12 Jan Please the Palate Pick of the Week: The Red Chickz

If you have been to Nashville, Tennessee, you might be familiar with Nashville hot chicken. But, if you haven’t had it before, you now can find it in Los Angeles at The Red Chickz, a Nasvhille Hot Chicken Spot that opened this week in downtown LA and is the Please The Palate pick of the week. If you like fried chicken and you like spicy food, then this is the place for you. Nashville hot chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville. The chicken is floured, fried and sauced using a paste that has been spiced with cayenne pepper. It is served atop slices of white bread with pickle chips. And that is what you will find at The Red Chickz.  Located on Spring Street, a few doors down from the Spring Arcade building, you will be hit by the bright colors and decor of the space before the heat of the chicken gets you. The menu at The Red Chickz consists of fried chicken and fried shrimp. You select either chicken or shrimp and on Tuesdays can get either in a taco. Chicken wings or tenders are available or order a sandwich. And, on weekends, you can get chicken and waffles during brunch. Next you pick your level of spice. The Red Chickz offers six levels of heat, from “Cool” to “Glow” to “Spark” to “Bonfire” to “Blaze” to “Inferno.” Finally, you pick your sides and can chose between potato wedges, coleslaw and baked beans. Both the chicken and the shrimp were perfectly cooked and still juicy. The batter is crispy and crunchy but did fall off the meat pretty quickly. I am not one for super spicy so I opted for “Glow”. I thought a little heat would be ok and was told that “Glow” would tingle the lips and then dissipate. Perhaps for others, but for me, it lasted a bit longer. But, I liked it. Be sure to wash your hands when you are finished as you don’t want to get that spice (even if is the “Glow”) anywhere near your eyes. The Red Chickz 557 South Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90013