Restaurant Review #7: The Chicken Box

 This is part two in a continuing series on Fried Chicken.   Collect them all!
In my humble opinion, the best way to cook fried chicken is broasting.   Broasting is actually a trademarked name, referring to a method of cooking chicken in a pressure fryer, usually with seasonings and breading.  Broasting was invented in 1950 by L.A.M. Phelm and marketed by the Broaster Company of Beliot, Wisconsin.   Restaurants that boast they serve broasted chicken have bought equipment from the Wisconsin company and are obligated to following certain procedures and are certified regularly.   Broasting chicken seals in the natural juices, resulting in chicken that is crisp on the outside, but tender and moist on the inside.  It also cooks must faster than regular deep fried chicken.

Today, we'll cover two places that serve great broasted chicken, one in La Habra and one in West Covina.  They both have the same name:  The Chicken Box.  The were originally owned by the same person, but in subsequent years they were sold off.  However, the menus are still very similar, enough that I can cover them both in the same review.

Let's start with the most burning question:   is there a giant chicken on the roof?   Well, no, but the La Habra location has a picture of a cartoon chicken, dressed nattily in a top hat, cane and monocle, on the top of the sign.   That's something.   You might say the chicken is all dressed for dinner.   Well, OK, you might not say that, but there is a very good chance I would say that.  That's why I have to go out to eat by myself.

Both locations are very small, with only a couple of tables for eating in.   They both also have patio dining, which is nice on a warm evening.  Most of the business here is take-out, hence the name "box."
The locations offer a varied menu of chicken strips, ribs, fish and shrimp.   Yeah, right.  We're not going to talk about those, because you're here for CHICKEN, darn it.  

Let's just get to it:  the chicken is fabulous.   Just as it should be, crisp and flavorful on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.   Not as greasy as you would expect.   No unexpected flavors - just good, old fashioned chicken.   Mmmmm.

The side dishes are a treat here as well.  The broasted potatoes are cooked in the same fryer as the chicken and have the same crisp / tender adjectives that the chicken is assigned.  The mashed potatoes are the real thing - deliciously good, and not a taste of potato flakes among them.  Corn on the cob is extra, but is good as well.  The only disappointment was the cole slaw...   not recommended.  Say what you will about KFC, but they still produce a darn good cole slaw.

The locations used to offer boysenberry punch, but West Covina has recently discontinued it.   I am hoping the La Habra location still serves it. 

Overall, I give this fried chicken my heartiest endorsement.
Here is how the Chicken Box makes out on my scale (1-10, with 10 as the best):

Giant Chicken on Roof:  Sort of...
Ambiance of restaurant:    7
Taste of Chicken:    9
Side Dishes:     8
Something besides Coke to drink: 8
Mashed Potatoes:   10
Gravy:   7
Overall rating:   8.5

Restaurant Review #6: Donahoo's Golden Chicken

Let's talk Chicken.   Chickens are meant to be fried.   That is their purpose in life.   Oh, I know that many of you think that they serve another purpose, that of producing eggs.   I say rubbish.  Ducks produce eggs that work just as well as chicken eggs, and yet, no one eats fried duck.  Besides, most of you know my opinion of eggs (they were originally cooked to feed prisoners of war in order to get them to surrender quicker.  True fact.), so you can understand my feelings about chickens. 

There is another school of thought that says that chickens do not have to be fried.   They can be baked, or grilled, or even sauteed.   This hypothesis is so ridiculous I will not even respect it with a discussion.   Chickens are meant to be fried.  Skin on, by the way.

Lately I've been trying a few fried chicken joints, searching for the best.   I thought I'd start a small series of "Great Places to get Fried Chicken" and this is the first entry in that series.   We're starting with an above-average place here in Pomona:   Donahoo's. 

A great chicken joint needs a few things to guarantee it success.  Obviously, they need deep fryers, a good coating recipe, good sides, and - most important - a giant statue of a chicken on the roof.   Donahoo's does indeed have the giant chicken, perched high above Garey Avenue, threatening anyone who happens to park under him.   I have spotted the giant chicken for several months now, and finally couldn't pass him by any longer.  

Donahoo's was once a small chain of chicken take-out restaurants in the area. Today there are still three restaurants existing: one in Pomona, one in Riverside and one in Ontario, all owned by different people. The blogs say the Pomona location is the best of the bunch, having changed the least since the family sold the restaurants.  This one is run by a family, and you can see the entire family working together in the kitchen during the busy times.

The restaurant serves take-out only, with each meal packaged in it's own take-out box.   The serve chicken, chicken fingers, and giblets.   You can get an entire meal of chicken giblets, although why you would want to do that is beyond me.  I ordered chicken.  

