Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: On the Wings of Love
I’m not a complicated man. I’ve discussed many of my food weaknesses here on the site. For the most part, they’ve been very specific…a particular dish from a particular restaurant or a traditional recipe made in an exact way. But there is a more generic food item that gets me salivating like Pavlov’s Pup as soon as I hear the words.
Buffalo wings.
Dangle the possibility of deep fried chicken wings tossed in hot sauce (side of blue cheese dressing, please), and I’ll pretty much travel to the ends of the earth. Funny…the one place I don’t travel is the owl-mascotted restaurant chain that’s located less than a mile from my house, because Mrs. TVFF doesn’t look kindly on that establishment. Anywhere else buffalo wings appear is a place I’m going.
So when my Twitter reader started BINGing with a tweet from the local bar McGillin’s Olde Ale House — plenty of atmosphere, good food and great local microbrews — mentioning a special offer of $.25 wings, I knew what I’d be doing that evening. McGillin’s may be the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philly (since 1860), but they’re au courant with a Twitter account. Wings, twitter – you got my number, McGillin’s.
OK, enough e-drool. On to the smörg…
– What does James Bond taste like? Sweat, Bombay Sapphire and Brut. Yes, a Daniel Craig popsicle.
– Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain, out on the town…eating and boozing it up. Just add a camera crew and you’re instantly the producer of the best food reality show in history. In this episode, “yak penis.”
– Gordon Ramsay’s business isn’t doing so hot. Feel sorry for him yet? Don’t. He can still buy and sell you a hundred times over.
– A press release from the folks at Top Chef make official the worst-kept secret in the biz — that the new season will take place in Las Vegas. Also in the release: Tom will be bald, Padma will mumble and fauxhawks will actually be mandatory this year.
– And speaking of Top Chef, this news is a little old, but we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mention Spike Mendelsohn’s bad day.
(Photo: rachel is coconut&lime)
Love wings too. Must be wing season as my local watering hole just put 25 cent wings on special. They were small in size but nice sauce. I liked mine a little more crispy but will tell the waiter next time. BTW the url links to my Best of Bucks Co – Wings Top 5 list for those in eastern PA.
I’d be mad about Top Chef in Vegas…except Top Chef in New York was shot almost exclusively in a lame condo in New York…if they’re gonna do it in a fake place, they might as well go for the gold.
Also a big wing fan… Great to find another! I live in DC and write about local wings at wingipedia.net. Did you know that some folks in Philly are also working on a great local wing blog? Check out bestwingsinphilly.com – they’re new but doing a great job. Thanks for the wing post!
Your wife is actually doing you a great service. Hooter’s wings are awful.
I’m a little late here but I don’t gamble that much this time of year so my computer doesn’t get as much use as it does during football season. As a huge wing fan myself I thought I’d let you in on the fact that most northern Nj bars that serve wings will do so for .25 a piece usually during Monday Night Football, some on Sunday too. Check out Sharkey’s in Clifton, which I’ve found to have the best wings I’ve eaten. As far as Hooter’s goes, I agree with Jon that their wings are awful, and the place just gives off a creepy vibe. There always seems to be several single guys sitting around and leering at the staff – there are places for that called go go bars. And the fact that they promote themselves as a sports bars is bullshit – those stools are way too uncomfortable to sit on for a whole game.