Howlin' Ray's

Back in 2019, I was in LA and seriously considered lining up for hours at Howlin' Rays.  For those who do not know, they specialize in Nashville Hot Chicken and at one point, there used to be lineups as long as 3 hours.  Well I didn't end up going because I had better things to do than wait in a line for 3 hours.  Little did I know that it would take me until 2022 to attempt to try it again.  This time around, I merely ordered online and picked it up.  Easy peasy.  

Of course I got The Sando in extra-hot.  That is only one below their hottest flavor.  Oh and this was indeed spicy.  My lips were burning and my stomach was warm.  I could feel the onset of indigestion.  But oh it was yums because even though it was tongue-numbing, I could still taste the other spices.  The big boneless breast was tender, but not juicy.  The crunch from the batter was solid while the sauce was uniform from them dipping the whole thing in the spiced oil.  Crunchy coleslaw (that was not overdressed) cooled things down a notch while the bun was soft enough to conform to the chicken without falling apart.  This was a really good hot chicken sandwich!

To get a sense of what mild tasted like, I got the Leg Quarter served on bread with pickles.  Man, that chicken was so perfectly brined as it was juicy and super succulent.  However, it wasn't salty though, just flavorful with plenty of natural chicken goodness.  Loved the batter on the outside as it was crunchy like the one in the sandwich.  The skin was well-rendered too.  Mild still had a bit of spice, but perfect for those who can't handle hot. 

To round out this "snack" (I had lunch already), I got Matt-style Fries with collard greens, cut up bacon, comeback sauce, braised tomatoes and melted cheddar cheese.  This was rather messy and quite a bit of stuff on top of the fries.  Hence, they were not very crunchy anymore, but the flavor was tangy with cheesiness and the creaminess of the sauce. Good for the inebriated.  Although this was just a quick snack from Howlin' Rays, it was enough to confirm the hype.  Their stuff is legit and I would have it again when I'm back in LA.

The Good:

- Spicy, but can taste the spices

- Excellent fried chicken

- Friendly people

The Bad:

- It used to be the lineup, but not really anymore.  However, wasn't that part of the charm?  Hey but I'm not complaining that I don't need to lineup!

Roost Fried Chicken

I've always had Yellowstone National Park on my bucket list and every year that passed by, it seemed to be forgotten, with other destinations taking precedent.  So when we had the chance to add it to our already long road trip, it wasn't a very hard decision.  Despite the crowds, we thoroughly enjoyed the diverse ecological spots in the park and spent the entire day exploring.  As such, our desire to hit up Triple D's featured restaurant, Roost Fried Chicken, in Bozeman appeared to be impossible as it would be closed by the time we got there.  Viv did her best driving, making up a tonne of time and we actually made it just before last call.

Of course we had Fried Chicken on our minds as I ordered the whole bird Southern style with 2 biscuits and 2 large sides.  If there was any question about the freshness, it was all answered by our nearly 30-minute wait.  We weren't bothered by it since the chicken was very good.  Crunchy and fairly well-seasoned, the batter was on point with rendered skin.  Most of the chicken was juicy except the breast was a touch on the drier side.  We didn't like the biscuits as they were dry and hard.  The side of Broccoli with cheese was terrible as it was woefully overdone.  However, the Loaded Grits were creamy and thick with lots of cheese, bacon and green onion on top.  We weren't able to get the mac n' cheese since they were sold out for the night.

To get a taste of spice, we also got the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with lettuce, comeback sauce and pickles.  This was rather saucy and indeed had a kick.  I wouldn't say it was super spicy though.  Chicken was tender and almost juicy while the batter still had a slight crunch.  We got a side of fries with it and it was hot and crunchy.  Also added the coleslaw and it was freshly crunchy albeit rather bland.  In general, the chicken at Roost was pretty solid and definitely hit the spot after a long day at Yellowstone.  Too bad about being so late as we missed some of the other items (as they were sold out).  Maybe that is why the broccoli was so terrible (at the day).

The Good:
- Solid fried chicken
- Good service
- Fair pricing

The Bad:
- Some sides were meh
- Long wait, but chicken is made from scratch