LORD of the WINGS (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the suicide): April 2021

Thursday, 29 April 2021

GRAB n' EAT by H&B - Ottawa ON

This is a #2020catchup & #tbt post!

It was last October, and at work I have 30 minutes for lunch. I usually bring a lunch, but on this day I was going to try and support a local joint during the pandemic. I had recently seen a new place pop up in a spot I've seen a dozen restaurant/pizza places in before, and when I checked the menu, they had wings! Grab 'n Eat it was going to be.

I tried to order online but it didn't seem to work, so I gave a call before my lunch break was on. The dude on the phone was super friendly and answered all my questions about wings, and the fries I also got. The place is like not even 5 minutes a drive, so I was there in no time.

Grab n' Eat is in a building that has a Middle Eastern grocery store, another South Asian/Middle Eastern grocery store, and some apartments over top. It sits on top of a hill on Carling ave and is not easy to get to if you are coming west bound. The parking is limited, but I was able to get a spot and waited a few minutes due to social distancing.

I went in and the second thing I noticed was the place (like most right now) was all cleared of seating and social distancing measures were in full place. Staff wore masks, people were respectful. It was good. The first thing I noticed was that this wasn't the burger/wing/pizza place I thought it was; it was also a little Filipino food oasis.

I didn't know it was Filipino at first (I don't know Filipino cuisine at all), but I did see a hot buffet full of fresh made food. Meats, veggies, pastries, desserts, it all smelled so good! Everyone that came in were ordering from the tray where an "Lola" grandmother was dishing up. When the dude from the phone was processing my pick-up order, I asked what the food was and he told me. There was nothing on their menu about this food!*

*note - their website now reflects this, but it didn't back in October

The dude from the phone was super friendly and I could see him and others working hard and rushing around to fill orders. My total wait time from my call to picking it up was about 15 minutes. My food was bagged up and off to my car I went to eat.

I pulled out a bunch of good quality napkins, then the next thing was the Flavoured Fries I ordered. I was impressed because they punched holes in the top to let steam escape and stop the fries from getting soggy.

Here was my lunch in all it's glory. Buffalo wings and Flavoured Fries.

What are flavoured fries? Well they take french fries and toss them in different seasonings. They have Cheese, BBQ, Sweet Corn and Sour Cream and Onion. When on the phone, I had asked the Grab n' Eat dude what he recommended. He said they were all good, but for my first time try the Sour Cream and Onion.

I got the Medium ($5) but there is no small, but this was more than enough for one person. It was a ton of fries. They were crispy but a bit soft, and while they were probably from frozen, were cooked nicely. They were super coated in the Sour Cream and Onion seasoning. I could smell them in the bag well before I opened my whole order. The seasoning was just like chip or popcorn seasoning - creamy, slightly oniony. They were really good! That boded well for the wings.

The wings come in numbered bunches: 6, 12, 24, or 48. The wings don't come with any sides or dips, but the sauce came on the side. I went with 10 wings and I got 10 wings.

The wings hovered between a medium and a large. They weren't long, but the apex of the wing was quite tall. The wings were fairly meaty for their size. They were deep fried and were super crispy. That perfect level of frying when the skin is brittle and cracks when you bite into it. Awesome.

The chicken was tender enough and pulled apart without struggle. The wings were most likely from frozen but it didn't taste that way.

They have two sauces at Grab n' Eat, BBQ and Buffalo. I went with Buffalo, and when I ordered it on the phone, the dude asked if I wanted it sauced and baked in the oven, or just naked, but he recommended sauce on the side to preserve the crispiness of the wings; that's someone who cares about their wings! When I picked up the wings, he told me he gave me a second sauce in case one wasn't enough!

The two sauces tasted slightly differently, despite being the same I'm sure. One tasted like classic cayenne hot sauce like Frank's, but the other one was slightly sweet. It wasn't Buffalo sauce though, just hot sauce, but it was good. I'm curious what the BBQ is like.

