We would like to inform our readers that people in the Middle East eat things other than roast chicken. We feel that this is necessary because the same two restaurants won in both of those categories, which we don’t think has ever happened before. The chicken at Poulet du Jour is, of course, worthy of the win, juicy inside with a crisp herb-rubbed skin that has just the right amount of giving when you bite into it. It’s fall off the bone tender, and fantastic with or without their lethal creamy garlic sauce. Share a whole bird or order a half, or even a chicken sandwich, and enjoy the rice pilaf and salad that come with it, but spare a thought for the delicious falafel, regular or spicy hummus, and the delicious fried cauliflower. This is simple but perfect Mediterranean cooking, the flavors of one sunny land flourishing in another.  Â
Poulet De Jour
233 N. Pacific Coast Hwy., Hermosa Beach
(310) 376-6620
pouletdujour.com
Runner-up: Chicken Maison
2709 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach
(310) 725-0035
3901 Pacific Coast Hwy., Torrance
(310) 465-1050
50-B Peninsula Center, Rolling Hills Estates
(310) 541-8080
chickenmaison.com
