The Pantry By Brad Gates

They sold me the biggest damn club sandwich ever. I was wondering why I was paying $11 or so for a club with no sides, but upon seeing the gigantic beast it was easier to justify. The sandwich was good. Not great though. The highlight was the bacon. Other than that, it was just a bit dry and... just not mind blowing I suppose. I'll try something else next time.

Ladies and gentleman: I just had a food baby. His name is Fried Chicken. He, like many other babies, was the result of gluttony and lack of self control...I just couldn't. seem. to. put. the. chicken. down. Hell, at one point in the meal I ended laying on my couch with the paper plate on my belly and ate only the skin off of one of the pieces- because it was that damn good and I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to the insides.

I've long heard of Chef Brad Gates Fried Chicken Wednesdays and the day finally came for me to step up to the counter and place my order for the $10 meal that comes with a generous serving of Quebec Mac n' cheese and a cord salad/relish. I'll admit that the sticker price of $10 gave me a bit of shock at first for lunch, but when they handed me that fresh pile of three hefty piece of chicken, I quit my internal bitchin' because this, my friend, was not one meal but two. When meals of this nature come way, I like to justify the price by saying, "well, technically it's $5 each meal."

Tucked away in the southeast corner of City Market, The Pantry makes use of local ingredients and shines even brighter in my eyes with multiple herb plants growing on the counters and windowsill. I'd like to think that the herbs found in my meal came directly from those charming plants. In addition to daily lunch offerings, Chef Brads Gates also runs a catering business. Many of the meals/menus that are available are piled on a shelving unit at the store's front.

I look forward to spreading the cheer of the fried chicken and sampling many other menu offerings down the road.

i could live in Sliderville!! Love the club with turkey, Goose bacon, & avocado...frequent sliders include bison (i love theirs) & their Cuban slider