Ducky’s Fried Chicken Takes Over Sundays at Commonwealth
Chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore is behind the in-house pop-up.
The Korean sandwich from Ducky’s Fried Chicken, a Sunday pop-up at Commonwealth Cambridge. / Photo provided by Nicco Muratore
More than a year ago, the kitchen team at Commonwealth started experimenting every Monday night with variations on the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. Now, with more than 60 recipes in his book, chef de cuisine Nicco Muratore is launching a full-on, fried chicken-focused menu at the Cambridge restaurant this weekend.
Ducky’s Fried Chicken takes over at Commonwealth every Sunday for the foreseeable future. Order a la carte sandwiches and sides from the market-area counter, then take it into the dining room, the bar, or the patio (if warm weather ever comes). Fried chicken specials will continue on Mondays, too.
Commonwealth isn’t open on Sundays, but it used to be, for brunch—complete with gigantic, cult-followed sticky buns. Those will return at Ducky’s Fried Chicken, and Commonwealth’s craveable duck fat fries are also on the Ducky’s menu. The third side is a lighter option: to start this spring, it’s a seasonal sugar snap pea salad with sprouted lentils, tahini yogurt, and herbs. All sides are $5, and mains are $8.
The Ducky’s menu centers on a koji-marinated, buttermilk-brined, boneless fried chicken thighs.
“We’ve been fortunate to be using [koji] for a while at Commonwealth to marinate meats. It makes them more tender, and increases the umami factor in a number of dishes,” Muratore says.
The menu features a classic sandwich, with shredded lettuce, green goddess ranch dressing, house hot sauce, and pickles; as well as an Italian version with spicy marinara, salami, mozzarella, and pesto; and a Korean-style version with gochujang barbecue sauce, house kimchi, and pickled radish. All three are also available as a salad, or a grain bowl. There’s a house-made black bean burger as a vegetarian option, too.
If things go well with this new Sunday service, expect to see some past Commonwealth fried chicken specials resurface, Muratore says—on Instagram, and on the menu.
Ducky’s Fried Chicken, Sundays beginning April 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Commonwealth Cambridge, 11 Broad Canal Way, Kendall Square, Cambridge, 617-945-7030, commonwealthcambridge.com, Instagram.
