Hot Chicken Sandwich Specialist Delaney Departs Midtown

Videographer-turned-acclaimed-restaurateur Daniel Delaney’s fried chicken spinoff Delaney Chicken is no more. The popular food hall vendor in UrbanSpace Vanderbilt has closed after nearly three years in Midtown — leaving Delaney without a restaurant in New York.

But Delaney tells Eater that it’s not the end of the road for him: “I think the business is great. I’m looking forward to it getting its own space and growing up and moving into its own space. It’s also been really amazing to have been able to incubate it with UrbanSpace.” He declined to specify future plans.

Delaney, who previously worked as a videographer, initially rose in the culinary scene with Texas-style barbecue, known for South Williamsburg beef destination BrisketTown. In 2014, he made the semifinalist list for the James Beard Award rising star chef award.

Photo by Nick Solares

The restaurant closed last March after four years. At the time, Delaney said he’d instead be pursuing a full-service Southern restaurant that served both fried chicken and barbecue. Though he nearly inked deals in Greenpoint, Dumbo, and the East Village, a new Delaney restaurant hasn’t happened yet.

His chicken vendor cooked up batter-dipped fried chicken, and like BrisketTown, it attracted attention despite being a small outpost in a food hall. Many said it made one of the city’s top versions of a hot chicken sandwich. Stay tuned for more.