Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken

"There are a few reasons you shouldn’t wander around the East Village searching for a restaurant wearing a blindfold. First of all, it seems pretty dangerous. Second, it doesn’t make any sense. And third, you’d end up choosing Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken every time. Get within half a block of this 2nd Avenue spot, and you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of a massive pump of chicken tender-scented perfume. And after being drawn in like you heard a siren song in The Odyssey, you’ll find crispy, spiced, juicy fried chicken that tastes as good as it smells. This counter-service spot is open until midnight or later seven days a week, and it’s some of the best post-bar-hopping food in the area." - Matt Tervooren

"The fried chicken at this sushi empire spin-off — a knock-off of spicy Nashville chicken — is nothing special, but a recently introduced fried chicken “hot dog” turns out to be a very enjoyable way to eat fried chicken. One of several variations available, called “the firedog,” consists of a tender served in a hot dog bun with dill pickles, sweet pickled jalapenos, and chipotle mayo for several explosive charges of hotness." - Robert Sietsema

"Even as extreme chicken lovers, we reached a point in our research for this guide when we couldn’t bear to consume another fried breast on a soft bun. Then we checked back in on Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken. Their hot, sweet sandwich made us forget that we'd tried 20 sandwiches in one week. It was like falling in love with chicken again—this time with the help of some syrupy chipotle honey mixed with spicy mayo and a supple potato bun. If you want to stick to the classic, their regular fried chicken sandwich is also great." - Carlo Mantuano, Kenny Yang, Neha Talreja, Bryan Kim