Sunday, January 27, 2008

Hidden Gem: TiGeorge's Chicken

If you've ever been to the great Haitian restaurants of Miami, you know that Haitian cuisine is a scrumptous, earthy, powerful thing. It's like an even bolder version of Cuban.

We don't have a lot of Haitian options on this coast, but we do have a shining light at TiGeorge's Chicken on the southern most strip of Glendale Boulevard in an area sort of between Echo Park and Downtown.

The thing about TiGeorge's Chicken is, I don't like their chicken. It's floppy and rubbery, lacking any crispness; it has the fatty taste and texture of underdone duck. I don't get it.

What I absolutely love is their veggie plate, which includes crisp plantain fritters, black beans and rice, a small salad, and my favorite, deep fried acra...delicious fried nuggets of ground herring and taro root (apparently, in Haiti, herring is considered a vegetable). All of this is served with their superb, garlic-packed Ti Malis sauce that goes well on everything. For me, the sauce joins Zankou and Mario's Peruvian in the pantheon of great garlic sauces. Wash it down with TiGeorge's fresh lemonade and it's a near perfect meal.

They also have an enticing sounding pate de poulet (chicken pastries), though they are never ready when I'm there. And they roast their own coffee beans for coffee served black or au lait.

TiGeorges' Chicken
309 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 353-9994

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