New England style fried chicken? Anyone who’s traveled in the deep south knows that chicken shacks, BBQ joints, home-style diners and cafeterias are renowned for their fried chicken, barbecue and other down-home southern staples. Then there’s true southern biscuits made with soft-wheat flour. These accompany this legendary grub as thickly as macaroni and cheese. But pluck it all out of its home turf to the far reaches of New England mightn’t it get lost in translation?
That didn’t stop the indefatigable Jason Loring (Nosh, Rhum, Slab) from opening Big J’s Chicken Shack, the little storefront that’s located at Thompson’s Point squeezed into a retail space between all the distillers who’ve opened shop there. And let me tell you the chicken is slap yo mama good.
The promenade of shops at Thompson’s Point
Thompson’s Point is still a dusty enclave on the scrappy banks of the Fore River. But the main building that holds the thriving distilleries and wine rooms are drawing big crowds. At my visit, daytime mid-week, they were cramming into BJ’s.
