November 2005

At the Guatemalan fried-chicken chain Pollo Campero (11420 Georgia Ave.; 301-942-6868), the drumsticks, wings, thighs, and breasts are deep-fried a gorgeous saffron color. This, according to Pollo Campero brass, is achieved by dusting them with a seasoned flour flown in from Guatemala every few weeks (Campero employees sign a confidentiality agreement requiring them to keep the more than a dozen ingredients and methods secret) and flash-frying them at high temperatures. Thin-cut frozen fries and Spanish-style rice are fine accompaniments, but the lightly spicy beans, thick with pintos, sausage, and peppers, are the sleeper on the menu--good enough to make you forget about chicken altogether.