Boomshakalaka!

Cayenne, Habanero, ghost peppers, and Reaper peppers — they all work together to give Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen‘s Boomshakalaka Nashville chicken its top-of-the-line jolt. Not a masochist? She’s got six levels of heat to choose from, all the way down to no heat at all (Southern-style). They’ve been operating in soft-open mode for the last couple of weeks but the big day is tomorrow, Friday, June 17th: the grand opening of Carla Hall’s culinary ode to Nashville hot chicken.

The sides look as good as the chicken!

Nashville-style hot chicken is the only entree available (other than the possibility of building a more than satisfactory plate from the sides, all vegetarian); your job is to select pieces (breasts, thighs, legs, wings, tenders), quantity, heat level, and sides. Among those sides you’ll find Southern classics such as soup beans, greens and pot likker, and mac ‘n’ cheese. She hasn’t forgotten things like pimento cheese and deviled eggs, or cornbread and biscuits. Of course, lemonade and the Champagne of the South, iced tea (drink it heavily sweetened, over lots of crushed ice, if you are into authenticity), are served. This is Brooklyn, NY, so there’s also a bar with the latest local microbrews and cocktails.

Some of Carla Hall’s favorite Southern provisions are available for purchase.

The place is small — about 30 seats total — and they’ve been surprised in the early going with the huge volume of take-out orders, over half their business. Ms. Hall has also put together a curated selection of her favorite Southern groceries, available for purchase. If you get there before we do, we’d love to hear what you think.