Part of Arnold’s charm is its democratic system of ordering; whether you’re a county judge or a biker with a ZZ Top–style beard, you don’t get your food until you put in your time on the cafeteria-style line. [Photo]

Nashville is the nation’s epicenter of hot chicken obsession, and closely held recipes for this fiery dish form one of our country’s most secretive culinary subcultures. At Hattie B’s, they offer their chicken in six—count ’em, six—descriptive levels of spiciness, from low-wattage Southern and Mild to dare-us-to-try-you Damn Hot and Shut the Cluck Up. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Many a famed musician’s tour bus has pulled over for a dose of Southern comfort (and we suspect, Southern Comfort); legend has it the Loveless was where the late, great George Jones came to sober up after a particularly long bender. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Among the many legacies Edna Lewis, a legend of Southern cooking, left Scott Peacock was her fried chicken recipe, which Peacock was able to share with a generation of diners as the longtime chef and co-owner of Atlanta’s Watershed restaurant. [Photo: Evan Sung]

I’m a sucker for gravy, and Chef Mike Moore at Seven Sows Bourbon & Larder in Asheville, North Carolina, makes a great, soulful one from often-neglected parts of the chicken, inspired by gravy he grew up on courtesy of his grandma Carlie, a farmer’s wife from Wilson, North Carolina. [Photo: Evan Sung]

I love nothing more than a simple, delicious, down-to-earth meal, and virtually all of Tyler Florence’s food fits the bill . . . especially his fried chicken, which will always have a place at the top of my list. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Hard to believe that some of the best, most authentic Southern fried chicken can be found smack in the middle of Harlem, but it’s true. Day in and day out, Charles Gabriel makes the Southern food of his childhood for a crowd of neighbor¬hood regulars and an ever-growing legion of fans from the far reaches of Manhattan and beyond. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Jacques Leonardi has been serving plates of crispy bird made with a recipe handed down by NOLA’s now-deceased patron chef-saint of fried chicken, Austin Leslie. Leslie plied his trade for decades, owning several restaurants in town and even becoming the inspiration for a short-lived 1987 TV series, Frank’s Place. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Only in New Orelans would you find an award-winning jazz musician with his own club, complete with a secret-weapon cook who fries up some of the best-tasting chicken in town. Then again, only in New Orleans would you find Kermit Ruffins. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Elizabeth’s chicken combines elements of her mother’s classic recipe, but the seasoning is all her own; make sure to sprinkle it on while the bird is still hot so it adheres well and really permeates the chicken. [Photo: Evan Sung]

He may be known as one of the world’s most celebrated chefs, but these days my friend Thomas Keller is equally beloved for the fried chicken he serves at Ad Hoc, his bistro in Yountville, California. The herb-lemon brine helps keep the meat moist, and a double dip in seasoned flour between a buttermilk bath creates a feathery, crispy crust. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Among the many legacies Edna Lewis, a legend of Southern cooking, left Scott Peacock was her fried chicken recipe, which Peacock was able to share with a generation of diners as the longtime chef and co-owner of Atlanta’s Watershed restaurant. [Photo: Evan Sung]

One taste of his chicken and lemony Swiss chard salad, and you’ll see why Oprah kept him all to herself—as her personal chef—for all those years. [Photo: Evan Sung]

Andrew is so devoted to fried chicken that he now hosts the Chicken Coupe fried chicken event at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. [Photo: Evan Sung]

The combination of eggs and self-rising flour promises extra-airy, crispy results that will be the star of your next dinner party or picnic.