LOTW Meme Monday = I Could Be A Drug Addict ...

 

Right? Preach.

#nonwingsunday = Cheeto Cheeseburger

 

#nonwingsunday = Cheeto Cheeseburger

Yes I did do that. No I'm not proud of myself, but I've had so many burgers at home during the COVID times I needed a change. Mayo, hot sauce, processed cheese slice & Cheetos on a grilled burger.

Don't judge me. #chestercheetah wouldn't. pic.twitter.com/WtZy8XYwOx

— LORD of the WINGS (@LordoftheWings) September 28, 2020

FARM REPORT #12 Still No Sauce, But Still More Peppers

 

LOTW Meme Monday = $0.10 Wing Nights? Sure Grandma ...

 

Do remember that? Do you remember wing nights at all?!?!?

#nonwingsunday = Beef Ho-Fun, Manchurian Fried Rice, General Tao Chicken From Fine Taste

 

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#nonwingsunday =Ho Fun with Beef, Manchurian Fried Rice, & General Tao Chicken from Fine Taste Hakka Chinese Wish I could get Chinese take-out like this in Ottawa. Only made better with some Wing's Hot Sauce. #lordofthewingsblog #lordofthewings #hakkafood #chinesefood #manchurianfriedrice #hofun #beefhofun #generaltao #finetaste #finetastewhitby #whitbyeats #whitbyontario

A post shared by LORD of the WINGS (@lotw_wingking) on Sep 20, 2020 at 6:27pm PDT

PC CRISP & CRUNCHY SPICY SOUTHERN-STYLE CHICKEN WINGS - Quarantine Frozen Wing Review

The grocery store had PC wings on sale a few months back, so I grabbed a box that had the words crunchy and spicy and thought that was the way to go.

As it turns out, I already did a review of these wings back in 2008! Things that were immediately noticeable in change was the box art, that they used to be 1kg, and that they now come with a dipping sauce. The price is still in the same target though!

Is this the longest name for a product? "Crips & Crunchy Spicy Southern-Style Chicken Wings". Not having remembered doing a review in 2008, I came at these relatively fresh in perspective. 

The ingredients on the box actually weren't bad. The chicken was seasoned, the coating was in wheat flour but not a crazy amount.  Could be worse?

I opened the plastic bag the wings came in, and they looked pretty big. Sightly frost bit, but that's on me I'm pretty sure.

Also in the box was Garlic Dip ... this is not like the usual dips (ranchy, blue cheese) so maybe this one would be worth while. Into warm water it went to thaw.

I dumped the bag out and there were 21 wings in total. The box guarantees 16, so 21 seemed like a bonus. 

I decided to toss these on the old bbq grill. I used a BBQ mat which I find helps crisp up chicken wings, or in this case, keep them crisp. 

I had the right grill on high and the middle grill on low to cook relatively indirectly. They cooked for about 10-15 minutes on one side till I flipped them over. You can see them getting golden brown and crispy here. You can also see some bacon wrapped jalapenos that I was also cooking. 

I walked away from the wings, and something bad happened. See I had the bacon wrapped jalapenos cooking on the bbq mat as well, and, well, the bacon grease pooled on the mat. Then it over flowed, and drip down into the flames. It caught fire, and woosh! We had a huge rager, which meant charred bacon, and collateral damage - badly charred wings. Woops. The wings were salvageable. The bacon, not as much.

I took the wings off and some were way to black. I still tried scraping them, but those wings were going to be burnt and bitter. Bollox.

Here was the final product: Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos with almost no bacon, and over cooked frozen breaded chicken wings. 

I mean, most were still edible. They were just a lot tougher and hard crunchy rather than lightly crunchy. That's all on me and not PC.

There's a pretty shot of them with some of the lighter ones and the Garlic dip.

The platter of the best jalapenos and wings for my wife and me. Doesn't look to shabby eh?

The size of the wings were not huge, but not tiny either. They were also pretty meaty, but there was also a fairly thick breading.  The coating was very crunchy. The meat wasn't too tender either. Again, my bad on cooking. 

I mean, they weren't pretty looking, that's for sure. Again, that's mostly on me and my grilling negligence. They didn't have much flavour to them - maybe I burnt it off? There was a bit of smoke flavour from me cooking them on the grill, but that's it.  The name says spicy but there was no spice. Even with my mistakes, I wouldn't eat these naked. They are a great vessel for saucing or dipping. 

I was hesitant to try the dip, because PC may make some decent wings, but dips are just not that good. I wish they put in an extra wing instead of the dips.

This dip wasn't that bad. It helped with the plain flavoured wings. I didn't love it either. The texture is kinda weird after thawing. Still, it's creamy and garlicky, it did what it was supposed to do, I guess. I'd rather use my own dips though.

