Fast Food Watch: Can Larry the Bird Tackle the Chicken Parm Sandwich?

There are a great many people from the pages of history who I wish I could personally thank for their contributions to cuisine. The inventor of pasta, the brewer of the very first beer, whoever was far enough off their rocker to make the first deep fried twinkie.

However, in the bastion of all that is delicious but not all that good for you, my greatest thanks go out to the person who decided the already amazing chicken parmesan would be a whole lot better if it was sandwiched between two slices of bread.

This act, though a simple one, was the game changer that birthed one of the world’s most decadent sandwiches: the Chicken Parm.

Sandwich of the Gods

Growing up in an Italian-American family I had my fair share of Italian-American food, but nothing was higher on my list than chicken parmesan.

Picture this: thin, almost flat chicken breast cutlets with a simple breading, topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. It sounds simple enough on paper, but it’s one of those dishes that’s truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Turn it into a sandwich and it’s enough to make a grown man cry tears of joy.

Enter the Bird

As a devout fan of this holy sandwich, when I got word that Larry the Bird – the Sanlitun-based chicken purveyors – were trying their hand at the Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, I could hardly contain myself.

Ordering one as soon as I could – plus waffle fries, because (a) why not? and (b) I miss Chick-fil-a – it arrived at the Beijinger office still warm and looking fabulous.

Worried it was going to be just a fried chicken sandwich that happened to be topped with mozzarella and marinara (a chicken parm that is not), I was pleasantly surprised to see the breading on the chicken was thinner, and upon first bite, crunchy but still much like that which I’d grown up eating.

In a unique twist, Larry the Bird also threw on some pepperoni, which adds a nice tang to the mix.

Although it’s not my grandma’s chicken parm, it’s a pretty damn good option for the capital. Unfortunately, Larry the Bird is only offering it up during December, so if you, like me, are a sucker for chicken parm, then this is a sandwich you won't want to miss.

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Images: Bon Appetit, Meituan, Vincent R. Vinci