"In New York, Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of,
There's Nothing you can't do..."   Jay-Z and Alicia Keys captured my city of birth in such a deep and honest
way...I'm always excited when the song is played.  Last night, out with a client, then over to a book signing
then off to eat dinner, then meander through a new hot spot food hall..last night was the quintessential N.Y.
evening...played over and over by the millions who work and live in the city every day.  I've been a resident of
the Jersey Shore for a long time now, but, I was a New Yorker for longer and in my heart, will always be
a native N.Y'er.  I have been blessed to have traveled to many of the world's big and small cities, N.Y.C. is
just a stand alone place..no where is like it..  Nowhere.. As with each city it has it's own pulse, beat,
smells, people, even our language is slightly different from the rest of the country.  I love it.
  First stop, Rye House, a cool little bar/restaurant on
W. 17 St..good place for a drink, fairly crowded at 5:30pm..then over to stand on a long, long line waiting
for a chance to meet Russell Brand, that quirky very English wildman comedian..after a two hour wait on
line at the 17th St. Barnes and Noble, he was charming, wacky, and sincere..
  Very funny and worth the wait...reading his book
which he signed for everyone who was there.. Now, hungry...the Union Square area of NYC is full of dining
possibilities of all kinds, from dive bars, to coffee shops, to trendy, haute or otherwise..and at the suggestion of
a friend (thanks Jared) a place a few blocks north called Hill Country Chicken, which opened only a few weeks
ago to great reviews.  It's an offshoot of Hill Country, only around the corner, and a temple of BBQ and other Texas
Hill Country treats, right here in Gotham City.  I'm quasi-skeptical...there's just way too much hype, from friends,
from the media, from the foodieshpere..I'm a fried chicken lover...in fact..last meal?  Might be a toss up between
Manicotti and meatballs, veal cutlet milanese, Moussaka, or Fried chicken.  Time to see what the dealio is all
about here.  Off we go to Hill Country Chicken..(http://www.hillcountrychicken.com/)  at the corner of 25th and
Broadway...(2 blocks north of EATALY, I told you this is a great neighborhood!)  It was packed...and the pull
handles on the door are two sides of a wishbone..I love this.
   The portals of heaven...or so I was about to find out. Brightly lit and
not much different from what a 50's-early 60's sitcom kitchen T.V.studio set would look like...this place felt right...skep-
ticism is fading.  Lots of help behind the counter..soothing yellows and blues, ushering me back to my own blue and
yellow formica laden kitchen of my 60's youth.  The chairs looked like Grandma's did in 1963...almost feeling like I'm
in MadMen...but there was no one smoking or drinking!   I looked up to the menu boards and said to my self, "Yes, I'll
have one of everything..please.." Instead I opted for one breast and one wing with a side of Creamy Cole Slaw and
a Strawberry Lemonade.



See what I mean?  The props just say, "This is the proper way to do it, and it tastes even better if you eat it in our
late 50's-early 60's kitchen".  Biscuits, fried cheesey mashed potatoes, pies and sides of all kinds, your choice of
mint iced tea, the Strawberry Lemonade, assorted Boylans' soda from a fountain machine..what's not to love?  The 20
to 40 somethings which made up most of the crowd with a peppering of 40 + peeps, were all happily chowing down
on a ubiquitous American food...other cuisines have forms of a fried chicken, but, only America's fried chicken has
the signature look and crunch that are allowing Hill Country to sell a breast for 5.98.  So was it worth it?
  Yes, yes it was..a Bell and Evans free range air chilled bird...air
chilled chickens fry the best and taste the best..Before I forget, the condiment bars had all the usual items, and
my favorite to pair Fried Chicken up with, Honey.  There's the squeeze container I brought to the table, then rea-
lized that I'm supposed to squeeze some into the little plastic cups they have available.  I swear I brought the
honey back to the counter for other hungry patrons to enjoy RIGHT after I snapped that pic. If you go, don't miss
out on the seasoning in a shaker which had a label on it, SHAKE was all it said.  Peppery and salty, herby, it
was a great addition to the top of the chicken. 
After this most satisfying of dinners, I did a drive-by thru EATALY and just marveled at a showcase with some
live langostines in it (aren't langostines the best thing ever? )and swore that one day I will buy a few pounds of
them and cook them up...at 34.50 @ lb., I may be waiting a while.




     "These streets  will make you feel brand new,
Big Lights will inspire you, Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York."
credit to Alicia Keays and Jay-Z.