GrGreat weekday meal for barbecue lovers to eat in or take out
By Ari Weinzweig
Looking for some great-tasting comfort food? Some of the best smoked chicken anywhere? We may have done a lot of renovations on the kitchen and bar area in recent months, but the Roadhouse’s menu classics remain the same. Having just tasted some of the Pit-Smoked Amish Chicken the other night, I’m reminded again of how darned delicious it is. Rick Strutz, one of the long-time managing partners at the Deli—someone who’s probably tasted pretty much everything in the Zingerman’s Community over his 25 years plus in the job—says the Roadhouse Smoked Chicken is one of the best things in the ZCoB. I agree.
Which is why, if it’s Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, I’d recommend giving some thought to swinging by and picking up one of these exceptional oak-smoked chickens from the Roadhouse. I can say from a LOT of personal experience that they make an exceptional evening meal! A whole Amish chicken, rubbed with freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper and salt, smoked slowly over smoldering whole oak logs for three or four hours. We’ve had them on the carryout menu for the last few years, during which time they’ve been a very regular item at our house. All you need to do is call ahead to order one, then swing by the Roadhouse and pick it up.
Sunday through Thursday, you can also get the Roadhouse’s Pit-Smoked Chickens inside the restaurant for dinner. The beautiful, oak-smoked, Tellicherry black pepper-dusted bird comes plated with side dishes that make it a great dinner and a great deal! Man, is it good! If you have leftovers, I’ll share that they’re awesome for adding to soup or salad, making into smoked chicken salad, or just nibbling on out of the fridge when you need a snack. Tammie and I take the bones that are left behind and boil them with an array of vegetables to make a magically terrific broth. (When we serve it, we drop on a spoonful of IASA peperoncino!)
Once again, the Roadhouse only smokes a limited number of these whole chickens in time for dinner Sunday through Thursday. It can’t hurt to order ahead and have us hold one for you. It’s hard to believe a chicken could be life-changing, but this might be it.