Parson’s Chicken & Fish

June 18, 2013

Parson’s Chicken & Fish

When I was a little kid, a family friend of ours, a general contractor named Greg Elder, was hired to give a facelift to the Kentucky Fried Chicken in our small Kansas town. From time-to-time, Greg and his wife Sue would babysit me and my brother, and one night, they took us to the KFC.

Looking up at this giant bucket-shaped piece of tin, he said, “You know, Max, The Colonel himself taught me how to get that bucket to spin.” Now, I’m not sure if Colonel Sanders was even alive when Greg went to work on the world famous fried chicken joint that bears Colonel Sanders’ visage to this day, but every time I pass an old storefront that still bears the words “Kentucky Fried Chicken” and not the shortened, uber-corporate “KFC,” I look for that twirling bucket of chicken and think of Greg Elder.

And while it might not (yet) have a giant tin chicken basket spinning out front, what’s inside is a clean, modern take on the ol’ chicken shack. A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of dining at Parson’s Chicken and Fish, the latest venture from Land & Sea, comprised of some of the braintrust behind the Michelin-star rated restaurant, bar, and inn Longman & Eagle.

Photographer Clayton Hauck did a magnificent job of capturing the gorgeous interior. For those of you who live in Chicago, cross the road — minding any chickens — as fast as you can and get to Parson’s. And for all you out-of-towners, add Parson’s to your “Chicago: Must See & Do” list. Their micheladas, grilled chicken, and cream cheese hush puppies are completely clucking phenomenal.