 

Would I buy it again?

Ya probably. Not for the flavour, because it was pretty blah, but because these are a pretty good crispy canvass for sauces and dips. Disappointed in the lack of heat especially, but I can get past it. I do recommend cooking them on the grill, just never leave bacon unattended on the grill. Ever. Ever. Ever.

8.5/14

President's Choice

https://www.presidentschoice.ca/product/pc-crisp-and-crunchy-spicy-southern-style-chicken-wings/20708933_EA

Happy #fryday - Gabriel Wings

 

Happy #fryday y'all!

Stay safe out there. COVID cases are going up. We should all know the drill; mask up, socially distance, & eat your wings from afar!#lordofthewingsblog #lordofthewings pic.twitter.com/xgJC3FokEr

— LORD of the WINGS (@LordoftheWings) September 18, 2020

WINGS & WINGS Scarborough 2014 - LOST REVIEW

-WINGS & WINGS closed/re-branded as WOW WING HOUSE -

It's time for another #tbt & #lostreview !

It was April of 2014. Somehow I had access to a car and I was looking to explore Scarborough a bit more. I had looked up wing places on the Internet, and came across a take-out wing joint called Wings & Wings. Well that sounded good. They didn't have a website but I did find a menu and noticed they had a ton of wing flavours. I was excited to go.

It's sad to say, but Wings & Wings is no more - sometime between 2016 and 2018 it closed down, and then became part of the chain WOW Wing House. I should also mention I have no notes from this trip. I remember going, but I can't remember the details.

Wings & Wings is situated in a strip mall that's about 5 minutes South of the Scarborough Town Centre mall. There's a Dominio's, a hair salon, travel centre, and a whole bunch of other businesses, and then I think apartments above.

The place was empty when I went, which was great for me doing a review. I don't know if I was there early, at lunch, after lunch, but I had the place to myself. It's mostly take-out, but there are a few tables as well as window counter seating. 

The place itself was facinating. It had dark wood accents on everything from the menu boards to the counters. You can see in the above photo the decorative elements under the counters. There was shelves all over (I don't know why), with nic-naks and chicken decorations. It was kinda weird, but it was all good.

Taken from https://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/Ontario/Scarborough/Wings-Wings/5225141.html

I didn't take any photos of the menu, but I did find the menu above from the Yellowpages. There are a over 40 flavours and some of them I had no idea what they were. You can only ask so much to explain the heat differences, or what are Terydactyl flavoured wings?!?!?!

I got two orders of wings, which equaled about 20 wings. I had to get two because like many specialty wing places, they don't let you split the flavours. I don't know why, but I don't like that. Oh Well.

I got the wings for dining in, and they came in wicker baskets with classic food paper. They didn't come with any sides, but I did get wetnaps and napkins. There was also a bone bucket on the table so that was pretty cool.

The wings were in the smaller end of the spectrum. Maybe in the medium range? They were also not big meaty wings. 

They were crispy (they came out fresh from the fryers), and boy were they saucy. There was not a wing that wasn't wet and with extra sauce for dipping. That's the way I like it!

One order of wings I am not quite sure what flavour I got. Probably Hot, just to see what there's was. But maybe I went with New Yorker (I'm guessing a more Buffalo-like flavour) or Devil? Maybe Double Face? I'm not too sure.

Either way it was crispy and very saucy, so I imagine they were pretty good. They look good don't they?

The other flavour I got MUST have been Spicy Dill. First, I love that flavour combo of hot sauce and dill sauce. Second, it's the only one the menu I can see that has a red sauce base with a cream sauce cover. So Spicy Dill. Just call me Sherlock.

Again, I can't remember the flavour, but look at how well sauced they are? I'm drooling here just thinking about them!

I'm pretty sure I enjoyed these wings, but alas, never had them again. I didn't go to Scarborough often, so if I did again, I wanted to try somewhere new. I'm curious how much things have changed since they became WOW ...

Wings & Wings (Now Closed)
1187 Brimley Road, Toronto ON (Scarborough)

no website

Canadian Spicy Chicken Sandwich War Heats Up

 

So the other day I went out and tried the much hyped Popeye's Spicy Chicken Sandwich which finally released in Canada on Monday after waiting a year:

The sandwich was pretty good, but not life changing. Check out my full review. But this heavily marketed sandwich was just the first shot in what I call, The Canadian Spicy Chicken Sandwich Wars.

Not to be outdone by Popeye's, most of the major franchises out here have introduced their own versions, some with specials. Now unfortunately due to my circumstances I won't be trying all these (I'm actually sad about this) but you can go out and try for yourself.

KFC

The KFC Famous Chicken Chicken Sandwich. Is this one famous? I have not had this one, but it seems to be fighting right along with Popeyes. 

