Southern Fried Chicken from South Philadelphia Tap Room
The latest Southern belle to capture our affections is chef Scott Schroeder’s breast, leg, wing and thigh combo at South Philadelphia Tap Room (1509 Mifflin St.; southphiladelphiataproom.com). “We bought two cases of Amish chickens and just played 
[with the recipe] until it was right,” says Schroeder. “Right” means great swaths of crispy skin, as golden and crinkly as a Wonka Bar wrapper, and white and dark meat with a sneaky tingle thanks to Tabasco and lots of black pepper in the brine that the chicken soaks in for 24 hours. Find this blue plate ($15 with seasonal fixings) on the specials menu listed with this caveat: “The kitchen strongly suggests appetizers and patience.” We’re glad to oblige.
Snap Cocktails
Forget Crackle and Pop; Snap’s all we need this season. Based on the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for lebkuchen, or ginger snap, this velvety local liqueur from Art in the Age counts cinnamon, blackstrap molasses, cloves, rooibos tea and, naturally, ginger, among its principle ingredients. Art in the Age recommends a slug of Snap in sparkling lemonade, but we like how it lends a harvest twist to the Dark & Stormy.
