Syracuse, N.Y. — As a parent of a child under the age of 12, I eat a lot of chicken tenders. Sometimes, it’s the last tender on the plate when picking up from dinner. Other times, it’s intentional, like when I’m visiting a restaurant for these reviews that makes their own tenders in house.
Our recent visit to Three Lives in Armory Square qualifies in the latter category, but with a dark twist. And by that, I mean dark meat.
Three Lives skips rote breast meat for the more flavorful, juicier thigh, brining it in buttermilk and pickle juice. The five-piece Super Nintendies ($12) get coated in seasoned cornmeal before hitting the restaurant’s dedicated gluten-free deep fryer.
The Nintendies are peppery and crunchy at first bite, as the coating sets the stage for a more flavorful tender than you may have ever eaten. The saltiness of the brine, spice of the coating and more savory dark meat chicken work in sync, while the crunchy exterior adds the type of texture reminding you these weren’t produced en masse and left under a heat lamp. We opted for the Nuka Cola barbecue sauce, which takes its name from the video game Fallout (more on that in a moment), and learned to appreciate the earthy, root beer-like taste.
The names of the dishes — and the establishment — reference the video games that have consumed mainstream popular culture since Atari was founded in 1972. Vintage arcade games like Galaga and Arkanoid line the space, while people sitting at the bar and other tables can rent controllers to play games on one of the high-definition televisions hanging from the walls. As someone born on the edge of Generation X and the Millennial eras, I spent a small fortune in quarters over the years on these games in a way that my 15- and 8-year-old children can’t grasp. If nothing else, this visit allowed my wife and me to introduce both of them to the strategic glory of Ms. Pac-Man and BurgerTime…