Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Recipe : Hooters Wings (kinda)

Well, I figured that every once in a while I will post a recipe for wings. This weeks (don't count on one every week, that just sounded good) entry is from my own recipe folder.

Ya see a long while ago a made a good friend of a guy (let's just call him Ernie) that was one of the cooks at a local Hooters in Florida. Ever since the first time I meet 'Ernie' I tried and tried and tried to get him to give me the Hooters wing recipe. Well, I guess peer pressure and nagging made him cave.

I know it's NOT the original Hooters recipe, but if ya do it right it comes pretty close. The only thing missing are the orange shorts.

Ingredients


* vegetable oil, for frying (not extra virgin olive oil)
* 1/2 cup of butter
* 1/2 cup hot sauce ( I use Redd's Hot, "I put that ____ on everything")
* 2 dashes of ground black pepper
* 2 dashes of garlic powder
* 1 cup flour
* 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 20 chicken pieces (you can buy the drumettes)
* blue cheese salad dressing
* celery sticks

Directions


Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F. You want just enough oil to cover the wings entirely

Combine the butter, hot sauce, ground pepper, garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well blended.

Combine the flour, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small bowl. If the wings are frozen, be sure to defrost and dry them. Put the wings into a large bowl and sprinkle the flour mixture over them, coating each wing evenly. Put the wings in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes (this will help the breading to stick to the wings when fried).

Put all the wings into the hot oil and fry them for 10-15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown. Remove the wings from the oil to a paper towel to drain. BUT, don't let them sit to long, because you want to serve the wings hot.

Quickly put the wings into a large bowl (if you have a large plastic container with a lid, that works best for this step). Add the hot sauce to container, place the lid on tightly and swirl the wings around in a circle motion. This will coat the wings nicely.

Serve with blue cheese and celery sticks on the side. And, ENJOY!!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Jimmy's Charhouse

So I know that it's like what January 21st. And I know that Christmas was almost a month ago, wow! Well, if you are part of my family we get together for a Christmas dinner and my mom's birthday in a one shot deal.

And we did just that last weekend.

Jimmy's Charhouse - 1111 Milwaukee Ave - Riverwoods, IL.
847-465-9300



So, when I heard that we were gonna celebrate at Jimmy's I figured that I would eat a nice juicy steak with all the trimmings, or lobster. But, instead I enjoyed some tender calves liver with bacon and onions (that another blog all together).

Jimmy's much like Popeye's isn't a place that you pop into for the wings. And once again they can only be found on the appetizer part of the menu.

However, I saw 'em and I had to order 'em.

The wings weren't the first item on the menu that my eyes saw. As a matter of fact, I was so impressed with what they have on the menu that I didn't even see they had wings. My wife had to point them out to me (thanks honey).

On Jimmy's menu the are called 'Spicy Wings', and I believe that they are on the jumbo side. They are lightly breaded and covered in a hot & spicy sauce. Not grab a napkin every time you touch em' cover but enough to let you know they have a sauce on them.

Like I said (or wrote) they are under the appetizer section, but (drum roll please), they come in two size orders.
1/2 dozen - $ 5.95
1 dozen - $ 8.95
The dozen is a better buy for  your $$$ so I suggest to order them buy the dozen.

The wings came out on a nice white plate around some chopped lettuce (I didn't eat the lettuce). They were crispy with just enough sauce so you had to lick your fingers and served with a side of blue cheese.
With an even amount of flats and drumettes.



The heat level was very comfortable. A few people in my party (names are withheld to protect the innocent) could only eat 1 or 2 then the heat was to much. For me, after 5 there was a little burn on my lips and tongue. But, I like em' hot.

Ta Da, or in other words. The Extras..........

Our waiter was a nice guy named George. He had a good personality and was cracking jokes. Jokes that he laughed at. He came back to the table often to check on us. The bus boys kept refilling my drink (A+ there).

We went there on a Sunday night. So the crowd was kinda on the older side.

The atmosphere is causal with a touch of fine dining. There is a larger room off to the side for a small party. And, the chairs and booths are comfortable. In the bar there are a few TV's for game viewing.

