HONG SHING

Having been very busy the past week filming, dishes had piled up, no grocery shopping done and to tired to do anything about either, I was in a bind for lunch. Lazy was the key word for the day, and thus I headed of to a normally nocturnal choice, Hong Shing.

Hong Shing is not my favourite Chinese restaurant in Toronto or even my area of Old Chinatown. Its not the cheapest, the food isn't amazing, the staff are rude, and yes, there have been 2 shootings in the past year. I was once mistaken for Silent Bob, and only a few months ago Kanye West was seen eating there. So why do I and others keep going back? Its open late, and laziness.

I ordered a General Tao Chicken (one of the better one's I've had, but scarily red) and an order of their spicy deep fried wings.



THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: small to medium
HEAT: 4/10 (there was a bit of a zing)
WET NAP FACTOR: 1/5 (more oily than anything)
PRICE: $6.95 for 12 wings

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: plain, spicy
SIDES: nothing
WETNAP: none
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: deep fried
WING NIGHT: none (its Chinese take-out)
OTHER: none

There's not a whole lot to say about these wings. They were medium/small in size, they were just right in crispness (for the most part) and they quick. The 'sauce' was some chili-flakes and garlic, which had more of a zing than a kick. My hunger satisfied, my tastebuds doing a jig, these were decent Chinese style wings. Not the best on the block, but I wouldn't be opposed to getting them here again.

Hong Shing
195 Dundas St. West
hongshingmenu

FOX & THE FIDDLE ~ Toronto ON

Its Friday Night

And the mood is right

Going to have some fun

Show you how its done

TGIF

Yes immortal words from the past when Friday night television was the original "must see tv." Now more than a decade later those words ring in my ear when my more adult life involves going out on a Friday night rather than staying in. However, its been a while since I have had a night out on the town, but thanks to good friend Nee, we were out for a night of dinner and a show. (See praxfilm for DaVinci Code review)

In the midst of small trendy joints and flashy tourist restaurants, the Fox and the Fiddle sits like a beacon of traditional pub fare with a party atmosphere perfect for the near heart of club land. Always busy ( FF was going to be reviewed months ago, but was way too crowded), we were still able to find a seat in this hustle and bustle joint.

Wanting to pick a place down in the entertainment district to keep close to the Paramount theatre and looking for some North American cuisine, Nee was more than happy to indulge in a wing review of the Fox and the Fiddle. While other pubs in town are quiet, local haunts, FF is always lively, giving it less of a dinner atmosphere and more of a drink and play billiards feel. Not that that's a bad thing - and I don't know if that is just this location of the pub chain or if they all have this feel. After a quick look at the menu, I was excited at my choices but skeptical about the quality of the wings.

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: large to jumbo
HEAT: Butter Buffalo 5/10, suicide 8/10
WET NAP FACTOR: 3/5 (some wings were dryish, others sat in sauce)
PRICE: $9.29 1 lb (approx 10 wings), $17.99 2 lb, $29.99 Team Wings

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: mild/medium/hot/suicide/bbq/honey garlic/sweet chili

cajun/Caribbean jerk/pineapple curry/peppercorn brandy

buffalo butter/teriyaki
SIDES: veggies and ranch dip
WETNAP: yes 1
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: dusted, deep fried
WING NIGHT: Sun/Mon half price wings
OTHER: weak Pepsi,

When the wings came out, I was surprised. They were large and jumbo wings. Before I started the blog, most pub wings I got were tiny tiny pidgeon wings; lately places have been upgrading their flappers, despite the culling of chickens in fear of bird flu. FF certainly was not going to let their customers be disappointed in their size.

Now these large wings did have some ups and some downs. The other ups include a dusting that made for a nice crunch, pretty garnishing on the plate, and lots of flavours to choose from (Peppercorn Brandy? maybe next time) including buffalo butter sauce. However, said sauce was weak in flavour and definitely wimpy in heat. And not all the wings had sauce on them (there was sauce hiding under a few wings at the back - come back sauce, come back!)

