Amy Stocklein
The cayenne-laden Nashville Hot is just one of six chicken varieties being fried up at The Angry Rooster.
Pop-ups are a fun innovation in the restaurant world, giving chefs the opportunity to try out new techniques and flavors for diners hungry for something different. On Mondays, when The Tin Fox on Monroe Street is closed, its chef transforms the space into “The Angry Rooster,” serving southern fried chicken six ways, along with a pork sandwich.
If you’re going for the chicken, you have several options. There are six flavors that come as two-, four-, or six-piece dinners; all come with one side and a choice of a corn muffin or biscuit. You can mix and match flavors within plates if you want to try more than one. Diners get a variety of chicken pieces: breast, thighs, drumsticks.
The southern fried is the mildest, with just a slight note of buttermilk tang and simple seasoning. The fried coating is very light, and doesn’t get in the way of the flavor of the juicy meat.
I really enjoyed the Carolina Gold, which complemented the chicken with a tart mustard sauce that had just a hint of sweetness. Mama’s BBQ is another version that comes sauced and a good choice for those who prefer their sauces mild and sweet.
Sweet, mild, but also disappointing was the honey butter chicken, which was not very crisp, and the honey was nearly undetectable.
But the mild versions are not really what The Angry Rooster is all about. The “angry” in the pop-up’s name is a nod to the hot varieties — it seems everyone is trying to emulate Nashville hot chicken these days. I’ve eaten at Prince’s, said to be the original home of Nashville hot chicken, and The Angry Rooster’s version comes pretty darn close. This chicken is crispy and cayenne-laden, served on a bed of white bread to help stem the burn. The only thing missing here that I found at Prince’s are the pickles.
If the Nashville Hot chicken doesn’t provide enough burn for you, go with the ghost pepper XXX. I enjoy spicy food, but this was at a level too painful for me to enjoy. My dining companion, more of a spice fiend, fared better, but not by much.
While the Georgia chopped pork sandwich is the oddball on the menu, it’s a great option if you’re in more of a sandwich mood. Pork shoulder is one of the most tender cuts of meat if it’s done right, and here, it is. The brioche bun is stuffed with slow-cooked, marinated chopped pork with an unmistakable pit-smoked flavor. I was expecting there to be barbecue sauce on the sandwich, but it didn’t need it. Fresh crunchy coleslaw, more vinegar-based than creamy, added welcome texture and flavor to the sandwich.
There was nothing wrong with the sides, but they seemed to be an afterthought. The cheesy grits were comforting, and like the white bread, help quell the burning between bites. Mashed potatoes and gravy were good, too. I’d skip the shoestring-thin fries, especially if you’re getting carryout, where they tend to steam and get soggy next to the hot chicken.
The Angry Rooster is not even trying to cater to vegetarians or vegans. But meat eaters, even those not looking for a local representative of Nashville hot, will find something to satisfy on this limited menu. And those looking for Nashville hot should be very happy indeed.
The Angry Rooster
2616 Monroe St.; 608-709-1616;
theangryroostermadison.com; 5 pm-9 pm Monday; $2-$24