"Triple breaded, buttermilk marinated chicken fillet, drizzled with buttery garlic oil, 3 sweet pickles, double spicy mayo on a potato bun."

So they've gone with a chicken mixed in with garlic oil, and a potato bun. There's spicy mayo there too. It looks good to me. And TODAY ONLY - WEDNESDAY SEPT 16th 2020 you can get it for $2!!!

KFC Famous Chicken Chicken Sandwich

MARY BROWN's

Mary Brown's has been doing a big chicken sandwich for years called the Big Mary. Earlier this summer she rolled out the Spicy Big Mary, and even more recently the Buffalo Mary:

Spicy Big Mary:

"The new Spicy Big Mary sandwich features a Signature Big Mary whole breast fillet amped-up with a cayenne kick, cool crunchy pickles and spicy mayo on a sesame seed bun."

Buffalo Mary: 

"It’s our Signature Big Mary® whole breast fillet, slathered in spicy Buffalo sauce, paired with blue cheese or ranch dressing and topped with crunchy lettuce! Serve it on a brioche bun and it’s a handful of awesome!" 

Now every Monday the Big Mary is on sale for $3.99 - that's when I tried it and it was really good.

Not only that, you can get a free Big Mary if you download their App!

Mary Brown's Big Mary Options

McDonald's

This is almost in a different category. McD's has brought back their Spicy McChicken Challenge

Last year McDonald's introduced a vamped up McChicken sandwich; they slowly raised the heat starting with the Spicy Jalapeno, the the Spicier Habanero, and finished off with the Spiciest Ghost Pepper McChicken. I only did the Ghost Pepper McChicken, but it was actually spicy!

This year McD's dropped the Jalapeno and introduced the Scotch Bonnet McChicken available from September 1st-28th:

"If you love our spicy Habanero sandwich but want to kick things up a notch, this spicier McChicken® is for you! Topped with our creamy Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce. Perfectly breaded seasoned chicken and crisp shredded lettuce – all on a freshly toasted sesame bun."

Compared to the other chains, this sandwich brings the heat. But the chicken is not a breast fillet, but formed patty product. I like a good McChicken, but the sandwich is just not on the same level.

Spicy McChicken Challenge

WENDY's

Wendy's has had a Spicy Chicken sandwich for a while:

Last year they even had a Bacon Jalapeno Chicken Sandwich which I really enjoyed (especially with their Bacon Jalapeno topped fries). But just to be different during the CSCS War, they went with a BBQ & Bacon Chicken Sandwich:

"Sure, pickles are great but why does a chicken sandwich have to stop there? The BBQ & Bacon Chicken sandwich adds crispy onion tanglers, cheddar cheese and melty cheese sauce plus three strips of our signature Applewood smoked bacon. Oh and also pickles."

I mean it sounds good, I'd get it, and I understand trying to pivot the spicy chicken sandwich battle with something different, but this was the time to bring back the Bacon Jalapeno chicken sandwich in my opinion.

Wendy's BBQ & Bacon Chicken Sandwich

A&W

A&W is coming a little late to the game with a new Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich: 

"5 oz of crispy, crunchy chicken, sweet pickles and nashville-style aioli, all on a brioche bun. Only available at Toronto locations for a limited time."

I've not had this one, but it sounds good. The problem is that it's only available in Toronto right now. I hope that's just a test market for now and will expand. But I don't know.

A&W Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

So, what sandwiches have you had? What do you want to try? #lotwwants2know

FARM REPORT #11 - The End is Near?

 

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FARM REPORT #11 Despite a very cold morning & not enough water, we continue to have pepper growth, but for how long? More red but why won't more of the srircha's change?! Will probably begin the hot sauce process this week! #lotwfarmreport #lordofthewingsblog #lordofthewings #srirachapeppers #cayennepeppers #futurehotsauce #lordofthewingshotsauce

A post shared by LORD of the WINGS (@lotw_wingking) on Sep 15, 2020 at 6:23pm PDT

It rained earlier in the week so I didn't water them at all, but this morning they were quite droopy. I added some Miracle-Gro and watered them and in a short time the leaves were all back perky and healthy.
Today was quite chilly this morning (there was even a frost warning at one point last night) so I'm not sure how much longer I will keep the plants outside. I don't see much in the way of new peppers right now, but that might have been due to the lack of watering.
More peppers turned red, but there are still lots of green sriracha still hanging out. Turn red dammit! But even overnight a bunch turned and more will be ready for harvest tomorrow.
I think I need to start the hot sauce making process this week. The pre-harvested peppers won't stay great for long and my personal life is about to get a lot more busy! 

POPEYE's CHICKEN SANDWICH: Now in CANADA!

 

Popeye's Chicken Sandwich.