FINAL SCORE:

I really like Grab 'n Eat. The staff were all friendly and it's clear they care about their food and their business. The Sour Cream & Onion Flavoured Fries were crispy, fully flavoured, and plentiful. The wings were a good size and were super crispy. Also, I don't know anything about Filipino food, but theirs looks and smells good. Check them out! 9/14

Grab n' Eat by H&B

2916 Carling Ave, Ottawa ON

grabneatbyhb.ca

Monday, 26 April 2021

LOTW Meme Monday = The Suicide Squad's Peacemaker Boneless Wing

It's the worst because you have it and really you can't do much about it. Bah!

I'm not as excited for The Suicide Squad as I was for Suicide Squad, but I'll give it a chance. Just wish I could see it in theatres.

#nonwingsunday = Grilled Spicy Salmon

I was really hoping this was going to go a different way. We bought this beautiful cut of salmon. I researched ways to cook it, knowing I was not going to be a big fan. See I like fish, but not all fish. I love fish & chips. Breaded, fried, fish with fries. I like a fish sandwich. Breaded, fried sandwich. But the only salmon I have ever really liked was from a tin and slathered in mayo (well as a kid we had Miracle Whip, but that's a story for another day).

So as the description above stated, I rubbed it well in some spices, let it marinate, then grilled it. It looked really good, but if I smelt it on the grill, I would almost gag. I was going to try it damn it, but I didn't have much faith I could eat it all.

It was cooked perfectly, and we had it with some boiled potatoes. My family said it was really good, so I took a bite ... the first moment ... not too bad. Then seconds later the fishy flavour kicked in and god it was awful. I only took a small piece, and I finished it, but yuckers. Boiled potatoes with butter and salt and pepper never tasted so good!

We had leftovers and I tried to have it again, but no deal. A few bites in and I just wanted to vomit. I tried. I really tried.

Hot Wings Grill & Rib House - Toronto 2012

= Hot Wings Grill & Rib House is CLOSED - RIP =

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

Well it's time for another mystery wing review. I had in my old photo archives of lost reviews this review of Hot Wings Grill & Rib House in a folder from 2012. Seems about right, and I posted it was from 2012. Well if it's not the darndest thing, I wanted to know what month the photo was from, so I checked it's properties. Seems the photo was created Nov 8 2012, but it was modified September 25th 2010 !?!?!? What? How is that possible?

I've tried digging Hot Wings Grill up from the internet, and there is almost nothing left of this place. At first I couldn't find the website, or reviews, or menus or anything under the address or the name. My Google-Fu was weak. But after some more digging, I've found their facebook, and some reviews, and even the link to the old website (which no longer works).

Google Streetview from 2012 as it would have been

Here's what I do remember: When I first noticed this place, I was excited (a new wing joint!) but I was kind of put off because they proudly baked their wings, not fried them. I seem to remember them being pricey (but can't find a menu to prove that) and more focused on ribs than wings. So I didn't go right away. Then one night, probably a wing night (I recently found a review that said Tuesdays were $7.95 for wings and fries) I took a street car and went for dinner. Casual place, looked like many other bars in town.

Several of the reviews were not good:

"Jennifer Williams August 11, 2010
Wings were good not great. I ordered suicide and they were medium to hot. Also the place was dirty. Not very appetizing. The place was empty so there was plenty of time to clean.

Michelle Del Rosario October 9, 2011
Never get delivery from this place. First they get the order wrong even if the simpliest order ever and they take over an hour to deliver when the estimated time was 20 minutes.
Mike Dodd March 11, 2014
Easily some of the worst wings and customer service i have had in years. Avoid"

But there were a few praises:

"Sarah Hams July 17, 2011
Been here 5+ times
I fucking love this place"

itzi may 28, 2011 09:10 am
HOT WINGS - GRILL AND RIB HOUSE - They make the most amazing grilled Wings, Even though they are not on the menu , they have the grilled wings most of the time. Be sure to ask the waitress for Grilled - Not Fried as I think they normally serve the win gs fried . I always have the sauce on the side as the flavor of the wings from the marinade and the grilling are spectacular and I find I don't really need the sauce. This restaurant has such a cool casual atmosphere , prices are very reasonable , other menu items ive had are also delicious ie Ribs and Pulled Pork Sandwiches .Just a really nice place to go and have good food and a good time . If you like really hot sauce try their "911" Hot Sauce - at your own risk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!."

