It may seem counterintuitive in the heat, but there’s something about summertime and fried chicken that pairs so perfectly: hot, fresh-from-the-fryer morsels offset by cool, crunchy pickles on a sunny day—add slaw and maybe a glass of lemonade, and you’ve got a perfect meal. Top Chef All-Stars winner Richard Blais knows this, and he knows how to do fried chicken right, which is why this weekend’s opening of the Crack Shack already has us salivating.
On Saturday, head to the Westfield Century City’s sprawling complex of high-end shops and ever-expanding restaurant options to catch the first L.A. restaurant from Blais, the celebrity chef behind San Diego’s own Crack Shack and one of that city’s best, Juniper & Ivy. Crack Shack is the fast-casual nexus of the South and Southern California, where locally raised Jidori chicken meets secret blends of spices, and served sides include deviled eggs and biscuits with an injection of Mexican and Asian flavor (Think: pollo asado sandwiches stuffed with schmaltz fries, avocado and pickled jalapeños on bolillo—dipped in posole broth—or the fresh-to-death miso-ginger salad bowls with pineapple, cabbage and crunchy rice noodles.)
Photograph: Courtesy Crack Shack/Marie Buck
There’s even an L.A.-exclusive sandwich, which may also make its way to Pasadena’s Crack Shack, set to open this fall: The Double Clucker’s a stack of two ground chicken patties, cheddar, bacon, avocado, burger sauce, pickles and fried onions on a potato roll. Need to cool off? This location’s also serving Salt & Straw milkshakes; work ’em off by strolling through the gargantuan 5,186-square-foot space, or playing a round of cornhole on that sizable 2,129-square-foot patio.
Should you get thirsty, there’s a full bar, craft cocktails, top-shelf champagne by the bottle, plus an insane Moët & Chandon vending machine—because as well as summer and fried chicken go together, they’re even better with a glass of bubbly.
Take a peek at a few of the dishes you can expect, then stop by this weekend to try them:
Photograph: Courtesy Crack Shack/Marie Buck
Richard Blais’s first L.A. Crack Shack launches Saturday, July 21, within the Westfield Century City at 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard. Find it open from 10:30am to 9pm Sunday to Thursday, and from 10:30am to 10pm Friday and Saturday.