Courtesy of White Oak Kitchen + Cocktails
As a child, chef Todd Richards of White Oak Kitchen + Cocktails would watch his neighbor fry chicken almost daily. He remembered her technique, reimagining the spices as his career progressed, and about 10 years ago, he perfected the recipe. He’s now bringing that recipe to the masses at his new stall Richards’ Southern Fried in Krog Street Market. Opening in May, the stall will serve three flavors of fried chicken as sandwiches, platters, and wings: Classic, Hot, and Richards’ Hot. “The classic is the fried chicken I’ve been doing in Atlanta for the last 15 years. It’s a simple brined chicken, fried in seasoned flour,” Richards says. “Hot is about a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 with good spice level and flavor. Richards’ Hot is a 6 on the hot scale. It’s not just hot but it has a lot of depth of flavor with cumin, ginger, and curry.”
Located across from Gu’s Dumplings, Richards’ Southern Fried will serve seasonal sides like potato wedges, stewed tomatoes and okra, and vegetable slaw. The hot chicken sandwich will come on a potato bun with pimento cheese and slaw inside. For dessert, get ready for rice pudding and strawberry cobbler.
When the market stall opens, Richards will continue to work at White Oak. He has not yet decided who will run the kitchens when he’s not there. The space itself will be cream colored with gold, red, and blue accents. It’s inspired by the designs of both the New York subway and 1950s diners.
