Openings

Hill Country Chicken Brings the Texas Hand Roll to New York

Inside Hill Country Chicken; the deep-fried centerpiece.
Inside Hill Country Chicken; the deep-fried centerpiece. Photo: Roxanne Behr/New York Magazine

Hill Country’s Marc Glosserman has already paid tribute to the cuisine and culture of his family’s native barbecue-crazed Lockhart, Texas. Now, with Hill Country Chicken, opening next week, he plans to celebrate the home-style cooking of his grandmothers, Elsia and Betty — two women who were way ahead of the curve as far as current New York food trends go. Elsia (a.k.a. Mama Els) was the buttermilk-brined-fried-chicken expert, and Betty the pie-master, and both are the inspiration for chef Elizabeth Karmel’s menu. The chicken may be deep-fried and the service cafeteria-style, but Mama E. and Grandma B. would undoubtedly like the 100-seat bi-level space done up like a homey country kitchen in pale blues and yellows. Though what they’d make of the Texas hand roll — fried chicken tenders, coleslaw, sesame seeds, crushed almonds, and hot-pepper jelly wrapped in a flour tortilla — is anyone’s guess.

Hill Country Chicken, 1123 Broadway, at 25th St.; 212-257-6446

Hill Country Chicken Brings the Texas Hand Roll to New York