Oh, the bathrooms are clean. The men's room even has ice in the urinals (CLASSY).







HOW DO THEY RATE.......... (scale 1-5)

Wings : 3
Choice of Sauce : 1
Server (George) : 3
Speed of Food : 3
Atmosphere : 3
Restrooms : 5 (ICE!!!!)

Overall Rating : 3

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Hooters

Now, when I hear Hooters I think of two things. 1) Great Wings & 2) The noise an owl makes. (I know what some of you were thinking, shame shame shame)

Hooters - 1110 N. Perimeter Drive - Schaumburg IL.
847-619-4668



I know that Hooters gets a bum rap from a lot of people. They hate the name. The hate the uniforms. They hate clientele. They just hate hate hate. Come on people can't we all just get along!

I personally have been eating at original Hooters in Clearwater Florida since the mid 80's. And I think that my kids first word was 'wing'. Both of them started going to Hooters when they were babies and still to this day we go as a family as often as we can.

Many people judge Hooters just by its name and never even give them a shot. Yes, many many moons ago the Hooter waitress uniform might of seemed kinda short and small, but, if anyone has ever gone to the beach, a pool or a gym there are less clothing being worn at those places(by both sexes) then some say at Hooters.

Hooters was the first place that I ever tasted a buffalo wing. And it was LOVE at first bite! And they are the reason behind why I wanted to start this blog.

My family(wife n kids) and I lived in Florida for almost 18 years and we moved back to where I grew up in Illinois. Hooters in Florida was a weekly destination. Grab some wings and beer, watch the game with my boys or enjoy dinner with the family. I can't even begin to tell you how many business deals and meeting I held there. I even know most of the original 'Hooters Six', most of whom I have hung out with either privately or at parties.

When we moved up north, there wasn't many Hooters to go to. The one that was closest(about 15 minutes away) to my house closed and the next closest one is almost an hour away. Needless to say we don't go as often as before. So, the quest for finding great wings had begun.....

Enough of my mindless jibber jabber.

Hooters has come a long way since the 1983. Back then they had only 4 known sauces(mild, medium, hot & 3 mile island-TMI) and 1 secret sauce(911) that many didn't know was made. It wasn't on any menu, you just had to know.

They now have 9, count 'em 9 sauces to choose from. Mild - Medium - Hot - TMI - 911 - Honey Thai Chili Pepper - Classic BBQ - Chipotle BBQ - Hot Chipotle BBQ.

You can get 'em the classic way(with bones) 6 / $5.19 - 10 / $8.49 - 20 / $15.99 50 / $34.99 or boneless 10 / 7.99 - 20 / $15.49 - 50 / $31.99. They come breaded but if you prefer you can order them with no breading. You can have your wings drenched(double dipped) in sauce, lightly sauced or naked(no sauce) (watch your mind again). You can have them cooked regular(12 minutes) or if ya like 'em crispy 14 minutes.  And even, if you want all drummettes you can do that too($1.00 per 10 wings). Hooters is the Burger King of the wing world - You can have it your way!

We ordered 2 orders of 50 wings. One order we split the sauce, 20 naked and 30 medium. The other 50 wings was all hot. When we go this is how I order them - 'No double dipping and drop 'em for 14 minutes'. Ever waitress sez the same thing, 'Wow, you know are lingo.'

The reason for no double dipping is because like I mentioned before, a great wing can stand on it's own without swimming in sauce.

The wings came to the table served on platters(we did order 50 wings) just the way I ordered them. If you want a side of celery or blue cheese it will cost ya .49 cents more. Not much to say about the presentation, the wings are kinda tossed on the plate piled on top of each other.



The Medium sauce is just like it reads - medium. Not much heat but a great flavor. The Hot sauce isn't to to spicy, it gives a little bite but nothing that can't be enjoyed. And, the Naked wings were just that, no sauce and crispy.

I have eaten both TMI & 911 before. TMI gives you a nice burn to your lips and 911 will numb your lips and have ya reaching for that beer.

Extra, Extra.....

