NYC Restaurants

There are very few places where a buck gets you very much. So it was quite a refreshing surprise when I stumbled upon "A Piece of Chicken." It's not actually a restaurant per se, rather an extension of Jezebel's Southern and Soul Food restaurant on 45th Street and 9th Ave. The entire operation is done through a kitchen window and believe me people are lining up... including some in suits. It's quite a wonderful idea and a generous one. Deep fried chicken (including breast meat) is sold by the piece for $1. Portions I must say are larger than you might expect given the price tag and the chicken is first-rate (You'd probably have to spend much more inside Jezebel's). So this is quite a southern treat. You also have a choice of sides like collard greens or a scoop of potato salad for a dollar (mac and cheese goes for 2 bucks). And there's also a nice assortment of fish. On a second visit I tried the whiting ($1), which was fresh and flavorful, as were the deep fried and wonderfully juicy strips of catfish ($2). Spring for $3 dollars and you can have some barbecued salmon. All would make a wonderful picnic basket for a day in the park. A Piece of Chicken proves you don't have to be greedy to make money. Sometimes sharing the wealth goes a long way!

- Thomas Rafael