Chicken tradition comes to town

Before Nashvillestyle hot chicken entered the consciousness of diners, Uncle Nick’s Greek Fried Chicken was a tradition in northeastern Ohio.

The chicken was offered as part of the menu at the Buena Vista Cafe, founded in 1956 in Warren.

In 2015, Uncle Nick's came to Columbus.

Drew Cleary, the local franchisee who grew up in Niles, talked the founder’s son, Nick Frankos, into using the chicken as the centerpiece of his Grandview Heightsarea restaurant.

“You know, it was one of my favorite things growing up as a kid,” Cleary said.

It starts with fresh chicken, which is broken down and trimmed at Uncle Nick’s. The poultry is marinated overnight, dipped in a light breadcrumb batter and pressure fried.

“Our slogan is: If the Colonel had our recipe, he’d be a general,” Cleary said. “Even in the Columbus market, it’s hard to compare.”

Individual pieces The chicken snack with breast, thigh, wing and leg pieces at Uncle Nick’s Greek Fried Chicken What: Uncle Nick’s Greek Fried Chicken Address: 1333 Northwest Blvd. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays Contact: 614-481-4040, www.unclenicksgfc.com

are available — breast ($3.05), wing ($1.79), thigh ($1.99) and leg ($1.79) — but many customers order the snack size ($7.49 for all four pieces) or the No. 1 combo ($9.99 for four pieces and two sides).

Cleary suggests eating the chicken unadorned, but for those looking for a little boost, he advises ordering the spicy Arizona ranch, the slightly sweet barbecue

sauce or the garlic butter.

Among sides, Cleary recommends the house-made coleslaw ($1.50 a side) and the Texas potatoes, which are known as jojos in northeastern Ohio. The quarter wedges ($2.59 for four) are seasoned, battered and pressure fried, Cleary said.

“The potato almost falls apart when you bite into it, but the outside has that crispy crust,” he said. “It’s pretty good.”

What kind of Greek place doesn’t have a gyro? Uncle Nick’s delivers in a simplebut-traditional fashion: spit-roasted meat, familiar garnishes and a drizzle of tzatziki sauce.

As for the pizzas, the marinara sauce is highly touted.

“It’s definitely got a sweeter taste to it,” Cleary said. “If you know Youngstown sauce, I feel it tastes like a Youngstown sauce.”

There’s a buildyour-own section of the menu as well as a few signature choices.

The spelling might be different, but the Briar Hill pizza ($8.99 for 12 inches, $12.99 for 16 inches) is like the pie found in Youngstown’s Brier Hill neighborhood, with marinara, bell peppers and Parmesan instead of mozzarella or provolone.

The base is layered with grated Parmesan; more is sprinkled on top after baking.

“It’s definitely got a unique, strong taste to it,” Cleary said.

Another option is the white pizza ($8.99 for a 12-inch or $12.99 for a 16-inch), which features a base of garlic olive oil topped with pickled Hungarian wax peppers, black olives and mozzarella.

“It’s not overpowering with garlic,” he said. “It’s got a nice garlic kick to it.”