She Said: The Chicken Scoop offers nothing but chicken salad and it’s perfect

A new concept, the Chicken Scoop, has opened in The Promenade Scottsdale at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Scottsdale Road that offers chicken salad.

Wait, chicken salad? Yes: 14 gourmet flavors of chicken salad served on a bed of greens, in a sandwich or warmed up in a “toastie” (cheesy hot sandwich.)

I was lucky enough to be invited to not only try out this new restaurant but taste ALL 14 flavors. As a gal who loves chicken salad, I went with an eager and empty stomach.

The décor is modern, clean and inviting as you walk into Chicken Scoop. I would describe it as contemporary with a kick of Southern charm. I felt like I was invited into someone’s kitchen as beautiful cabinets, chalkboards and even hints of green from well-placed plants welcomed me in.

The menu is straight-forward: 14 flavors of chicken salad served three ways.

I was ready to dig-in and start sampling one spoonful at a time. I thought it would be easy to single out a favorite or two, but as I made my way through the samples, I realized coming up with a favorite was going to be a difficult task.

Here are my top choices:

• BBQ (bacon, cheddar and BBQ sauce)
• Spicy Thai (cashews, green onion and spicy thai peanut sauce)
• Chipotle (black beans, corn and smoky chipotle sauce)
• Curry (raisins, almonds and curry seasons)
• Popper (jalapenos, bacon and cream cheese dressing)
• Southwest (jalapenos, cheddar and southwest seasoning)
• Waldorf (grapes, apples and walnuts)

As I made my way through the menu, I chatted with one of the owners, Dana, inquiring where the recipes came from. She informed me that some were old family recipes from the South and some were new creations.

I also learned the chicken is all-natural, never frozen and hormone- and gluten-free, which is a nice added bonus.

I knew after the 14 mouthwatering tastes I needed to get my hands on one of their toasties. The BBQ flavor seemed like a great choice to be transformed into a hot sandwich.

It turned out to be a stellar choice. The warm chicken and BBQ sauce merged together as the cheddar cheese transformed into the perfect stringy consistency finished with smoky hints from the bacon. Each bite was a warm piece of delicious Southern comfort.

Sides include soups, potato salads and slaws to complete your meal.

Last — but definitely not least — each meal comes with a complimentary dessert pudding scoop. The flavor changes seasonally and I got to try the banana pudding. This little piece of heaven was amazing. I know I sound a bit dramatic, but the Chicken Scoop has nailed their pudding!

If you are a fan of chicken salad you are going to LOVE the Chicken Scoop. The original concept, amazing food and inviting environment is why I keep telling friends and family they need to stop in for a visit.

Though this is their first location, I have a great feeling we will be seeing other Chicken Scoops hatching all around the Valley. Lucky us!

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