In this, the Year Of Fried Chicken, attention must be paid to such things. Consequently, a fast lunchtime run to Southern, the new hot chicken spot next door to Pappy's, seemed a must. This is a first look, and not a comprehensive one. We didn't try the sandwiches, or the desserts, which are brought in - nothing wrong with that - from places with excellent credentials like Sugaree.

Strong encouragement to start out with the deviled eggs, which include pimiento cheese and a thin slice of pepper on top, quite addictive.

But the buzz is all about the birds, and that's what we ate. The degrees of heat are a little confusing. "Original" apparently has a dab of heat to it. From there they progress to mild, "cluckin' hot" and General Tso's. The same batter is used for all the chicken, which has been marinated before being dipped in the seasoned mixture. The mild, hot and Tso's then get a post-fryer bath of the appropriate sauce. For the mild and hot, it's a seasoned oil; I didn't see the Tso's but hear that it's soy-sauce-ish. Each serving is presented on a slice of bread, which soaks up excess sauce.

Interestingly, the seasoned oils don't leave the pieces of chicken remarkably greasy. It's the crust that grabs one's attention, extremely crunchy, and staying that way for at least several hours. Both the white meat and the dark are carefully cooked, no dry breast meat, no pink-in-the-middle thighs. The mild, which is, remember, one notch hotter than the original, is moderately spicy, enough to get the mouth tingling fairly quickly. The cluckin hot, moves faster on the palate and stays longer, but seems to be more of the chosen pepper, rather than adding another variety to layer the heat. Both very good, but the one unusual thing is apparent fairly quickly: There's sugar in the crust. It's definitely a little sweet. There's some argument in gastronomic circles that sugar neutralizes spice heat, but who knows if that's why they chose to put it there? It's certainly another reason this chicken stands out.

The chicken plates come with bread, as mentioned, slices of what have to be housemade pickles that are more or less a half-sour pickle with some pepper in its brining liquid, and two sides. The coleslaw is fresh and crunchy, a vinegar-based dressing that doesn't reek of celery seed. Greens are cooked with lots of bacon, and come already vinegared, and a fair dose of black pepper as well. I like highly seasoned greens; my pal prefers them more au naturel, so it's your call. Macaroni and cheese is a little chewy, and unlike a number of versions I've run into in the past year or so, has a flavor of cheese, not unseasoned, overcooked macaroni. Kudos there. But the vegetable of the day was the winner. Your mileage, of course, may vary, but on this visit it was heirloom tomatoes dressed with a little olive oil. and a drop or two of non-balsamic vinegar, much more granny's version than a restaurant's. (Balsamic has its place, but its sweetness really is superfluous with great summer tomatoes.)

Worthwhile, but be prepared for that batter's sweetness.

Southern

3108 Olive St.

314-531-4668

www.stlsouthern.com

Lunch til 4 p.m. Wed.-Sun.

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: Good

Smoking: No

Entrees: $10-$14