Fried Fare, Southern Comfort and Boozy Slushys: Parson’s Chicken & Fish Has It All
Welcome to Music City!
If you haven’t made it to Parson’s Chicken & Fish, now is the perfect time to check it out. Along with signature Negroni slushy (they invented them!) and fried Amish chicken (they mastered it!), the two Chicago locations are equally celebrated for their cheerful red and white umbrella-dotted, pet-friendly patios. Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston outpost is following suit, with a massive outdoor space that’s hit its stride now that temps are solidly in the non-sweltering range.
Chef Hunter Moore sees a lot of similarities between the two cities that now call Parson’s home. “Nashville is a city that, like Chicago, really enjoys eating and drinking, so it seemed like a great natural fit for our next location,” he says. “Also, since our Chicago patios are such hits, the thought of being able to have a Parson’s patio for the majority of a year was a really exciting possibility. We wanted to see what that would look like — that summer energy, lasting all year long. A very exciting idea to those of us who are used to a long, rough winter!”
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
Photo Credit: Clayton Hauck
No worries if you’re just not into boozy slushys and fried fare (although really, you should be), there are plenty of other options— all inspired by comfort and nostalgia. Think: mac & cheese with Gruyere, fried cauliflower with buffalo sauce, and pimento cheese with tangy pickles and buttery crackers; on the lighter side there’s peel-and-eat shrimp, satisfying salads, and grilled Amish chicken plates.
They even developed their own brand of hot sauce to heighten the experience. “With the hot sauces, I wanted something to balance the richness of fried food. The red was made in the vein of a “Louisiana style” hot sauce, although we use chilies from Mexico,” Moore explains. “ The yellow is great with our grilled chicken. The yellow is the sleeper; it’s a carrot habanero is more of a tropical heat.”
And diners can choose from a long list of cocktails and beers to wash it all down, including an extra mellow golden ale brewed in partnership with Chicago’s Revolution Brewing, served in custom red and white cans in keeping with the dining room’s crisp, themed décor.
The season ahead promises more special events like the pop-ups at The Dive Motel and Jackalope Ranch earlier this month. But for now, make plans to stop in and hang with the DJ the third Monday of every month, and take advantage of dollar beers and cocktail specials, plus DJ events during the Wedgewood-Houston Art Crawl on the first Saturday of every month. You don’t want to miss the late night happy hour every Monday – Friday, 9-11 p.m either. Moore says brunch is in the works, too so “keep an eye out for shrimp and grits, and biscuits and gravy, and much more.”
Parson’s Chicken & Fish
425 Chestnut Street
parsonschickenandfish.com
