The WOLF & the FIRKIN ~ Toronto ON

What a night. Exciting, meh, not so much. But the food - oh the food!

It was a busy day with Dude down, and after a late and very unsatisfying lunch, did not feel like having supper. I was left finishing a paper for class, and fortunately my regular Monday night meeting was cancelled. Off to class to talk about codecs and film compression - and done by 9:30, I was starved. Dude was the same.

We were both feeling open and picky about where to eat. And after agreeing that we wouldn't go to a pub, 5 minutes later, we were headed to the Wolf and the Firkin (and for you smart cats out there, yes, the Firkin's are a chain of pubs).

First, the Firkin's are a chain of pubs found mainly in the GTA. They all look the same, serve basically the same food, but they all inhabit different buildings, each having its own unique atmosphere. The food can be hit and miss once and a while, but over all, you can expect a decent meal.

The Wolf and the Firkin was just what we needed. It was a late dinner, so there wasn't a huge crowd. Our waiter was very friendly and quick to serve us. I looked over the specials for the evening, not quite convinced I would get wings (actually I was thinking of getting their Spicy Chicken Sandwich - or basically a Buffalo Chicken sandwich). There were Curry Wings on special, but something else caught my eye. I didn't know if it was just a Monday night special, and I knew it wasn't something I would regularly order, but tonight, the Ribs and Wings just spoke to me. And boy, was I on the money.

NOTE: Normally I would review the joint based on a full order of wings, but the Rib and Wing combo should not taint the review at all.

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: small to medium
HEAT: 4/10 for the suicide
WET NAP FACTOR: 2/10
PRICE: approx $9 (1 pound), $17 (2 pounds) [approx 7-10 wings in a pound]

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: mild/medium/hot/honey garlic/Cajun/suicide/sweet chili style
SIDES: fries and Firkin dip (dill dip)
WETNAP: 1 wetnap given with napkins
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: fried fried fried
WING NIGHT: Curry Wings on Monday for $7.99, there are other specials but I forgot! Sorry!
OTHER: NO FREE REFILLS on COKE :(

Although they weren't big, the wings were tasty. Suicide was not; maybe a medium if that. They were a peppery sauce, which in my opinion is a cop out on making it spicier. I want fire, not pepper. A bigger wing would be appretiated, but the juicy wings and the a nice amount of sauce makes up for it.

The ribs were an unusual choice for me. I usually only get ribs at Ribfest in London when I can sample from the best. But tonight, the whole combo spoke to me. The ribs weren't quite fall off the bone, but near it, and the sauce was a great hickory smokey bbq. The wings and the ribs together: wonderful. With a side of crispy fries and dill dip: magnifique! What a great combo, and for $11, a great price.

Dude got the nacho's with beef and at first sight I was hesitant; I so didn't think they would work. Was I wrong. These were the best nachos I've tasted in a long time. If your getting the nachos here, get the ground beef please. And it comes with guacamole, what should be a restaurant standard for nachos surprisingly isn't, but here it is here.

So over all, it might have been the hunger talking, but the Wolf and the Firkin certainly hit the spot.

The Wolf and the Firkin
43 Elm Street, Toronto
firkinpubs.ca