I remember the wings being ok, but nothing amazing. The fries were just ok. The wings were sauced well, a decent size, but being baked they were not as crispy as fried wings would be. I went in with lowered expectations and it kinda hit where I thought it would.

It's funny, because after reading part of their bio, one would expect more:

"WELCOME TO HOT WINGS GRILL AND RIB HOUSE
HOT WINGS GRILL AND RIB HOUSE was developed gradually over the last ten years. The two partners have both been involved in the restaurant, bar and quick service food industry for practically their entire working careers.
“With our years of experience in the industry, we developed The HOT WINGS GRILL AND RIB HOUSE concept
To bring to the customers what we felt that they are not getting in the marketplace today. “We have taken from the best, added our expertise to improve on service, value and quality and added our own very special touch.”
OUR MISSION : To create a warm , comfortable environment where everyone can come in , relax , have a wonderful meal or just enjoy a couple of drinks .We offer value with our very reasonably priced menu and will do whatever we can to make your visit at HOT WINGS a great experience. We also have some great TV’s to watch those nail biting sports games.
HOT WINGS GRILL AND RIB HOUSE is not just another “Wing Joint”. Yes we do sell wings, as that is what our customers want. Our wings are not breaded or covered in batter, and we cook them from fresh. We offer a variety of sauces, some the regular classic style, and for the adventurous, we have created a small range of delicious gourmet sauces. We do not simply cover our wings with sauces and spices of the shelf. "

That looks like ranch or dill dip that came with the wings. No veggies. Looks like I got about 8 or so wings, but I could have been wrong.

It's sad when small businesses close, especially wing joints, but something clearly didn't work here. I didn't write the review and I never went back. By 2014 they were closed down.

Did you eat there? Do you remember Hot Wings? #lotwwants2know !!!

Hot Wings Grill & Rib House (closed)
563 Queen Street, Toronto ON
hotwingsbbq.ca

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

WALKERSWOOD Jerk Seasoning HOT & SPICY wings

My folks are snowbirds - every winter they head down to Florida and stay there for a few months. When they come back, they often bring me gifts of items or products that we don't have here. In 2019 they came back bearing gifts and one of the items was Walkerwsood Jerk Seasoning. I love jerk chicken, but had never made it at home. "This would be great on wings!" I thought to myself.

Now that first jar I used on chicken thighs, and it was amazing. Then I discovered we can buy Walkerswood in Canada. I kept making thighs but never wings. Recently it's been 3 of us eating in the house, so when I went to do the thighs, I didn't really think there was enough for all of us and all the marinade, so I used it as an excuse to add some wings.

Walkerswood, which I keep incorrectly calling Walkers, is a Jamaican company that's been going for years:

"WALKERSWOOD CARIBBEAN FOODS BEGAN IN 1978 WITH TWO GUYS SELLING JERK PORK ON THE SIDE OF A ROAD. TODAY WE HAVE MORE THAN 80 EMPLOYEES AND DISTRIBUTION INTO NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, NEW ZEALAND AND THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN."

This is the most common product I see of theirs in grocery stores where it generally retails for almost $5 a jar. They come in Mild and Hot & Spicy, and I only get the Hot & Spicy kind, because, why would you not?

The bottle is 289g and is imported from Jamaica, so I feel like it's authentic, at least, commercially authentic. The best jerk chicken I've had was scratch made from a friend from Trinidad and it was amazing. This is the best I can get from a jar I'm pretty sure.