The sandwich that drove the US bonkers. SO MUCH HYPE. It was crazy. For us here in Canada, we could only wonder what was so great about this sandwich. Popeye's in Canada has had a variety of chicken sandwiches already. So what made this one so special? And why did it take so long to get here? Well one reason was that they were trying to find all-Canadian sources for the products; great for patriotism, but also necessary due to US inflicted trade-wars and now supply issues from the US due to COVID.

I had forgotten about the sandwich for so long until my social media started blipping about Monday's release date. Even on Monday morning I wasn't planning on trying it on release day, but after going on a grocery run I passed a Popeye's, and there was no line-up. So I decided to check it out.

Advertising for the sandwich was all over the place, so clearly they were pushing the product. I was a little surprised by the price; $5.99 for just the sandwich. More (I'm not sure how much more) for a combo. I just wanted the sandwich. 

This location looks like they've been pretty on top of things for COVID protocols. Plexi-glass shields for the workers, with tables pushed in front to further distancing. Seating and washrooms are forbidden. They might only be doing wireless payments as I don't know how you would physically give them money. And of course sanitizer. Now the place was full of teens who were not COVID smart. Oh the group I saw had masks, except when they pulled them down to talk to each other, or when they bare-fist bumped each other. No wonder infection numbers are going up!

I had checked the website before coming and noticed that the new chicken sandwich was the only sandwich on the menu. In restaurant confirmed they were gone, as they stated 

"To our valued guests on September 14th we will no longer be selling the Cajun, Deluxe, Creole, shrimp, or fish sandwich.

On September 14th, 2020 we will be serving a brand new sandwich

Thanks, Management" 

  

I mean, that's good that they don't have to lose time making all the old sandwiches and just focus on the new. But if you were craving a shrimp or fish sandwich ... ouch.

While I was there though, everyone was ordering the new sandwich. It wasn't crazy line-up busy, but it was busy and there were a ton of UberEats and other delivery orders for the sandwich coming in. One guy did order regular chicken and he was in and out in no time.

I got my order, number 78, and they were still calling 69, 70 when I got in. They also told me it could be at least 10 minutes before my order was ready. While I waited around avoiding others waiting around, I noticed my receipt: they didn't have a code yet in the till for the sandwich price so they were just charging a large Cajun fry!

I waited and waited, and then things got fishy. They called out "Number 80, 2 chicken sandwiche". Wait, why did they get theirs first? Then in rapid succession "Number 79 Chicken sandwich" "Number 81 Chicken Sandwich" "Number 82 chicken sandwich". What the hell? And I couldn't get up to the counter because of social distancing. Finally I stopped a dude putting together a delivery order and there was my sandwich waiting to go, my number not being called. They were busy and it was an accident so I wasn't going to make a stink, but that sucked.

I just got the sandwich, which came in a little paper-foil heat bag. Cute.

The bag made the sandwich look small in there, but it was actually a hefty size.

It was hard to get out because the bun was extra buttery and slippery. The sandwich was inside a paper holder in the foil lined bag, but I was afraid it was soaked from the butter. It looked and smelled good and I didn't want to waste too much time with photos.

So you have your soft, buttery, brioche bun. It was good. Lightly toasted, soft, buttery. Good bun.

Then the chicken itself. "A tender all-white meat chicken breast fillet, marinated in an authentic blend of Louisiana seasonings, hand breaded in our all new buttermilk coating." For me I found that it was a substantially thick chicken fillet, thicker than most other fast food chicken sandwiches (with the exception of the Big Mary). It was super moist and juicy chicken. The breading was light and crispy when I bit off just a solo piece of the chicken, but that crispiness was too delicate in a sandwich bite. I didn't really taste any seasonings. It was plain chicken, but a juicy, flavorful chicken.

Below the chicken itself were the "crisp, barrel-aged pickles" that I could not really identify what kind of pickle flavour it was. It was light and very watery. Not sour like dill, not sweet light a bread-and-butter pickle. Just watery. It was needed for this sandwich equation to work with its crunch and slight tang, but I wasn't impressed with the flavour of this pickle overall. Finally one has the choice of Regular or Spicy which refers to the mayo they use; Plain or Spicy Mayo. I obviously went with Spicy, which tasted good on the sandwich but was far from heat spicy. They were also very skimpy on the mayo but I feel like that will depend on location and who is making it.

So was it worth all the hype? Is it life changing? Is it worth standing in line for or even getting shot? No. 

But it is a really tasty sandwich. It's good. It was made fresh, the bun was perfect, the chicken was thick and moist. But I didn't think it was amazing. I'd like a more highly seasoned/spiced chicken, better pickles, and a spicy mayo that is actually spicy. It's for sure worth trying, but don't waste your time waiting in a long line.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

1475 Richmond Road, Ottawa ON

popeyeschicken.ca   & thesandwich.ca