I usually don’t order chicken when I dine out. But this time, I’m glad I did.

BC Restaurant, located in Armory Square, is the first place where I didn’t regret ordering chicken. The roasted half chicken with duck confit, potato hash and parsnips was totally worth its price tag of $22.

At first I thought the entree might be too heavy, as I imagined a chicken breast next to a duck thigh; two meats competing next to each other, both screaming, “Eat me! I taste better.”

But the waiter assured me that the chef pulls this entree together in a non meat-heavy kind of way. I finally trusted her input after asking her about five other entrées on the menu and taking nearly fifteen minutes vacillating between options.

I didn’t wait long for my food  — it was just enough time to appreciate the lighting in the dining area. Natural lighting, which beamed through huge windows, offset the dark decor tones of red and black. It made for a nice balance to the ambience of the room, even more so when I could see the whole dining room reflected through the mirror that stretched across the walls.

The chicken was the centerpiece when my dish arrived. Pieces of duck meat and thinly sliced potatoes were scattered underneath the chicken breast and thigh.

The flavorful fat from the duck added depth of flavor to the chicken juice, which lightly flooded the duck and the thin sliced potatoes. The chicken was perfection down to its multiple textures and flavor. The breast and thigh was pan seared with its skin. The skin was crispy, and the chef finished off the cooking process in the oven.

The delicious gravy was a 24-hour reduction of flavorful savory goodness; chicken broth and excess chicken juice — collected from cooking previous chicken — was cooked on low heat with vegetables and herbs. The sauce was reduced from a huge pot to nearly half a pot, and the result was a savory, sweet and slight saltiness that balanced well with the juicy chicken.

Although this $22 entree was worth it for me, others might care more for a deal. Their “3 Courses, $30” menu is the option for thin-walleted diners, which I also tried and had the Caesar salad, the steak Diane and coconut creme brulee.

The Caesar salad was topped with croutons and pickled anchovies. I love fish, so I ate the anchovies alone. It tasted tender, fishy, sour and salty, which was exactly what I expected and very satisfying. I moved on the salad, which wasn’t drenched in Caesar dressing. The dressing was only lightly tossed in, which kept the salad crispy, refreshing and light — as it should be.

The waiter brought out the second course, the steak Diane, an 8-ounce sirloin topped with their house sauce. The chef reduced wine and cognac with garlic, onions and a generous amount of mushrooms to create a delicious sauce that bound the whole dish together. The chef did a rough chop of the garlic, leaving huge pieces enough for my tongue to feel numb and tingly. It was the perfect steak and potatoes dish.

However, the presentation wasn’t quite as appealing. The sauce, steak and potatoes were all tinted brown. A garnish of steamed carrots or green beans would be a nice pop of color.

I was pretty full, but still wanted my dessert, the coconut creme brulee. Each bite wasn’t just simply the candied sugar crust and the creamy custard, which were already irresistible, but topped with a little bit of fresh minced pineapple. It was a refreshing and sweet taste in every bite.

I left the restaurant stuffed and with no regrets, and that’s rare. I’ll be happy to eat chicken and steak at BC Restaurant again any day — well, when I have a fat wallet again, of course.

Published on March 31, 2014 at 1:00 am

Contact Vekonda: vluangap@syr.edu