Suicide was surprisingly once again 3rd Degree. As I had mentioned to Nee, a lot of places have been replacing their substandard suicide with 3rd Degree sauce, which I would once again consider a better hot than suicide.

The biggest downside to these wings were the cost. I admit, they are big, basically $10 for a pound is very pricey! Thankfully they have 2 half price wing nights - unfortunately not this night.

After a lot of debate with lots of great sounding choices on the menu, Nee settled on the club sandwich, which looked good, but had a lot of non-crispy bacon (and lets be honest, the best part of a club is the bacon, and the mayo). Decent wedge fries also accompanied the sandwich.

So overall, I enjoyed the wings and I would love to try some other flavours, but the price would definitely keep me away from the Fox and the Fiddle on nights other than Sunday or Monday.

The Fox and the Fiddle
106 John Street, Toronto (several locations)
foxandthefiddle.com

PRAXFILM

P.R.A.X.I.S. Industries officially launches a sister blog to this one, PRAXFILM.BLOGSPOT.COM. PRAXFILM is the main arm of film production at PI and the new blog will give updates on new production and reviews on other films.

So check it out today!

CASEY'S BAR & GRILL

(Casey's Yorkdale Mall location is NOW CLOSED)

On a day of errands, location scouting for filming (SEE THE NEW BLOG HERE) and after agreeing with Sabrina from Toronto.com, decided to go back to an old wing favourite, Casey's to do a proper review. I also happened to go to the Casey's at the Yorkdale mall.

I've never liked Yorkdale mall - it seems pretentious, posh and too large. There are also no real stores that I like there, and most of the times I have gone to the mall have been at Christmas time, and I HATE shopping at times like that. Today however, the mall is under renovations, and between the new support pillars I found my way into the just opened, nearly empty eatery to see if the wings here were the only real reason for me to go back to this mall eatery.

Casey's is a chain of pub/grills that have been around for a long time, and evoke early memories of chicken wing consumption, like Kelsey's and Carrey's (hmmmmm, the "k" sound is a little to coincidental in these pub chains . . .). It, like Kelsey's and Jack Astors, has undergone the change from family grill to chic-like 'grille'. But throughout all the changes, the food has maintained it quality and traditional feel.

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: large (some wings were definitely jumbo)
HEAT: hot was 6/10, more like medium
WET NAP FACTOR: 3/4, not so much for the wet factor, but the stain factor
PRICE: $8.49 1 lb (approx 8 large wings), $15.99 2 lb, $22.95 3 lb

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: mild/medium/hot/Cajun
SIDES: large veggies and large blue cheese dip
WETNAP: no wetnap, but a sealed
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: classic & dusted, deep fried
WING NIGHT: none advertised
OTHER: free refills on coke, mint with a chocolate in the centre

Casey's advertises itself as the "Guardians of the Buffalo Chicken wing sauce". Thats a bold argument, and while I wouldn't consider Casey's wing sauce an exact Buffalo Wing sauce, it is good. The sauce left over at the bottom formed oil droplets much like Jack Astor's butter wings, but unlike Jack's, they treated the wings after frying, not just before.

The wings were large, some clearly jumbo wings which were juicy and had lots of flavour. They come in two varieties, dusted and classic. I went with a bit of both to see the difference. Classic was wings simply deep fried with sauce, which were traditional, but I believe the dusted were much better. You can kind of see the difference in wings in the pictures, but it was much more clearer in person.

The service was good; getting refills on my drinks without even asking always makes me happy. I got a wet towel to wipe my face and hands afterwards (very much appretiated with these red-staining wings) and napkins that I thought were cloth, but were actually paper. Because I entered just after the joint opened, it was pretty empty, but by the time I had my food the lunch hour business crowd was in there. The fajita special of the day was also tempting (sizzling meat and veggies always makes my head turn!).

So in the end, the wings were good. The heat was weak, but there was a lot of flavour in these not-quite-traditional-buffalo-sauce. Thumbs up on Casey's.

Casey's Bar and Grill
3401 Dufferin Street North, Yorkdale Mall (and other locations)
caseysbarandgrill.com

THE OLD NICK ~ Toronto ON

I'm getting a little lazy, and I've been busy, so I apologize for a review that is several days late.

