Nashville hot chicken a five-alarm success

I sat with Pepperfire founder and owner Isaac Beard outside his restaurant as the temperature rose past 33 C, sweat beading, so I could hear beyond the clamber inside. Yep, it was crazy hot, but people still couldn’t get enough. On a busy month, Pepperfire goes through 8,900 pounds of chicken.

Beard is fiercely proud of his hot chicken and the word he kept coming back to in describing his version was “authentic.” He admitted to becoming a bit obsessed by it, for 10 years trying recipes and spices and tasting what others were providing until he arrived at a blend that he believes is the best. [read more]