Nick’s Picks pop-up will offer up a chicken sandwich from the south without the hate and guilt

Nick Fleming has been making chicken sandwiches ever since he could start putting items on a menu. Meaning, the chicken sandwiches he is about to unleash on Seattle in his new pop-up, Nick’s Picks, are many years in the making.

Fleming rolled into Seattle about a year ago from Atlanta where he ran the large bar and restaurant, The Midway Pub. But his fried chicken bona fides go back much further, to where he grew up in the neighboring state of Alabama.

He credits the matriarchal influence of his youth for the recipe that he’s honed over the years. “I’ve always done it the way my mom, grandmother, and great grandmother did,” said Fleming.

The recipe comes with its own family secret seasoning, of course. But Fleming did divulge that the sandwiches are made with breast meat that has been brined in buttermilk for 24 hours then dredged in that secret seasoning. But Fleming doesn’t stop there. Before the chicken hits the fryer, it’s back to the brine one last time and then the final dose of his secret spices.

Everything will be house-made except the bun. He’s tried over a half dozen locally (including considering a custom bake). He’s liked a number of them but is still in pursuit of the best buns to pair with his fare.

Nick’s Picks Pop-Up

Fleming’s first pop-up is next weekend (January 28) at Belltown Provisions. He’s joining forces with Chachi, of Chachi’s PNW, who he met while they were both working in a cannabis kitchen.

Acknowledging the difficulties of jumping in and out of kitchens during the pandemic, Fleming has been on the back burner watching things unfold. That all changed when he met Chachi.

“Chachi has found a great model for chefs to express themselves uniquely and safely,” said Fleming. “As soon as I met him, I wanted to cook again and dive into the Seattle food world head first – he really revived my fire.”

For his first pop-up, Fleming will be serving up his fried chicken sandwiches Nashville style or with a choice of Alabama white BBQ sauce or comeback sauce. Sides will include collard greens and shoestring fries.

An integral part of his childhood, Fleming has a soft spot for the Alabama white sauce and loves sharing it with people. He recalls a joke about the origins of the sauce, “…somebody ran out of ketchup one day and said ‘f*ck it’ give me the mayo.”

Fleming drizzles the mayo-based sauce over the fried chicken, providing a decadent, sweet and tangy touch. And the comeback sauce is a southern staple. A sweet, ketchup-based sauce always in demand for dipping. As Fleming sees it this is his chance to give people, “a chicken sandwich from the south without the hate and guilt.”

The first pop-ups for Fleming will focus on his fried chicken sandwiches, but he plans to extend those offerings in the future. 

“Eventually I hope to do some smoked pork BBQ and other southern delicacies going forward,” said Fleming. “I’m just very excited to bring my food to the amazing people in Seattle!”