Since his days as a kid housing full packs of double-stuffed Oreos and torching his tongue with bootleg Chinese Warheads, Chef Josh Kulp has always been chasing big flavors. It makes sense, then, that the moment he and his business partners first dipped their fried chicken in honey butter felt like a huge eureka -- salty, crunchy, sweet, and creamy all at once. That unlikely pairing grew into Honey Butter Fried Chicken, the Avondale restaurant he co-founded with Christine Cikowski that became one of our go-to spots.
Josh joins us in the studio to share his side of the genesis and to reflect on his journey -- from underground supper clubs to his newest project, Honey Butter Beach Club, a seafood-forward spinoff opening inside SPF Chicago, the city’s massive indoor pickleball facility. We dig into Josh’s philosophy as both chef and owner, hear what it takes to run an ethical business, reminisce about how we all first crossed paths -- and as always, so much more.