The ingredients are natural and full of flavour: "Scallions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, black pepper, all spice, nutmeg, citric acid, cane sugar, thyme leaves." Now the 280g bottle may not seem like a lot, but it does a fair amount of chicken.

First off, jerk seasoning, let alone jerk chicken, is not pretty. You open the jar and it's brown and not that appetizing to, say, a North American palette. But the aroma is so spicy (I use spicy both in seasoning and in heat) and intoxicating. It smells fruity and not, pungent and not. It's so very hard to describe but bottom line, it smelled good!

They call it a "seasoning" but to me, this is a marinade. It's a thick paste that you rub into your meat and let marinate for some time.

It's thick, and slowly pours out. I like that, because it's not water-down. Every inch is flavour. You can see the spices and mixed in little burst of red colour from the scotch bonnet peppers.

While they recommend 1oz (28g) of this marinade for 2lbs (or 1kg) of meat I use a much bigger ratio of sauce. I use the whole bottle. Traditionally, one would 'wash' the chicken (rinse it under water to remove blood, juices etc) and then cut slits all over the chicken to maximize the marinade, but I wanted the skin intact for both the wings and the thighs. They also recommend adding oil, but I skip that too.

I did rub that chicken good, trying to coat every nook and cranny, get under the skin of the thighs a bit too.

After massaging that chicken I did a thorough hand wash, then covered the bowl and put it in the fridge to marinate over night. Often when I'm making the jerk thighs I'm not well prepared and only marinate them a few hours before. I wanted them to sit overnight and really suck up that jerk.

The next evening I was very ready to start grilling. Now in a perfect world, I would have done these on a charcoal grill over an actual fire. You want that char and smell that only comes from charcoal. But I only have a gas grill, so gas grill it was.

I got my propane up nice and high so that when the chicken hit the metal grates, there was immediate sizzling. I wanted to heat them at high heat, crisp the skin as much as possible without burning (because this marinade will burn), flip, then cook for longer on lower heat.

It was cold outside, but the smell and the warmth from the grill made it very tolerable! The smell wafted out onto the street and people out for a night stroll or walking their dogs kept commenting how good it smelled!

My grill is very uneven in it's heat, so anything towards the back cooks faster than the front. I was proud of myself on this occasion because I usually put the chicken on and run inside to do something, coming out to a big fire from the chicken grease.

Not this time - I was patient and just watched it do it's thing. I'm not only looking for the chicken skin to crisp up a bit, but I'm waiting to make sure the chicken reaches 165f or 75c. Back in the day I used to just go on gut and visual to take them off, but especially after I took a food safety handling course, temperature is the only sure way. Well, short of cutting into the bird, but I don't want to loose those juices so early.

The wings are obviously much smaller than the thighs, so I had to watch out for them being cooked faster. If I had thought things out with my head instead of my belly, I would have put the wings on later to match cooking times, but I put them on at the same time. In no time the wings were done.

I took the wings off the direct heat and put them all on the upper rack of my grill. After being bombarded with the drool inducing aroma of jerk and heat, I evoked my pitmaster privilege's and at a wing on the spot, in the cold, no plate, no napkin. Just pure wingey goodness and burnt fingers. And my my was it good!

I recorded first bites: "That's so good! I don't even know what that flavour is. There's kind of a little tang, a little sweet, a lot of heat ... [the chicken] it's still juicy. Oh my gaaa, that's soo good. It's got some heat, it's got a lot of flavour, I don't know how you describe it. So tangy, garlicky, zing. It's good."

This was honestly probably the best wings I've ever had off my grill. It was everything you want in a Jerk wing: crispy skin, hot juicy meat. Bones pull apart easily. The flavour is all over the place and the heat is good. There's smoke, there's spice. Beautiful. When it comes to the thighs, they too turned out really well. Obviously more meat, and while I like it, the skin to meat ratio is much better from the wings. Dang, I'd eat this either way that's for sure.