Cluck It, Chicago’s newest kitchen specializing in hot fried chicken, is now open for takeout from its CloudKitchens location (2537 South Wabash Ave.), and delivery in the downtown city area through its website here. Led by husband and wife chef team Cainan Edwards and Samantha Zubli, Cluck It offers a high-quality, light-hearted take on hot fried chicken, utilizing techniques garnered from years of fine dining experience working in Michelin starred kitchens.
Throughout their careers, Edwards and Zubli have established friendships and partnerships with many of Chicago’s best local purveyors, farmers, and small businesses from which they source only the top ingredients for Cluck It.
“We want to bring people relatable, delicious food that’s made with the highest-level ingredients and skill,” says Edwards. “Cluck It is about having fun and providing a kickass experience with every order.”
Edwards’ hot fried chicken’s unique preparation is inspired by his love for classic Japanese culinary techniques, creating a distinctive, audible crunch followed by a flavorful, fluffy chew. Cluck It hot chicken is made-to-order with spice levels ranging from COUNTRY (no spice) to XXHOT (contains habanero pepper and scorpion chili) for those seeking some extreme heat in every bite. Edwards explains, “we focused on building flavor profiles for each level of heat that would allow for the delicious seasonings to come through, even while your mouth is burning from the habanero and scorpion chili.”
Menu highlights include:
Mother Clucker sandwich made with 8 oz. boneless chicken thigh, brioche bun, cole slaw, American Cheese, and Cluck It sauce ($15)
Chicken Fried Lobster Tail made with 4 oz. Maine lobster tail ($18)
Chicken & Waffle with boneless chicken tender nuggets, Belgium waffle, local maple syrup, European butter, and hot sauce ($16)
Lobster Mac and Cheese made with baked mac, lobster claw, and knuckle meat ($15)
Cheesy Waffle Fry with seasoned waffle French fries and sport pepper cheese sauce ($7)
Collard Greens, house-made with hand-picked greens and a savory combination of bacon, onion, garlic, and chicken stock ($6)
For a sweet end to the meal, Zubli created Cluck It’s specialty, made-from scratch Banana Pudding ($7) with banana, house-made caramel, Nilla wafers for added texture, and Madagascar vanilla bean whipped cream. Cluck It also offers a Cornflake Cream Pie ($4.50) that combines the flavors of corn bread and honey with the idea of an oatmeal cream pie to create a one-of-a-kind cornflake cookie sandwiched together with honey cream cheese icing. Zubli makes the cornflake cookie using freeze dried sweet yellow corn harvested at the height of its sweetness, for a delicious, buttery flavor.
