Just days after what would have been my 30th wedding anniversary (except that I’m happily divorced 24 years and counting), I was in Washington DC and finally hit Honeymoon Chicken, the well known, much loved, brined for 24 hours, crispy, crunchy, heartbreakingly tender chicken spot known in our nation’s capital and well beyond. Their secret sauce is that they focus on “elevated ingredients, techniques and flavors that can transform the humble art of fried chicken into a culinary masterpiece.” Now that’s a mouthful worth putting to the test. I read that their “Honeymoon Style” is dipped in their signature hot honey, but their regular style is honey-dusted. Served original or spicy they don’t even upcharge for all dark meat. Love that.
So I made my way to the not conveniently located spot hours prior to my first scheduled event to possibly fall in love. I was tempted by the Cool Ranch Chicken Sando which has ranch seasoning, ranch dressing, lettuce, and tomato… but stuck to the plan and ordered the Honeymoon Chicken Sandwich– crispy honey dusted chicken breast, cheddar, cilantro lime slaw, pickles, and comeback sauce on a toasted bun. How bad could it be, you ask? Oh, no. How good was it going to be I wondered? I also got the seasoned wedge fries with a little side of ranch, and a Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade. I lounged in a comfy booth until my order was delivered.
My meal arrived quickly and wowza it was incredible. The Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade was crisp, fruity, and sweet. I did spike it with a little water to avoid the sugar high, but it was delish.
Next up was the sando itself. Huge and falling off of the bun, I had to cut in two just to manage. The slaw and pickles were the perfect cool complements to the ultra crispy chicken. And you know I ditched the bread asap because I chose fries as my midday carb.
So let’s get into those fries. I have to say that usually wedges are too “potatoey” in the middle for me, blandish and the outside spices never penetrate deeply enough into the potato center. But in this case, just wow. They were uber seasoned on the outside, super crisp, and that herby ranch was a showstopper. Definitely the best bite of the lunch.