Our waitress was a beautiful young lady named Nova. She was always smiling ear to ear. Very friendly and always kept coming back to check on us. Refilling drinks and taking dirty plates away.

Hooters now has a full bar. Back in the day it just used to be beer & wine. There are many TVs around to watch the game or poker, and if you are nice enough they might even turn on Nickelodeon for the kids.

The noise level is pretty high, with the games on and everyone talking and enjoying the food.

Every time we have gone(including this one) there is always a great mix of customers. Business men, couples, full tables of ladies and families(yes, FAMILIES).

It is always nicely lit and they have tons of windows so during the day the sun shines in.

The tables are either regular with chairs or they have 'high tops' with stools that have no backs. And, the restrooms are clean and smell fresh.

HOW THEY RATE......... (scale 1-5)

Wings : 5
Choice of Sauces : 4
Server : 5
Speed of Food : 4
Atmosphere : 4
Restrooms : 4

Overall Rating : 5.2

Monday, January 9, 2012

Popeye's on Lake Geneva

The other day I was in the mood to drive around and enjoy this wonderful weather we have been blessed with. And in doing so I ended up at our next wing encounter.

Popeye's on Lake Geneva - 811 Wrigley Drive - Lake Geneva WI
(262) 248-4381



Now, for many of you going to Wisconsin for wings would take a few hours or days to drive to but, for us is like 20 minutes up route 12.

When we walked into Popeye's I didn't even know they had wings. They are known for many different yummy foods. But, I made myself a promise and one that I will keep for this blog. If any restaurant that we go to has wings we are gonna order them and of course blog about them.

Popeye's offers a rather large menu of great food. And the only place on the menu where you are going to find the word WING is under the appetizer section.

On their menu they are called 'Spicy Wings', they aren't jumbo nor are they covered in sauce. They are breaded and only come in that one word flavor - spicy.

The wings being appetizers means they only come in one size. An order of wings are 8 / 9.99. I have to be honest here. I think that $1.25 a wing is a bit pricey. But, only time will tell the more we do this.

The wings looked great on the plate and came with carrots, celery and ranch. Like I said before, they are breaded and deep fried. The spices are in the breading, there is no sauce so there is no need for napkins.



The spice is not to over whelming. As a matter of fact, I didn't even taste anything. Spice level low.

The EXTRAS.

Our server was a young man named Jordan. He always came back to our table happy and looking to see if we needed anything. A good person to ask for if you dine there.

Popeye's is a vacation destination. The bar does have TV's, but not like a sports bar. The atmosphere is very relaxing, if I had to give it a name it would be rustic nautical.

The restaurant is clean and has tons of windows to take in all the views and sites of the lake. And, the question the everyone is asking. What about the restrooms??? Clean clean and clean. 

Popeye's being in the hub of Lake Geneva means that there is only street parking with meters only so bring plenty of quarters.




HOW DO THEY RATE........ (scale 1-5)


Wings : 3
Choice of sauce : 1
Server (Jordan) : 5
Speed of food : 4
Atmosphere : 4
Restrooms : 3

Overall Rating : 3.3333 

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Thirsty Whale

Well we did it. We ventured out last night for some wings & beer. Our very first outing. And, our vert first blog post about it. Being new to this the first few posts might be kinda ruff around the edges but I promise that as we do more they will get better.

The Place: The Thirsty Whale - 1700 So Randall Rd, Algonquin Il (847)458-8555



Before we begin I have to confess something. I choose this as our first place because I am kinda partial to the whale. I grew up at the original Thirsty Whale on Grand Ave in River Grove. My uncle was one of the owners and I spent many days as a little kid just hanging out there jumping off the stage and spinning around on the bar stools. It has long since closed and a BP and McDonalds now sits where this most awesome bar once was. But, my childhood memories are still alive and kicking.

Okay, now back to business.

The Thirsty Whale offers 'Jumbo Wings', I think that that term is over used and over exaggerated. For the most part they are your average size wing that you find at most restaurants.

The sauces they have are: Mild - Hot - Fire - Chipotle BBQ - Raspberry Chipolte. You can order 10 wings / $8.99 - 15 wings / $10.99 - 20 wings / 14.99. I have to honest here, I don't know what to say about the prices. In the past when I wanted wings I just got em, never looking at the $$$$ but from now on that is something that I will pay close attention to.

