S.F.’s Birdbox Opens in New York With Its Fried Chicken — Claw and All | Eater NY
"I found Birdbox, a fried-chicken spinoff from San Francisco’s Birdsong, inside Backstage Food Hall near Times Square. The menu offered several fried chicken sandwiches, a hen-of-the-woods vegetarian sandwich, waffle fries, coleslaw, and four sauces; I ordered Claude the Claw ($19), described as a conjoined thigh-and-drum combo with a talon protruding. It arrived nearly 30 minutes after a six-to-nine-minute estimate in a box with chicken tracks cut out of the cover. The dark meat had been extensively brined—very juicy and overall delicious—with a thick, crunchy breading that contrasted nicely with the seeded bun (which felt too small for that quantity of chicken). The bread-and-butter pickles were a nice touch, and the agreeable “yeayo” sauce (a portmanteau of “yeast” and “mayo”) complemented the sandwich. The deep-fried claw was mostly inedible aside from some flesh at its base, and the sandwich’s standout appearance drew tourists’ reactions, but I’d definitely get Claude the Claw again for its juicy, crunchy, dark-meat flavor; it’s also a guaranteed attention-grabber. I also tried the smaller hen-of-the-woods ($14) on round wheat-toast slices; the waffle fries were coated in a spice I did not particularly like, and the slaw—dressed mainly with lemon juice and nutritional yeast—felt intended to accompany sandwiches rather than be eaten on its own." - Robert Sietsema
