The world of Chicago restaurants is big after the chicken war

Chicago's dining community is well aware of the craze for the Popeyes Fried Chicken Sandwich and how the fast-food giant has temporarily removed the dish from its menu. Some create their own sandwiches, others defend civic pride and ask guests to patronize independent restaurants. Still others have bitten into the hype and have even entrusted sandwiches to colleagues to spread the love.

Chef Tsadakeeyah Emmanuel of Majani, the vegan restaurant located on the South Shore and inside Pullman's One Eleven Food Hall, presented a meatless and dairy-free version on Wednesday. Emmanuel has been a vegan for 40 years. Last week, he started experimenting with wheat, soy and pea protein. He overcomes the ship beaten and fried with a chipotle and green sauces that provide warmth and a fresh touch of herbs. The vegan rolls are made in Gary, Indiana, at Organic Bread of Heaven. The item will remain on the menu for about a month. If the article sells, it could become a staple.

"We are obviously watching the evolution of the plant market for a long time," Emmanuel said. "Now that we're seeing food from big companies coming into the game, it's clear that a company like ours has the potential to be complete. The chicken sandwich was our way of reminding the market that we were doing it well before these guys. "

Majani [Official Photo]

In West Town, two of the best restaurants in the area, Funkenhausen and Split-Rail, compete. Funkehausen co-owner Daniella Caruso loves Popeyes chicken and bone-in biscuits. But a recent visit during which she and her husband (chef Mark Steuer) chewed rubber chicken fingers prevented him from trying the sandwich. She finally gave Thursday and was not impressed.

Before Steuer started in Funkenhausen, he cooked at Carriage House and Bedford in Wicker Park. Caruso saw an opportunity.

"I'm a big fan of his fried chicken and chicken sandwiches in particular, but he has not prepared them since Carriage House five years ago," she said. "So, in part, it was my selfish attempt to convince him to make me a chicken sandwich."

Caruso contacted Zoë Schor from Split-Rail (she did not try the sandwich, Popeyes was exhausted). Split-Rail specializes in fried chicken and will soon open its doors with other chefs as part of the Time Out Market's gourmet lobby at Fulton Market. Didier Souillat, CEO of Time Out, said last week that Schor's fried chicken was his favorite dish in the lobby.

For fun with customers, Funkenhausen and Split-Rail have added chicken sandwiches to their menus until Sunday. They invite guests to choose between the two and post comments on social media.

"Even though people are being fooled by zeitgeist sandwiches Popeyes, I think the people of our city are incredibly proud of Chicago," said Schor. "It's fun and fun to follow the social media movement, but I think it's partly because no one thinks Popeyes will have a better chicken sandwich than ours. The people of Chicago are proud of Chicago's restaurants. "

Schor's attitude matches that of Chicago's most popular chicken chain. Harold's Chicken Shack decided to join the fray declaring itself king of the fried chicken of the city. The local prosecutor and writer Exavier Pope has accepted with feeling and writing that "if Harold's chicken came out with a spicy chicken sandwich fried with a sweet sauce and extra pepper", the "debate would be over".

The hype has spread all over the country, but Popeyes has been selling sandwiches since May at its Chicago locations. It was at this point that bartender Carlos Matias (Bohemia Group, Acadia) started to publish articles on the sandwich in social media. He offered to start delivering the sandwich to his friends in a Facebook message dated May 24th. It was delivered to Rafa Esparza, head of the restaurant Finom: Mai. "Everyone can see, it's real. The true god is good.

Now that publications like the New Yorker Matias feels like a taster: "I think it's time to come out of retirement with the new press," wrote Matias a week ago. "GOs know who advocated the [spicy chicken sandwich] before he became national. GET IT CHICAGO! "

Although Popeyes is solving its supply chain problems, many other Chicago restaurants serve fried chicken sandwiches. Again, for super fans like Matias, it's not the same without a little Cajun Sparkle.