Chicken nuggets trickle up to tablecloth establishments

Chicken nuggets trickle up to tablecloth establishments

The more spectacular, called Weeping Rock, sheds unending tears as water percolates down from the headlands through the rock's thick sandstone layers. In spring and late fall, however, these tears become a torrent, as thundershowers send a cascade of water over the rock. The Weeping Rock Trail is an easy walk, just 1/2 mile round trip, and pleasant in fall's 65[deg.] days (summer temperatures reach into the 100s). The trail gets rather wet and slippery at the end; walk carefully and protect your camera from spray.Zion is 43 northeast of St. George; from Interstate 15, take State 9 east 33 miles to the park. Admission is free now through March. The Weeping Rock Trail parking lot is off the main Zion Canyon Road, about 5 miles north of the visitor center (open 9 to 5 daily).Now the company is rolling out a similar item called Chicken Tenders made only from the filet portion of the boneless breast. Preliminary market reports from Maine and Philadelphia are extremely positive.It appears that the industry is not going to be content to limit the breaded finger food segment to chicken. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ruling that will permit chemical binders in meat products has been reported as opening the door to restructured roast beef and meatloaf products and also to battered or breaded and fried products, similar to the chicken nuggets. But it is doubtful whether beef items could find their way into better tablecloth operations unless they are made with filet. Some operator might try foie gras "nuggets," however.The popularity of chicken may also revive the fish finger category, which has long been available in fast feeders, supermarkets and, as gougonettes of sole, in top French restaurants, such as Le Cirque. Surimi nuggets are a likelihood and, following on the heels of McDonald's Shanghai promotion, variations on the chicken theme can be expected to proliferate. Cajun nuggets, Indian nuggets, Italian nuggets with marinara sauce and MExican nuggets with salsa, sour cream and guacamole are all beginning to come into view in my crystal ball."McDonald's educated the consumer starting in July and August of 1983 with its multi-million-dollar investment, and we have now reached what I call a critical mass, with 25 to 30 chains serving some form of boneless chicken finger food and supermarkets coming along as well,c he said. "We have to be more creative about selling dark meat now." He added that the supply can meet the demand.But the most upscale interpretation is at the Casual Quilted Giraffe, Barry and Susan Wine's "grazing" restaurant in New York's AT&T building. The fried chicken nuggets are all dark meat because, Wine said, they have more flavor. They are batter-fried, peppery and sell for $12 a small portion or $22 a large plate with potato salad and a creamy honey-mustard dressing. Wine said they represent about 12% of all the orders in the appetizer or small- plate category. "People rarely order them as a main course," he added. "Usually it's a side for the table."Supermarkets have been selling nuggets frozen, and now Perdue has introduced a line of fresh prepared chicken nuggsts called Perdue Done It Chicken Breast Nuggets. These are all-white-meat flat boneless chicken pieces, batter dipped, breaded and then flash-fried so that all the consumer has to do is heat them briefly in the oven. According to George Murray, marketing director for the line, they are selling extremely well. Recently, the product was reformulated to eliminate sugar and MSG.The park itself is lovely in fall, cool and unhampered by the crowds that clog its main roads in summer. And the falls are an added reason to detour here if you're traveling on nearby Interstate 15 anytime in late fall or early winter.Blackened redfish is one example that comes to mind; pasta salad is another. Designer pizzas sporting atypical toppings, such as zucchini and eggplant, also qualify, even though the category began with a popular budget base and eventually reached the tablecloth market via California.Roy Rogers, Burger King, Wendy's and others have added some form of boneless breaded chicken to their menus. Some chains use a processed preformed chicken product, while others use cuts of chicken meat, mostly the white meat. The impact on the chicken industry has been enormous. According to Bill Roenigk, director of economic research for the National Broiler Council, more than a billion pounds of chicken will be made into nuggets in 1986.

The popularity of chicken may also revive the fish finger category, which has long been available in fast feeders, supermarkets and, as gougonettes of sole, in top French restaurants, such as Le Cirque. Surimi nuggets are a likelihood and, following on the heels of McDonald's Shanghai promotion, variations on the chicken theme can be expected to proliferate. Cajun nuggets, Indian nuggets, Italian nuggets with marinara sauce and MExican nuggets with salsa, sour cream and guacamole are all beginning to come into view in my crystal ball.

Author: Florence Fabricant