’Tis Dining Month, the tastiest time of year! This means we’re dishing up fun and fascinating food content throughout October. Dig in, Milwaukee! OnMilwaukee Dining Month is served up by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino and Wollersheim Winery & Distillery.
Last May, we announced that Here Chicky Chicky, a new 70s-themed fast casual fried chicken sandwich concept from the owners of Goddess and the Baker was on its way to The Corners of Brookfield.
Well, as it turns out, the wait is just about over. The Chicky is officially hatching on Monday, Oct. 17 in the retail space directly east of Freshfin Poke at 20340 W. Lord St.
And you're going to want to get a PECK peek at both the space and the menu.
A peek at the big peck-ture
The aesthetic for Here Chicky Chicky is a blast from the disco-filled past, featuring bold, carefree 1970s vintage details that will take folks who are “over a certain age” straight back to their childhoods.
Step inside the restaurant and you’ll find chic wooden paneling, colorful chicken-themed wall treatments and retro seating at wooden tables, booths and banquettes upholstered in brightly colored plaid (yes, its the same fabric as that jumpsuit you wore in the 4th grade).
Overhead, there’s disco-style lighting, along with an actual disco ball in the hallway leading to the restrooms. And yes, all the visual cues which point you straight back to the disco era are backed up by a musical playlist that pumps out a combination of disco, soft rock, funk and soul.
Even better, you can take it all in while sipping on a smooth, velvety split of Brut, Rosé, or Sweet Star bubbly straight out of Here Chicky Chicky’s champagne vending machine (just purchase a champagne token at the counter).
Every day is fry-day
As for the menu, it was designed by Chef Kori Konopka with modern fried chicken lovers in mind.
Guests will find a slew of inspired chicken sandwiches, along with salads, bowls, wraps and … for those who’d like a true blast from the ultra-cool 1970s past, a classic TV dinner.
Sandwiches – which are priced at $11.99 each and served on toasted brioche buns – include the O.G., a classic fried chicken sandwich topped with house pickles and chicky sauce. You can enjoy it as-is or add your flavoring of choice: BBQ, gochujang Korean BBQ, honey buffalo, vindaloo, ghost pepper, 3-pepper fire or mango habanero.
Or you can venture into signature sandwich territory with the Angry Bird, fried chicken breast dusted with ghost powder and spices and served with house pickles, lemon aioli and Romaine lettuce (it's hot, but not waiver-signing hot); or the Honey Buffalo featuring fried chicken tossed in honey buffalo sauce, smeared with blue cheese spread and topped with Chicago-style carrot and celery giardiniera.
Prefer something sweet and spicy? The Korean Fried Chicken sandwich featuring twice-fried breast seasoned with Korean spices and tossed with gochujang Korean BBQ sauce and topped with kimchi, fresh cilantro and green onions.
For those who’d prefer more of a Southern twist, there’s also the Honey Butter Biscuit featuring fried chicken and honey butter on a housemade buttermilk biscuit.
You can also pair your sandwiches with sides like crispy medium-cut fries ($3.99); hand-battered onion rings ($6.99); fried green tomatoes ($6.99); mashed potatoes ($4.99); mac & cheese ($4.99); apple coleslaw ($3.99) or zucchini fries served with Chicky Sauce ($6.99).
Guests will also find salads including a BLT Fried Chicken Salad featuring a base of Romaine lettuce muttered with bacon, chicken skin chips, fried chicken, tomatoes and cucumber ranch dressing ($14.99); or a Harissa Chicken Bowl featuring harissa-spiced fried chicken served over Israeli couscous, chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, feta, mint and parsley all tossed in a light lemon-oil vinaigrette ($14.99).
Feeling indulgent? Try the Chicken Chip Nachos featuring crispy fried chicken skins topped with black beans, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sweet chili creme fraiche, scallions and jalapenos ($15.99).
And yes, there’s a classic TV Dinner, which will take you back to the days when watching television on a Friday night meant episodes of “The Muppet Show,” “The Brady Bunch” and “The Partridge Family” while seated on the couch with a pop-up TV tray in front of you.
Dinner includes two crisp fried chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, buttered corn medley and a brownie baked right in the pan and topped with strawberry drizzle ($19.99).
Non-alcoholic beverages include fountain soda, bottles of retro soda pop or dreamsicle flavored slushies, which taste just like the orange sweet treat you remember. But there are also vending machine champagne (splits for $14.99), canned wine or beer ($6) or frosé ($12) to enjoy.
Beginning Monday, Oct. 17, Here Chicky Chicky’s hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both dine-in and carry-out are available.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
