Brined in buttermilk, dredged in flour and given a nice hot oil bath, there’s nothing quite like fried chicken.
Belfare Sonoma, Petaluma: Piled-high classic fried chicken sandwich filled with dill pickles, Cajun cabbage and spicy sesame mayo on a Parker House bun. 1410 S. McDowell Blvd., Suite D, Petaluma, 707-774-6029, belfaresonoma.com. (Kim Carroll/For Sonoma Magazine)
Sax's Joint, Petaluma: Top-notch chicken and waffles. Crispy, crunchy and sweet. 317 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma, 707-559-3021, saxsjoint.com. (Chris Hardy/For Sonoma Magazine)
Brewster's Beer Garden, Petaluma: Fried chicken sandwich with goat cheddar, romaine, garlic mayo and bacon on a Della Fattoria bun. Yum. 229 Water St., Petaluma, 707-981-8330, brewstersbeergarden.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Easy Rider, Petaluma: Southern Fried Chicken Dinner with collards, mac n' cheese, bacon truffle gravy and Calabrian chili honey. 33 Washington St., Petaluma, 707-774-6233, easyriderpetaluma.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Twin Oaks Roadhouse, Penngrove: A thick slab of juicy fried chicken gets the Nashville hot treatment with a brioche bun, bread and butter pickles, lettuce and mayo. 5745 Old Redwood Highway, Penngrove, hopmonk.com. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
Jam's Joy Bungalow, Cotati and Sebastopol: Chef Jamilah's Charlie Hustle chicken sandwich is legendary. Every Monday, this coconut milk-brined chicken gets a crispy fried coating and is dressed with Tamara pickles, sweet honey sauce, cabbage and sriracha on a toasted brioche bun. 101 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati; 150 Weeks Way, Sebastopol, jamsjoybungalow.com. (Courtesy of Jam's Joy Bungalow)
Sweet T's Restaurant + Bar, Windsor: Sonoma County's Blue Ribbon Best. Southern Fried Chicken with garlic smashed potatoes, slaw, braised greens and a biscuit. 9098 Brooks Road S., Windsor, 707-687-5185, sweettssouthern.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Rosso, Santa Rosa: Best craveable classic. I’ve loved this fried chicken for years. Made with arborio rice flour and topped with a caramelized pancetta glaze, it’s crispy and sweet and just about perfect with creamy mashed potatoes. 53 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, rossopizzeria.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Dave's Hot Chicken, Santa Rosa: It may be a chain, but that doesn't mean this mild to Oh My Lord spicy chicken isn't awesome. Get a mix of sliders and tenders with coleslaw, fries and sauce. You won't regret it. 2240 Mendocino Ave., Suite C-1, Santa Rosa, 707-582-2200, daveshotchicken.com. (Dave's Hot Chicken)
Beer Baron, Santa Rosa: The Heatstroke Club isn't quite as frightening as it sounds. Made with spicy buttermilk fried chicken with bacon, lettuce tomato, pepper jack and a slather of Tabasco aioli, it's not for the timid, admittedly, but still well within the bounds of safety. 614 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-757-9294, beerbaronbar.com/santa-rosa. (Courtesy of Beer Baron)
Zoftig, Santa Rosa: Philly sandwich with fried chicken breast, provolone, oven-roasted tomatoes and broccoli rabe. 57 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-521-9554, zoftigeatery.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Tips Roadside, Kenwood: Fried chicken with mashed Yukons, peas and carrots. 8445 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, tipsroadside.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Lou’s Luncheonette, Sonoma: Lou’s Luncheonette (previously Boxcar Fried Chicken) is all about classic fried chicken. Try their spicy Nashville fried chicken, chicken and waffles or country fried chicken with cornbread and collards. 2698 Fremont Drive, Sonoma, lousluncheonette.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Folktable, Sonoma: Fried chicken with ranch dressing at Cornerstone Gardens. 23584 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, folktable.com. (Courtesy of Folktable)
Lunch Box, Sebastopol: Lunch Box serves up a variety of great sandwiches in Sebastopol, including a fried chicken. 128 N. Main St., Sebastopol, lunchboxsonomacounty.com. (Courtesy of Lunch Box)
Blue Ridge Kitchen, Sebastopol: Top-notch fried chicken and waffles at the Barlow in Sebastopol. 6770 McKinley St., Suite 150, Sebastopol, brkitchen.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Khom Loi, Sebastopol: Gai Tod (lemongrass fried chicken) with makrut leaf . 7385 Healdsburg Ave., Suite 101, Sebastopol, khomloisebastopol.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Second Staff, various locations: This pop-up focuses on Asian-inspired fried chicken, including their Korean Goddess, coated in a tangy gochujang sauce; the Sichuan Warrior, with a numbing, garlicky chile crisp; and the Asakusa Kid, coated in citrusy sansho, shiso and nori. Details at second-staff.com and @_secondstaff. Order ahead at second-staff.com/popup-snax. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
It’s hard to hate fried chicken. Whether you grew up loving a big old bucket of KFC or sunk your teeth into granny’s Southern fried chicken, it’s a sense memory most of us share. Brined in buttermilk, dredged in flour and given a nice hot oil bath, there’s nothing quite like it. Click through the above gallery for some of our favorite summer fried chicken spots — many with takeout or dine-in available. Spread a blanket and hit the park for a perfect afternoon.
Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford needs to be on this list