Prince's — still the king!
Judging by the Instagram traffic associated with the hashtag #HotChickenWeek24, Scene readers really showed up hungry after being cooped up at home for a week by the recent wintry unpleasantness. The year’s Nashville Scene Hot Chicken Week featured almost 40 restaurants vying for the crown of rooster royalty, and in the end it was the people’s voice that counted.
Before we get to the winners, a few runners-up that impressed included the hot chicken atop creamy rosemary polenta from Red’s Hot Chicken; Waldo’s Chicken & Beer with their Fowl Mouth sandwich; and the hot chicken sliders from Slider House, all of which got plenty of Instagram love.
After the votes were counted, two old reliables and a surprising, relatively new Latin spot came out on top of the three categories. The title of original and still champion went to Prince’s Hot Chicken for their version of a slider. Not content to rest on their laurels, the kitchen staff at Prince’s actually came up with three different dishes to serve at their three locations — on Nolensville Road, the Assembly Food Hall and Tanger Outlets. Of the trio of options, the winner for Best Overall Dish was a 4-ounce breast spiced to the diner's choice of heat levels, ranging from plain to XXX-Hot, before being topped with a pickle and placed on a Hawaiian roll, bringing a little sweetness to the heatness. Served with crinkle-cut fries for just $7, it was a bargain, and the heat choice factor probably drove it over the top with voters.
For Best Traditional Dish, the solid and beloved hot chicken sandwich from Hattie B’s took the honors. This was a contest that offered many advantages to Hattie B’s, which has five locations to pick from and a robust social media presence. But the Hattie B's team earned every vote with a spicy fried breast served on a brioche bun with coleslaw, Nashville comeback sauce and fries.
The Most Unique Dish came courtesy of Wilco Fusion Grill, a family-owned Latin American fusion restaurant across the interstate from Cool Springs Galleria. Wilco's Hot Chicken Week offering was The King Elvis Empanada, a delightfully non-sequitur name for a crispy corn empanada overstuffed with Nashville hot chicken, sweet plantain puree and queso fresco, and dressed with a spicy corn aioli. The dish also had the benefit of catering to the gluten-free crowd, which might have brought in some extra votes.
All three winners are quite deserving, and really, everyone who participated was a winner. That includes the voting public, who are the reason the folks here in the Scene's events department do these special food weeks anyway. Thanks to everyone for joining in the fun!
