Bless the chef that finds a way to make fried chicken a side. Chef Alex McCoy serves morsels of crispy poultry in a dish borrowed from Ireland known as a “spice bag” at his new burger joint, Lucky Buns.

“It’s a legitimate dish, not something we created, but you just don’t see it outside of Dublin,” McCoy says. The city’s robust bar scene fuels a voracious late night food culture, and spice bags have a young cult following. 

“We tell people to rip the bag open, have fun, get messy,” the chef instructs. His restaurant (2000 18 St. NW) is inspired by food from Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Southeast Asia, and elements from each region are evident in the breakdown of the spice bag above.