What do you get when you cross the culinary brains behind Café Muse, Treat Dreams, and Dinner Club Pop Up with a giant iconic chicken? Why, Atomic Chicken, of course.
Michigan Chews & Brews had the opportunity to get a sneak peak at this new addition to the downtown Clawson scene before their grand opening on Friday, April 29th. Atomic Chicken is easy to find; just look for the giant chicken that towers over Main Street.
Talking to the owners, it’s easy to see why their menu is so successful out of the gate. Scott Moloney, Matt Baldridge, and Greg Reyner have over 50 years of restaurant experience between them.
Moloney owns the wildly popular Treat Dreams in Ferndale and part of Woodpile BBQ Shack in Clawson. Baldridge co-founded the sensational Detroit Dinner Club Pop Up. Reyner is the co-owner of Café Muse, home of Oprah’s favorite grilled cheese sandwich.
Moloney and Baldridge had an idea to open a chicken and waffle joint. Coincidentally, Reyner had a similar vision and a chance meeting sparked the concept for Atomic Chicken. The rest is history.
The chicken and waffle concept at Atomic Chicken is not your ordinary fare. A lot of technique is involved to execute the menu.
Our first bite was of the Gorgonzola Mac ‘n Cheese. It was super creamy and perfectly rich. We also got to sample the Blackeye’d Peas with bacon. Neither of us had them before, so they set the bar high if we ever have them again in the future.
After tasting the sides, the main attraction came out.
We tried the Karaage Japanese Fried Chicken waffle with bacon and garlic ginger. Holy moly. The chicken was cooked to perfection, leaving it crispy, but juicy. Not to be outdone, the waffle added a hint of sweetness. The game-changer was the pickled ginger, which was unexpectedly killer.
The Spicy Pork Sausage Biscuits and Gravy were exceptional. The dish features Baldridge’s grandmother’s 60-year-old biscuit recipe.
After putting down the fork and knife, we got hands-on with Atomic Chicken’s Smok’n Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich. The bleu cheese balanced the heat quite nicely.
Atomic Chicken in Clawson is merely the beginning. With a second location underway in Detroit, the guys are getting ready to build an empire. They fully believe that Detroit is the next culinary hotspot, and are eager to recruit new talent to the scene. With an interesting menu, great concept, and seriously fantastic food, we have no doubt that they will succeed.
