Two Takeouts Try to Fly the Fast-Food Coop

A letter arrived recently from the owner of the Chicken Factory and More, bemoaning the fact that many people have “negative connotations” toward takeout meals--i.e., “that they’re of mediocre quality.” The Chicken Factory, the writer said, didn’t consider itself to be “fast food” purveyors since it prepares each order fresh, “taking approximately 15-20 minutes” to do so.

Now I’ve never thought that “fast food” simply meant the time it took to get out the door. It seems to me that “fast food” implies a state of mind, frequently not far from a “junk food” mentality, a kind of purple polyester/lime-green leisure suit, if you want a sartorial equivalent. So I was curious to check out two establishments--the aforementioned Chicken Factory and the Turkey Basket--which skirt the line between fast and “slower” food.

Although the Chicken Factory does have “broasted” fish and “broasted” shrimp and baby back barbecue pork ribs, the “broasted” chicken is their central and--to my mind--best offering. “Broasted” means cooked in 100% vegetable oil in a pressure cooker, not a fryer. It seems there is this magic Rube Goldbergesque moment when a buzzer goes off and the oil is “sucked out,” as one employee puts it. Result? A fried-chicken equivalent (light batter, beautifully browned) with less fat.

The chicken is fresher and lighter than other fast food chickens, and certainly there’s worlds less salt. (The American Heart Assn. recommends two-piece servings of these broasted birds.) Stripped of the skin, it makes a fine chicken salad the next day.

Barbecued chicken wings are pungent, pork ribs (in the same sauce) had barely any taste. The fish and shrimp are so colorless, they’re simply an excuse to have tartar sauce on crunch. The homemade chicken soup is forgettable while clam chowder “flown in from Boston” is creamy, peppery and thick. A couple of things which were very hot and delectable in the store--bracelet-thick onion rings dipped in cornmeal batter and tender zucchini strips--couldn’t be brought back to life in the oven at home. (The Chicken Factory has the strongest boxes I’ve encountered in any takeout place--industrial quality. The chicken stayed warm for 45 minutes.)

Broasted potatoes, a cross between baked potatoes and French fries, lack the best qualities of either type. Desserts, when I was there, were limited to cheesecake and brownies from the Beverly Hills Cheesecake Factory, wrapped in sad little individual slices and spinning around on one of those deli carrousels. I was told they’d been delivered four days before.

The Turkey Basket is conceptually like the Garlic Festival--anything that can be done with the foodstuff is done: turkey burgers, turkey pitas, turkey chili, turkey corn dog, turkey soup. There are also all the fixings you’d expect at Thanksgiving: soup, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce.

The very best item you can purchase--and it’s well worth the price and the trip--is the whole roast turkey. The 15-pound gobbler is $24.95; its big brother, 21 pounds, is $32.95. The turkeys don’t have any preservatives or salt. They are juicy, succulent, moist and golden brown--really good. (You can also order platters of white and dark meat. Call 24 hours ahead for the whole roast turkeys or the special platters.)

The French-fried yams, long, skinny, saffron-colored fingers, are skin-on sweet, a great idea. The whole yams--big red globes--are as soft and sweet as pie. Yam potato chips, a glorious color and crinkle cut, tasted of rancid oil both times we tried them. On the other hand, the turkey Waldorf salad was particularly fresh, with lots of crunchy apples, walnuts and plenty of meat. (In fact, all the dishes contain hefty amounts of the house protein.)

Unfortunately, all else--from Oriental turkey salad to teriyaki turkey bowl to those turkey corn dogs--has that “fast food” taste--no sensitive seasoning, too much sweetening, too much salt. Portions are generous, service is friendly, and if you happen to frequent fast-food establishments, you might enjoy lots of these things.

As for me, I’m like the Pointer Sisters, who want a lover with a slow hand. In all rooms of the house.

Chicken Factory and More, 4903 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, (213) 542-1578; 901 Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach, (213) 372-7442. Open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m. No credit cards.

T urkey Basket, 10814 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, (213) 836-2911. Open daily 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. (till 10 Saturday and Sunday). MasterCard and Visa.