Wilma Jean (CLOSED)

Husband-and-wife empire builders Rob Newton and Kerry Diamond are playing a game of musical chairs down on Smith Street: their Vietnamese joint, Nightingale 9, is moving to the former Seersucker space to make room for this newcomer, a casual spin-off of their Southern-fried hit. Unlike the confounding shuffling, things get simpler when it comes to the menu: fried chicken is king, served as a dinner platter, in a sandwich or on a stick. Comfort-food classics like corn bread, cheddar-cheese grits and tater tots round out the offerings, alongside lighter salads like a raw-collard-and-roasted-peanuts combo. Natural light floods the minimally adorned space, which gets a boost of Deep South hospitality courtesy of communal tables and original Hatch Show Print pieces.