D’Iberville’s Chicken Salad Chick has ‘Southern goodness’ and a classic lunchtime menu
Of almost every exciting restaurant adventure I have been on, the ones that have really gotten my attention were based on someone’s passion for getting things right.
It doesn’t matter if it is a fine dining establishment, or a burger joint, the passion has got to be there. And that is exactly what I found at Chicken Salad Chick.
Stacy Brown, the lady that got this place started (there are more than 100 locations now), was just crazy about chicken salad, but realized that there wasn’t just one great recipe, there were many.
It is a bit of an unusual concept: a restaurant based pretty much on one dish, chicken salad, but you have got to admire the Southerness of it all.
The heart of this menu is chicken salad, presented twelve different ways, but just in case chicken salad doesn’t ring your Southern bell, you can go for their pimento and cheese.
How Southern can you get? Pair those two famously Southern dishes with some pretty darn good soups (check out the daily special), salads and a few seasonal desserts, and, at least in my book, you have got a winner.
So what goes into making really good chicken salad? According to Chicken Salad Chick it means making it by hand every morning, using chicken tenderloins, and getting the balance of sweet and savory just right.
Perhaps the best seller is the Fancy Nancy, made with Fuji apples, seedless grapes and pecans. The basic recipe, the Classic Carol, is made with shredded all white chicken, celery, mayo and, of course, a secret seasoning. See what I mean?
I love chicken salad, to be sure, but I grew up on really good pimento and cheese (my mom’s, of course!), and the one I tried here was pretty darn good.
It’s made with sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese (I live the combo) and a creamy house dressing. Yum!
You can get the chicken salad or the pimento and cheese as a salad or as a sandwich. The chicken salad or pimento and cheese BLTs sure look good to me, and when paired with a good soup (there is a different one every day), it a near perfect meal.
The soups are all potato-based, but vary from broccoli and cheese, to the chicken Florentine that I had. You can also try a fruit or pasta salad, and, just what you would expect from a Southern-themed menu, mac and cheese.
So next time you are looking for some Southern goodness, and don’t want to struggle with an overly complicated menu, this is the place for you.
Chicken Salad Chick is comfortable, with avocado-green walls, and truly friendly staff. Dine in, or take out, this is a place that I will visit often.
If you go
Chicken Salad Chick
Where: 3821 Promenade Parkway, Suite F&G, D’Iberville
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Call: 228-641-4329