Memories of Mad Trappers ~ R.I.P. Post

TODAY WE REMEMBER: MAD TRAPPERS Food Lodge & Koolies

What is an R.I.P. post? Well, there have been many places that I've had wings at over the years that served good wings. Some are no longer with us, others, lost and gone forever. Here, we remember them.

Mad Trappers back home in Tillsonburg didn't really have a theme. I guess you could say lodge in the veins of a Moose Winooskis or a Montana's; with cabin like log walls with dead animals, hanging canoe and other memorabilia. But the feeling inside was more thrown together atmosphere. At Christmas, the college & university crowd filled Trappers as it was the only real dance club in town. The rest of the time, families, strays and the miscellaneous. And me.

This was the best place in town for chicken wings. They even had 2 wing nights, Tuesday & Thursday! The wings were big, crispy and the suicide had a strong bite. Sure, it was 3rd Degree, but they kicked it up a notch. I remember being there with my family and another family on one of our many trips there for wing night, and a small spectacle took place.

My father had suicide wings, as him and I always ordered. When the waitress asked if they were hot enough, he told them it really wasn't that hot. The waitress, surprised, said she would bring out hotter sauce. She did, and my dad did not react. Stumped again, the waitress got the manager. No one was complaining, but the manager wanted to see if he could 'hurt' this guy who was eating his hottest wings. He brought with him a small bottle, with an eye dropper and gloves. The manager explained that they applied about 2-3 drops per giant pot of sauce (more than 3 litres of sauce) and offered to put this on a couple of wings for my dad. He accepted, and about 3 drops were place on each wing. We all watched and waited for my dad to burst into tears . . . for him to scream in pain . . . but nothing happened. He just ate them. We were shocked. I tried a bit of the sauce, and the tip of my tongue instantly felt like millions of little pins pricking my mouth. My father may not eat as spicy now all of the time, but he is still my inspiration for my quest for the ultimate suicide sauce.

What happened to Mad Trappers? Well, word on the street was that the owner never paid the rent for months, and the land lord shut them down. With no one to run the place, it closed back in 2006. Today, the Trap is still there, advertising cheap corona night on Wednesdays.

So to Mad Trappers, we raise a wing and say thank you for the years of great wings. We salute you!