was a bit more sophisticated with pickled onions and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. The bottlecaps were fresh from the fryer, and accordingly hot. Unlike the Jalapeño Poppers The Chick was expecting, these little bites had just a slice of jalapeño and the rest was gooey cream cheese, held together by a light and crispy breading. She ate 4 of the 8 pieces.

Before finishing the entrees the burger, the fried chicken and last but not least the buffalo wings arrived. The burger was very juicy and saucy in just the right way.

We love saucy burgers. If it doesn’t drip, it isn’t worth the calories.

The fried chicken was hot and had a crispy fluffy breading. It was a boneless thigh piece resting elegantly on a thin, slightly sweet waffle. It was very well spiced and superbly done. This one was a winner, and definitely more on the greasy than most of our reviewed places. Mixing it with the waffle and the maple syrup gave a good blend of spicy and sweet that made us crave more.

Not American Sized – but full of the right flavors

Three pieces of greasing delight. One down.

The whole point of the Chicken and Waffle scenario is the sweet, greasy, savory combo.

Hollywood turned his cravings to the buffalo wings, which also didn’t disappoint. Hollywood found they had a really good hot sauce, but The Chick felt they lacked a bit of heat, clearly for those who do not see hot wings as a test of will. They were cooked well and as advertised made him contemplate ordering more.

We finished up with an order of brown betty for dessert that had a good mix of crumbled buttery sweetness on top, cooked nectarines and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Not the best of the dishes, but a pleasant ending.

Kodiak Club is a good choice for burgers, fried chicken and buffalo wings that definitely stands out. Go there now!

Hollywood’s rating: 9/10 Clucks (extra points for good music – Express Yourself by NWA always welcome)

The Chick’s rating: 9/10 Clucks (loved the nostalgia kick of all these American treats)

UPDATE: In Hollywood’s recent visit he sadly found out that the Kodiak Club is no longer doing their Fried Chicken dish. They do still have the wings which are still amazing. The wall of clucks shall be updated accordingly