USA TODAY International Edition
Go Gaga for fried chicken at Grand Central
The scene: Superstar singer Lady Gaga caused quite the sensation in midtown Manhattan last month when she donned a red staff T-shirt and played bartender for guests at Art Bird & Whiskey Bar before sitting down and digging into the signature dish, fried chicken, herself. The celebrity’s enthusiasm for the new spot is understandable – it’s owned by her dad. Restaurateur Joe Germanotta already owns one wellknown Big Apple eatery, Joanne Trattoria on the Upper West Side. But this new fast-casual concept pairs him with Southern-focused chef Art Smith, best known for having been Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef, giving it the clout of once-removed association from two of the most famous women in the world of entertainment.
Art Bird occupies a standalone foursided kiosk in the middle of the lowerlevel dining hall concourse at Grand Central Station, a space that was a coffee and pastry stand until recently. It has been revamped with a semicircular enclosed dining area on the back side of the kiosk for patrons only, but only a low half-wall separates it from the hustle and bustle and communal public dining of the food hall. It feels a bit like an oasis in the eye of the storm, especially at the bar, but it’s still very much part of the loud and frenetic space. You order at the front of the counter, and if you are dining in, take a numbered sign to a seat at one of the wooden tables or marble counter-railings adorned with red metal chairs. Food is served in open cardboard boxes and circular cardboard soup containers, with disposable utensils.
The back of the kiosk has been converted into a nine-seat bar with counter service. It’s a slightly elevated fast-casual concept in one of the busiest transit hubs in the world and also appeals to the countless local office workers on lunch breaks, though prices are high for the setting and cuisine.
Reason to visit: Fried chicken, fried chicken sandwich, whiskey The food: The menu is limited, but that’s not a bad thing, since it allows them to focus on their specialty, fried chicken, which is very good. It’s a bit of an unusual approach to a food typically sold in various combinations and a la carte, as there is really only one option on the menu for the dish: Chef Art’s Mix Box, a two-piece serving of light and dark meat. The breakfast menu also offers chicken and waffles with maple syrup, which you can order all day. The pieces are boneless, not in the tasteless boneless breast cutlet way, but rather similar to Japanese style karaage fried chicken. This makes it easy to eat with a fork and knife, even flimsy plastic ones, and especially lends itself to the often difficult-to-eat chicken and waffle dish.
While there is a theory about cooking meat on the bone adding flavor, this chicken is flavorful and juicy, though the dark meat is superior to the deboned small breast the size of a large thigh. While the meat is good and juicy, the breading steals the show. It it is heavily seasoned and noticeably zesty. At $17 for a two-piece with biscuit and one side at a kiosk in a train station, it better be.
The biscuit is served warm and studded with cheddar cheese and chopped green onion. The weak link was the cheese grits. I’d recommend the cole slaw or the sweet potato salad.
The exemplary fried chicken carries over to the signature sandwich, which may be an even better choice than the box, though pricey at $11 with no sides.
Half of the restaurant’s name is devoted to adult beverages, and the menu is much broader than for food. There are 20 whiskies, skewing American and Southern but including some higherend single malt Scotch whisky and a top-shelf Irish choice, Redbreast. The selection includes craft options such as a couple from Utah’s acclaimed High West distillery and classic bourbons and ryes, from $9 to $35 a glass. There is also a signature cocktail selection, wine list, craft and mass market beers, and a half-dozen craft beers on tap.
The addition of a true bar to the dining hall is a significant change for the station. In recent years the revitalization of the station has offered dining choices, from Scandinavian to Caribbean meat pies, but with the departures of Delaney Chicken and Two Boots, Southern cuisine has been missing in action. And Art Bird brings it back.
Pilgrimage-worthy?: No, except maybe for die-hard Lady Gaga fans.
Rating: Yum! (Scale: Blah, OK, Mmmm, Yum!, OMG!)
Price: $$-$$$ ($ cheap, $$ moderate, $$$ expensive)
Details: 89 East 42nd Street, Lower Level Dining Concourse, New York; 646779-3566.