Best of Cleveland 2016: Crispy Chicken Feet

Put on your best Anthony Bourdain face and order The Plum Cafe and Kitchen’s crispy confit chicken feet ($5). Adventurous eaters at the new Ohio City restaurant have been pecking away at the appetizer for the last few months, giving flight to its popularity. “We decided to put it on the menu thinking it would be a slow-seller, and its something that we’re cooking every day,” says chef and co-owner Brett Sawyer. He ensures a meaty, flavorful bite by curing the feet for 2 to 3 hours in sea salt and seaweed, then confits them overnight in lard at 220 degrees for 12 hours. After deep-frying them the next day, the feet get a toss in lime juice, chilies, pickled green peppercorns and a peri-peri sauce. “The nice part about cooking them for so long at such a low temperature is that the cartilage breaks down,” he says. “You can eat the whole thing.” 4133 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216-938-8711, theplumcafeandkitchen.com