Over on his Inside Scoop side blog, the Chronicle's insatiable food critic is taking a deeper look at Nopa, one of his perennial favorites today. In the five years it has been open in the (ahem) North of Panhandle neighborhood, he says, the restaurant has, "channeled the spirit of the area more than any other existing business." We here at the SFist Western Branch office, a stone's throw from Nopa on Divisadero, won't argue about the restaurant's quality and welcoming neighborhood vibe, but we'd be remiss if we didn't point out the food critic neglected to disclose one important detail: His guilty fried chicken addiction.
Attentive readers will remember Bauer confessed his forbidden love for deep-fried, breaded poultry to SFist a few years back. And Popeye's chicken - which Bauer himself mentioned by name - exists right across the street from Nopa. So what gives, Mr. Bauer? Is Nopa's rotisserie herb chicken (his "go-to dish") really good enough to make one kick their habit for the Louisiana flavors across the way? We say no, but we also order Cocchi cups and hamburgers exclusively when we manage to get a seat at Nopa's communal table. (At Popeye's, on the other hand, it's spicy recipe and gallons of sweet tea. Always.)