We ordered 20 Hot. They came to the table served on a white oval plate with celery and ranch. You could get blue cheese if you like that kinda thing but I don't so I didn't. The wings come out stacked on each other like a pyramid. First time I ever saw that with wings so they get triple points for presentation.



They were crisp and not drenched in sauce. I believe that a great wing can stand on its own without being soaked and swimming in sauce. We did order 20 wings so I counted there was an even mix of drumetts and wings. As for the taste, at first bite and smell you knew they were Hot but the zing slowly grew in your mouth so they were very easy to enjoy without always chugging your drink after each bite.

Now for the EXTRAS.

Our server was a bubbly spit fire named Celia. She came back to the table regularly and always smiling. Always asking how we were doing and how everything was. Definitely a person to ask for if you go.

The Thirsty Whale is a sports bar so there are flat screen TVs wrapped around the bar and hanging along with floating all over the main dining area. They had bowl games and the Hawks on, so big plus there.

Being a sports bar it wasn't hard to hold a conversation with the people at our table, or talk to Celia.

The crowd was a nice mix also. There were families with young kids, couples on dates, business men, ladies having a night out and like us groups of friends hanging out.

The restaurant is clean and nicely lit. And for those who must know, the restrooms are very clean and smell fresh.






Now for the reason behind this blog. HOW DO THEY RATE........... (our scale is a 1-5 rating system - 1 being the lowest 5 being the highest)

Wings : 4
Choices of sauces : 3
Server (Celia) : 5
Speed of food : 4
Atmosphere : 4
Restrooms : 4

Overall rating : 4

Friday, December 30, 2011

History class 101

I have been asked many times how the buffalo wing came about. Did a 5 star chef invent them or did some little old lady looking to feed her son and a group of his friends.

Well, after some research and getting my fingers messy with sauce here is how it all began.

Back in 1964 in a small family owned establishment in Buffalo New York called the Anchor Bar the Buffalo Wing was invented.

The bars owner Teressa Bellissimo's (leave it up to an good Italian mom) son Dominic and a group of his friends came into the family business late one evening back in '64. The boys were hungry beyond words. So Teressa being the sweet loving Italian mother she is ran into the kitchen to feed her son and friends, she grabbed the first thing she saw. Now, back in the day the chicken wing and some other odd parts were only used for soup.

Teressa grabbed some chicken wings, seasoned them and dropped them into the deep fryer. After letting them cook, she took them out and tossed them into a mixture of butter and hot seasonings. All the boys LOVED them!

Since that one historic evening they remained on the menu at The Anchor Bar.

For many years, the wings were a regional food found only in New York and surrounding areas. But, something that delicious can't be kept a secret forever and by the mid 1980s buffalo wings spread across the country.

We take our hats off to Teressa and her family. Because without them we wouldn't have one of if not the most delicious food of all times. And, now our adventure begins.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Welcome one and all!!

Well, we finally did it. After all the smack talk and arguments about who has the best wings and coldest beer (which for the record I enjoyed ever minute of, that is the wings & beer part). We started our Wing Blog. GO US!!!
Here is what we are planing for this Most Awesome Blog. We promise to go out and eat wings and drink some (alot) beer. That's pretty much the idea. 
Now you are probably asking yourself, how are they gonna pull this off, what are they gonna be doing, how will we know where they are and how the wings & beer was , and how are they gonna rate everything?????? All those and more questions are and will be answered as we begin this Wonderful Wing Journey together.
What I can tell ya is this. We will be trying a ton of restaurants eating the wings and drinking the beer. We will give the name and address of the place, we will tell ya what we ordered, we will take pictures of the plate when we get it (cause remember presentation counts), we will describe the food the waitress the customers the atmosphere the prices, we will take a picture of the plate after and a few more pictures that may or may not be able to be posted and the Most important part WE WILL rate our wingin' (beer) experience. 
We want to thank each and everyone of you for following our blog and we hope to entertain and educate   you all.