The Usual

"The Usual in Nolita offers a four-course prix-fixe brunch for $25, featuring eggs, yogurt and fruit, pancakes, fried chicken, and potatoes. The wine program is also a highlight." - Eater Staff

"New Yorker’s critic Hannah Goldfield files a dispatch from the Usual, the new Nolita fried chicken restaurant from LA chef Alvin Cailan. It’s the first full-service restaurant for the chef, who’s better known for egg sandwich shop Eggslut, and Goldfield “marvelled at the mountainous cragginess of the exceptionally thick, crispy crust, and at the carnal pleasure of the fat it had absorbed in the fryer, cut with a sprinkling of zingy Cajun herbs and spices.” The rest of the menu is unsurprising, she writes, but the fried chicken stands out." - Serena Dai

"You may or may not have heard of Eggslut, a famous LA spot for BECs. If not, what you need to know is that the chef there is good at making unhealthy things taste even better than usual. And now he’s opened a spot in Nolita focused on just that. The Usual serves comfort food from around the world, so along with Louisiana-style fried chicken and a rich double cheeseburger with garlic aioli, there’s ramen with spicy pork and tagliatelle with cream sauce. We like just about everything we’ve eaten here, but the space, on the ground floor of the Nolitan Hotel, is awkward - the big windows looking out on a traffic-heavy part of Delancey make it feel like a fairly sterile fish bowl. Because of that, we wouldn’t recommend traveling to eat here, but if you’re in the area and want some comfort food, you won’t be disappointed. Food Rundown Ham & Cheese If you expect a run-of-the-mill sandwich after ordering the ham and cheese here, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when a big plate of prosciutto and burrata arrives on the table. The burrata is soft, creamy, and almost melts when you cut into it, and it comes with some very good crunchy grilled bread on the side. Burger This is a really, really good burger. The two patties are charred on the outside, but still pink and full of flavor, and they’re covered in American cheese and garlic aioli. The onions give it some crunch, and the bun is toasted just the right amount. Fried Chicken This is Louisiana-style fried chicken, made with a bunch of Cajun herbs and spices. It’s great - the skin cracks when you bite into it, while the meat stays juicy. Cheddar & Chive Biscuits We thought we’d go our whole lives without writing the following words: we didn’t enjoy eating these biscuits. But facts are facts. If you eat these biscuits plain, they’re fairly dry and taste overwhelmingly like sour cream. If you lather on butter, they get much better, but that could be said of just about anything. Rhubarb Semifreddo If you always have room for dessert, even after fried chicken and aioli-covered burgers, then join the club. Also, get this semifreddo covered in strawberries and strawberry syrup. The crunchy oat crumble on top makes the whole thing taste like a strawberry crumble pie over half-melted ice cream." - Matt Tervooren

"This past weekend, chef Alvin Cailan of the West Coast’s EggSlut fame offered a preview of his upcoming restaurant with a fried chicken feast and $10 bottles of rosé. Set inside the Nolitan Hotel, the grand opening date is slated for July 13; Cailian and his team of second generation chefs aim to provide twists on American classics, including double patty burgers, fried chicken and chocolate cake. A soft opening will run from June 28 to July 1 and July 5 to July 8." - Marguerite Imbert

"The Usual, located in NoLita inside the Nolitan Hotel, is a new restaurant by chef Alvin Cailan offering twists on American classics like double patty burgers and fried chicken. The grand opening is slated for July 13, with a soft opening from June 28 to July 1 and July 5 to July 8." - Marguerite Imbert