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VanillaMan's avatar

Can anyone please tell me why this is good? I'm definitely unopposed to hot food, but what is it supposed to taste like? The Nashville I've tried isn't giving me more flavor, just a lot of heat.

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H.D. Miller's avatar

Thanks for your comment. Some of us find hot food really exciting, plus the heat produces an endorphin rush. Also, the thing about Nashville Hot Chicken is that, unlike most hot food, it actually does have a decent taste of fried chicken. At least, the best stuff does. But, to each his own!

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Michael Ryberg's avatar

Happy to help. IMO, as a lifetime fan, what makes true NHC authentic and exceptional is finding that perfect balance of heat and flavor. It should be, first and foremost, freakin' good fried chicken. Crispy and tender like grandma used to make. The rubs that are used in NHC should deepen that flavor, enhancing the fried chicken experience, rather than hiding it. The heat (your heat) is icing on the cake, bringing that ZING to your tastebuds that are (or should be) already doing the happy dance over the flavor.

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H.D. Miller's avatar

Excellent observations! Thank you.

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Polly Frost's avatar

Question for all you Nashville hot chicken snobs: do you think hot chicken can be made anywhere else?

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H.D. Miller's avatar

Possibly. I don't want to say no, but there are a dozen really great New Haven style pizza places in New Haven, and none outside of it. Even Frank Pepe in Boston isn't as good. So, there's something going on with institutional knowledge, or something.

But, then, I've never tried hot chicken outside of Nashville, so I don't know.

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Steve nieters's avatar

As someone/masochist who enjoys Prince's XXX (which used to be off menu under a more delightful name), does 400 degrees have off-menu extra hot options?

Thank you for the call out of Bolton's last post. We've ignorantly driven by it for years, but will be stopping by soon before they move/close.

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H.D. Miller's avatar

LOL! I've been here far too short a time. I had no idea there was a secret menu at Prince's, or anywhere else. I'm just a babe in the woods.

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Chris Caraway's avatar

Yes I regularly get 900 degrees, there is also 500 and 800 I believe.

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Steve nieters's avatar

Thanks!

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Mitch's avatar

Sad you judged party fowl by its cover. They have one of the best chicken dishes in the city. Not hot chicken, but a half smoked chicken with Alabama white sauce.

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Bob's avatar

Their hot chicken has a weird hotdog/balogna-like flavor though imo, and she’s right about the atmosphere.

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Rita's avatar

Granddaddy hot chicken in Old Hickory is as good as Princes or to even better.

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