What's the draw
We're living in a post-KFC world, and if you didn't know it already, there's no better time to discover that a bird in a bun is one of the finest ways to see in (as well as see off) your night. The best place to acquaint yourself with this philosophy is at Garrett and Emer Fitzgerald's pop-up turned funky fried chicken restaurant Butchies. Inspired by the fast food culture of NYC, Butchies brings quality buttermilk nugs – made from meat that's sourced from happy chicken specialists Castlemead Poultry – to Shoreditch. It's satisfying, no-fuss grub with a sustainable edge. And we love it.
What to drink
Prepare yourself, because you're going to have to make some hard decisions here. Do you wrap your greasy fingers around a bottle of something local like Longflint's pre-mixed craft cocktails, clean up with a negroni pulled straight from the tap (yes, really) or do you wash it all down with an ice-cold (and we mean ice-cold) tankard of decanted Beavertown Neck Oil? So many possibilities. And that doesn't even cover half of the drinks list. If you've grown to have more self-restraint that that one time your mum let you roam free in the pick 'n' mix aisle of Woolworths, maybe you'll be stepping, not staggering, out of the chicken shop for once. Otherwise, you might just find yourself shacked up in a teal leather booth, fiery kimchi honey-butter chicken wing in one hand, can of Cloudwater in the other – we're not saying your fate is set in stone, but old habits die hard.
What to eat
Chicken, obviously. Preferably alongside a Jenga-sized tower of spicy buffalo halloumi fries and blue cheese sauce, because come on now, you're only human. Jenny from the Block – a burger that comes with smoky chipotle mayo and crispy, American-style bacon – won't do you wrong. And, see that buttery guac slipping from the toasted bun? You'll need it to cool you down after stripping those aforementioned kimchi butter wings. It would be remiss to ignore chicken's two best friends, too, so get your cheese and pickle fix with the Cheesy Rider, a napkin-beckoning stack of succulent chicken coated in moreish cheese drippings and swaddled in a soft buttered bun.
Sandwiches from £6; cans from £3.50. 22 Rivington St, EC2A 3DY; butchies.co.uk
