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!!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
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
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
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.
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
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