Raay-Nor’s Famous Chicken, named after a popular dish that for generations was served up in Baldwin, is now the moniker of a pop-up shop at Maliblue Restaurant, a beachside restaurant at the Town of Hempstead Beach in Lido Beach, through Sept. 2.
The pop-up at Maliblue, which is owned by Butch Yamali, pays homage to the heritage of Raay-Nor’s Log Cabin, which was located on the south side of Sunrise Highway, and opened from the 1940s through 2005.
Its recipes are bringing a bit of nostalgia to those who spent time on the South Shore of Nassau County
“Raay-Nor’s fried chicken has delighted generations of Long Islanders, and my family enjoyed many meals at the original Raay-Nor’s Log Cabin in Baldwin,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said in a news release about the pop-up shop.
Recipes from the restaurant have been featured before at both Maliblue and The Coral House, which is owned by The Dover Group, founded by Yamali. That’s according to the Raay-Nor Facebook page, which has 3,700 followers.
“The restaurant’s closure in 2005 left a tremendous void for fried chicken lovers,” Clavin added. “Thankfully, the Maliblue has made fried chicken connoisseurs very happy by securing the original recipe and sharing Raay-Nor’s fried chicken with the public every summer.”
Earlier this week, Clavin declared Raay-Nor’s fried chicken “the official fried chicken of the Town of Hempstead.”
In addition to the crispy-battered chicken, the restaurant is serving side dishes and more that were once a staple of Raay-Nor’s in Baldwin.
“Raay-Noor’s was part of Long Island’s comfort food identity for over half a century,” Yamali said. “It has been a passion of mine to bring back Raay-Nor’s menu through the pop-up shop at Maliblue.”
Raay-Nor’s original chef was flown in from Texas to train the Maliblue chefs, who now have all of the original recipes for the fried chicken and other popular dishes. Now, fried, boiled and Maryland-style chicken are served alongside sweet and sticky ham steak, airy biscuits, pickle chips and other sides. Also available: Raay-Nor’s homemade pies for dessert.
To promote the pop-up, the Maliblue team has covered its road signs with temporary signage that feature the original Raay-Nor’s logo.
Earlier versions of the pop-up have been a draw, seemingly promptines lines of cars from Maliblue all the way back to the Loop Parkway, officials said.
Adina Genn
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