By: Matt Stock
In most cases, our monthly sandwich showdowns are rather calculated affairs. Sometimes we hear hype on a new spot and make plans to visit with the proprietors, sometimes we want to give shout-outs to our favorite tried-and-true locations. This month’s challenge was the result of a happy accident, and damn, we’re glad it went down that way.
Cranford and I were on the way to a Restaurant That Shall Remain Unnamed to do a challenge on a weekday afternoon in July, but with a little time to spare, we stopped by the just-opened Lucky Rooster Market Street to check out their office operations. We got a peek behind the curtain from Chef Clayton Rollison, and then we got to feast our eyes upon their just-revised menu. We saw something that resulted in a quick change of plans….
THE FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH. Few can do chicken like the crew at the Rooster, and this concoction boasted fried chicken breast, peach mustard sauce, pickles, provolone cheese, lettuce, and pickled red onions on a brioche bun. Suddenly the Showdown was going down at Market Street, and I was pretty sure we had a victor. “Well, this one’s obviously going to win,” I said to Cranford, “but let’s pick another one out and get this thing rolling.” I’m a fried chicken dude, what can I tell ya?
We headed to the counter, where Rollison and partners agreed with our decision to try out the fried chicken, and strongly suggested a dark horse candidate to take it on in the showdown. They unanimously pushed the Coconut Shrimp Po’Boy with a gleam of knowing confidence in their eyes. But don’t chefs always turn their noses up at coconut shrimp, we asked? Our hosts concurred, but, in the interest of being open-minded, said they wanted to take a crack at doing something special with the often-derided seafood treat.
And we’re here to tell you, they succeeded. While the Fried Chicken Sandwich delivered an outstanding profile punctuated by the flavor of the peach mustard sauce and the crisp of the fried provolone, the Po’Boy almost knocked our hungry asses right off our barstools. Four giant shrimp on a grilled Hawaiian roll (oh yeah), with apricot mango sauce and jicama slaw with cilantro. Only a few components but DAMN. Cranford called it the winner right off the rip before I even tasted it. I tried it and agreed immediately, and by the (short) time it was all gone we were ready to call it one of the best sandwiches on the island. Sound unbelievable? We suggest y’all check out Lucky Rooster Market Street’s take on elevated, fast, fun street food, and become one of the converted. We’ll see you there!
