Watershed's Fried Chicken & Biscuits

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For a forthcoming article on fried chicken (to be published in the October 2012 issue of Epicure), I've been eating a lot of it. It really is research, and also a good excuse to forgo dieting.

Ask any serious foodie where to get fried chicken in Atlanta, and the answer is bound to include Watershed on Peachtree. The renowned dish is only available on Wednesdays. Hard to believe, but I'd never had Watershed's fried chicken until last week. I have no idea how I'd gone 15 years without it. (In my defense, the restaurant was closed for awhile to relocate...I realize that is a poor excuse.)

The couple seated at the table next to me shared that they were visiting from out of town and had eaten lunch at the restaurant the previous day. They'd LOVED it, heard about fried chicken night and were back. Theirs is the more appropriate response.

The chicken must be whisked from fryer to table in record time because it's served hot. It's crispy, juicy and worthy of its reputation. The biscuits are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.


Credit: Hope S. Philbrick

The mashed potatoes were the BEST mashed potatoes I've ever had in my life. There's a risk to ordering them: You'll probably leave the restaurant with a red forehead. Here's how it happens:

Step 1: You take a bite and, as soon as the fork slides out of your mouth and they coat your tongue, you realize these are the gosh-darn best mashed potatoes on earth.

Step 2: You wonder why yours are never that good, despite the fact that you've made mashed potatoes many times and the recipe for mashed potatoes is so simple that it was one of the first things you learned to make.

Step 3: You realize that you will be making mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. And they will never be that good.

Step 4: You fall against the table in self-disgust.

Step 5: Whack. Red forehead.

I don't even want to know how much butter or cream is in that individual serving of mashed potatoes, but the results are fantastic. Don't even think you'll want to share them. If your dining companion wants a bite, better order two.

For dessert, celebrate or console yourself as suits the situation with the salted caramel milk cake. The recipe is from the grandmother of one of the chefs (not Chef Joe Truex, but one of the other chefs in that busy kitchen). It's the perfect end to a great meal.

Credit: Hope S. Philbrick

Bottom Line: An Atlanta institution that lives up to the hype.