It's finger-licking good.
Nothing says the Kentucky Derby like hats, horses, traditions, mint juleps, and, somehow, chicken tenders.
Yes, you read that correctly. Not only are chicken tenders a Derby necessity, but in a sea of high-end dining during Derby Week, the perfectly crispy tenders are the top selling food item at Churchill Downs.
Robert Lopez, senior executive chef at Churchill Downs, told Louisville's Courier Journal that the crispy, hand-breaded tenders are the most popular food item by far.
"Our chicken tenders are a great example of taking something that a guest has come to know and love, and elevating it to the standard of a top-tier restaurant," Lopez told the Courier Journal. "We hand-bread fresh chicken to give it a taste that speaks for itself."
The chicken tenders have become so popular they have a larger stand this year at The Coop Chicken, on the second floor of the Clubhouse, where guests can indulge in classic, barbecue, Buffalo, or Nashville style tenders alongside French fries.
"They are easily our top seller year-round," Lopez shared.
Chicken may be the star, but it’s far from the only thing on the menu. According to Heavy, Derby weekend crowds are expected to consume roughly 142,000 hot dogs, 18,000 barbecue sandwiches, 13,800 pounds of beef, 32,400 jumbo shrimp, 9,000 scallops, and 8,000 pounds of potatoes.
One thing is for sure: come Derby weekend, the food is just as much a spectacle as the race itself.
Read the original article on Southern Living
