There’s an old saw that you shouldn’t order chicken in upscale restaurants, the assumption being that it’s relatively cheap and easy to fix at home. Besides, how good can chicken really be? If you’ve had it at either of these restaurants, you know the answer: damn good. At $24 with no sides, Rolf and Daughters’ pastured chicken with preserved lemon and garlic confit is a bit of an indulgence, but a heavenly one at that — a perfectly roasted half chicken with a delightfully tangy and rich sauce. Just as satisfying, and at $15 an even better value, is Little Octopus’ pan-roasted chicken with salsa verde and herb salad. The skin is wonderfully crispy, the meat unusually moist, the salsa a wonderful complement.
Best Roasted Chicken (tie)
Little Octopus/Rolf and Daughters
Little Octopus
