Roast chicken at Branch 27

I gushed last week about Branch 27‘s cool decor and sun-lit atrium, but I finally had a chance to head in for some actual eats this past weekend. I truly love so many different types of food, but sometimes I just can’t stay away from ordering a good roast chicken. The one at the very top of the Branch menu sounded especially tasty with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts (another strange weakness of mine) so I ordered it with a glass of crisp, white Hirschbach Riesling (and, yet another weakness). Perfectly tender and juicy, the glistening chicken is bursting with flavor from a simple lemon-garlic seasoning and rests in its own light jus. I try to avoid eating chicken skin if I can muster the willpower, but it might be sacrilege to leave its savory-salty-juicy self behind. The mashed potatoes on the side are simple, creamy and perfectly whipped, and the Brussels sprouts (the chef only uses the bright green outer leaves which are less bitter) are paired with mouth-watering pieces of juicy diced bacon. Anyway, I can go on and on, but let’s just say at the end of it all I got one of those, “So I guess you liked yours!!” exclamations from the waiter as he looked down at my plate holding little more than some clean chicken bones and a small pool of jus which I almost asked him to box up. Yeah, uh, so? Other highlights from the delish night include the decadent mozzarella egg roll appetizer and fudge brownie sundae for dessert. I’ll be back for lamb shank, sausage and peppers, and an especially tasty looking bowl of mussels I saw people downing at the bar. Branch 27, 1371 W. Chicago