The chicken is breaded, fried, and packaged while you wait.   Fries, rolls, and salads are the only sides available.  I got fries.

The chicken here tastes homemade, which is a big selling point to me.   The spices are good, but nothing out of the ordinary.   Flour is a big percentage of the mix.  The skin is golden and crunchy, while the meat underneath is moist, as good fried chicken should be.  The steakfries are typical.   The rolls have the butter baked into them, saving me eating time, which I always appreciate.
Overall, Donahoo's is a great place for a quick fried chicken fix.   Here is my rundown on Donahoo's  (scales are from 1-10):

Giant Chicken on Roof:  Yes
Ambiance of restaurant:    5
Taste of Chicken:    8
Side Dishes:     3
Something besides Coke to drink:     5
Mashed Potatoes:   N/A
Gravy:   N/A
Overall rating:   6

Saturday Morning Cartoon: Let's Celebrake

Sorry for the lack of posts lately...   My New Year's resolution is to write more, and depend less on YouTube.   However, It's Saturday Morning Cartoon time, and what cartoon could be better to celebrate the New Year than "Let's Celebrake" a 1938 Popeye cartoon from the remarkable Fleischer brothers.  Those who regard Popeye as one dimensional character may be surprised by this cartoon, which shows the one-eyed sailor in a very warm, compassionate mode.   Popeye cartoons in the 1930's show a remarkable versatility that eventually got lost in the 1950's, when every cartoon became essentially the same plot in a different locale.  Amazingly, this is one of the few Popeye cartoons with no violence...   Unless you count the consumption of spinach, which usually produces a violent reaction in me.   Enjoy "Let's Celebrake" and Happy New Year!

Saturday Morning Cartoon: Goodwill to Men

In honor of Christmas, I've chosen a rarely seen cartoon:  Good Will to Men, released by MGM in 1955.  This cartoon is a Cinemascope remake of the 1939 cartoon "Peace on Earth."   Both cartoons were nominated for Academy Awards.   This cartoon was an unusual break for the directing team of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbara, who had spent the last 12 years making nothing but the violence-driven "Tom and Jerry" cartoons.  Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

Sorry for the recent lack of posts, but the Holidays are upon me like a Louisiana hurricane, ready to sweep me away in glad tidings.   Here's a little ditty from Tom Lehrer for my Jewish friends...

Saturday Morning Cartoon: One Ham's Family

The Holidays are upon us like fleas on a dog, sucking the life's blood out of...  Okay, maybe that one is a bit much.  For the next few weeks I'll be posting a selection of Holiday-themed cartoons to help you celebrate the holiday season.   Here, from 1943, is "One Ham's Family" directed by the infamous Tex Avery.   The kid in this cartoon is based on Red Skelton's "mean wittle kid" or simply "Junior" that Red had introduced to radio audiences in 1941.  Enjoy!

Travels with Joe - Let's see Santa! Part 1

The holidays are upon us like a giant avalanche, ready to bury us completely with its tidings of comfort and joy.  I thought I would post a few Holiday themed "Travels with Joe."   We're going to start with a favorite roadside attraction that once existed in Carpinteria, CA:   Santa Claus Lane!   This attraction, and its giant statue of Santa Claus, beckoned to me for years from the side of the freeway whenever my family drove through the area.  I am proud to say that the constant pressuring of my dad finally rewarded me with a stop at this attraction many years ago.

Santa Claus Lane was started in 1948 by roadside entrepreneur Patrick McKeon, who was trying to attract people to his fruit stand.   He was new to the area, and was amused at all the "Santa" named towns in California (Santa Barbara, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, etc.).   He decided to name his roadside attractions "Santa Claus" and ended up building Santa Claus Lane in the process.   In its heyday, the Lane had a restaurant, candy store, fruit stand, various gift shops, and a miniature train ride that would go around and through the buildings.  Santa was perched high atop the Date Shop, while a statue of Frosty the Snowman watched over the restaurant.   There was even "Rudolph's Reindeer Lounge" for the adults to enjoy a quick refreshment while the kids checked out the tacky souvenirs.   The specialty of the date shop was the world-famous California Date Shake, which I have never been able to gag down past the first sip.

Santa Claus Lane fell on hard times in the 80's and 90's.   Frosty was removed from the roof as he was falling apart.   The train rarely ever ran (it was not open during my visit) and several smaller shops closed down.   The final indignity came when the giant Santa statue was deemed unsafe and would need to be removed.  However, a grassroots movement saved the statue, and it is now on display, fully restored and sporting a pair of California sunglasses, in Oxnard.  It's good to know that Santa finally had the last laugh - Ho, Ho, Ho!   Wait, didn't the Jolly Green Giant make that same comment at the end of his post?

Santa in his new home in Oxnard