SOUTH'S BEST Fried Chicken, THE

Manager Todd Geising, who followed his dream of becoming a Thoroughbred exercise rider to Kentucky, started working at the restaurant just a year and a half ago. The menu features 35 items, including the popular half-pound, handmade hamburgers and the fried chicken. "I put love in every plate of food I make," Todd says. "That's really the key to my fried chicken." 197 Main Street, Versailles, Kentucky; (859) 879-3344. Three-piece chicken dinner: $10.95.

Fiorella's Restaurant, New Orleans

When people tell you New Orleans is not known for fried chicken, consider this: The famous Popeyes Chicken & Biscuit chain started in the Big Easy. Besides, any city with this many soul food restaurants has to have some fried chicken on the menu.

I ate enough in New Orleans to make my belly ache, and still it was a toss-up as to who had the best chicken. But I'm going to go with Fiorella's for one simple reason: personality. This crispy bird has a kick to it. It's not hot enough to make you sweat, but just spicy enough to get your attention. Mashed potatoes with real potato chunks make a perfect pairing.

Just across the street from the city's busy French Market, this local dive has the feel of a little country store. The sloped porch roof looks as if it's about to fall in. Customers linger on a painted concrete bench out front. Screened front doors stand open in welcome, the oversize menu posted on either side. Inside, a long mural of shrimpboats trolling the coastal waters offers great local color.

Though the menu is vast, owner Victor Moran says fried chicken is his best seller. His motto: "Fry it fresh, serve it fresh." Still, he attributes the great taste to a marinade he slyly describes as "special seasonings...and stuff." While locals make up the bulk of the customers, Victor says he has some out-of-towners, including several Hollywood types, who make Fiorella's their last stop so they can savor the flavor before they head home. 45 French Market Place, New Orleans; (504) 528-9566. Four-piece dinner: $8.25.

Seafood & Chicken Box, Center Point, Alabama

It would be easy to overlook this 12-table hole-in-the-wall. It's tucked into an inconspicuous strip mall in Center Point, a small city on the northeast side of Birmingham. Yet, our very own Editor claims the Seafood & Chicken Box as his favorite.

That's not the reason I chose it, of course. I picked it because they serve fresh, hot chicken, cooked to order. That, and their secret seasoning. When the platter of chicken arrives at the table, the crispy brown crust glitters as if covered in diamonds. I try in vain to get the owners, brothers Carl and Paul Gagliano, to reveal their secret. "It's a special herb," says Carl. "Or it could be a special spice," says Paul. "Or it could be both," they say in unison, smiling like Cheshire cats.

It's delicious, and that's all that really matters. Meals start with a bowl of coleslaw or a house salad, followed by homemade hush puppies and crispy fries or a baked potato. The chicken is exceptionally tender and juicy, yet it features some of the crispiest skin I've ever eaten. Carl says the egg wash infused with buttermilk makes the skin so tasty. Brotherly love keeps the business running smoothly; Carl and Paul alternate days so that one of them is always on hand to fry the tasty fowl.