After reading Toronto.com's editor's picks of wings in T-Dot, I decided I would check out a new place. I had a lot of errands to run, so armed with a day pass, and the suggestion from Alison (who ever she is) that the Old Nick had perfected the chicken wing, I was off to Greektown to try out this Imperial Freehouse.

I got there just before noon, and like many places I try out for lunch, it was dead inside. Actually, this is the way I prefer it when doing reviews. I get to pick a seat, and sitting alone and taking photos of wings is often not noticed. The service was friendly, but my waiter seemed surprised that I was actually wanted to eat there.

The Old Nick was like any of a hundred pubs in Toronto inside. The tables and chairs were a little more chic than the average pub, but visually, nothing stood out about the place. That meant the food was going to have to do most of the selling.

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: medium to large
HEAT: hot 6/10, suicide 8/10
WET NAP FACTOR: 4/5
PRICE: $8.95 for 1 pound (approx 10 wings), $15.95 for 2 pounds

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: mild/medium/hot/suicide/honey garlic
SIDES: fries, veggies and blue cheese dip
WETNAP: 1! and a napkin
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: lightly deep fried
WING NIGHT: Monday night, 7-10pm, 35 Cent Wings
OTHER: nightly specials, live music evenings

Alison credited these wings as the evolutionary end of wing development. Now while these were a tasty wing, they certainly were not the homo sapien in Darwin's wing plan. They were big, and juicy and saucy. I like that. They had an herby flavour, suggesting they were rolled in some spices and not just frieds and tossed in sauce. Hot was a good flavour with the herby taste and I was happy with my order.

I also ordered a side of suicide (taking more caution after bad bad suicide sauces). And wouldn't you know it, 3rd Degree sauce! The suicide basically killed any herb flavouring in the wing, but I love 3rd Degree, so that was fine with me.

I was happy that my lunch came with not only veggies and dip, but fries as well. I'm disappointed that this Alison didn't mention the fries. These were heaven. At first, I thought they were over-cooked, but I was pleasantly wrong. They were salty, still had the skins, and were crunchy. These were the type of fries you don't need to put anything on. There was also a combo I debated getting, 6 Wings, 3 Chicken Fingers and Onion rings for $10.95 . I like variety in a dish.

So, the Old Nick is a nice pub, great fries and decent enough wings. Is it worth the trip to Greektown for me to get again? Honestly, not really. The wings are good, but they have a lot more evolving to do before the Lord of the Wings is truly impressed.

The Old Nick: An Imperial Freehouse
123 Danforth Avenue
Danforthpubs

Toronto.com's Editor's Pick for Toronto Wings

Here is an article from Toronto.com 's site on Chicken wings. I agree with their reviews on Duff's, Einstein's (still to be reviewed) and Casey's (still to be reviewed) - some great wings. I'm going to have to check the other places out . . .

And thanks to Nee for pointing out the article!!!

Check out this article HERE





Editor's picks this week: Chicken Wings


Hot, mild, sloppy or dry. The search for the perfect pound of wings can be an endless quest. Our editors tell you their faves and invite you to agree, or tell us why we're wrong . We'll post selected comments on this page.


The Old Nick 123 Danforth Ave. – 416-461-5546
Buffalo may have invented the chicken wing, but Old Nick’s has perfected them. The Danforth pub’s tasty wings are an ideal balance between saucy and dry and show no signs of pinkness on the inside. Plump, juicy wings are made to order in varying degrees of spiciness and extra sauce is available upon request at no extra charge. -- Alison


Einstein’s Café and Pub 229 College Street – 416-597-8346 To relieve the stress of exams and assignments, our pack of academically exhausted students would amble into Einstein’s for beers by the pitcher and wings by the truck load. This University of Toronto staple has the largest and tastiest wings, proving that ample wings do matter, especially when feeding hungry undergraduates. -- Brian


Casey’s Bar & Grill Yorkdale Shopping Centre – 416-789-1823
They’re plump, coated with tons of hot sauce and leave a big sticky mess all over your hands and face when you’re done devouring them. What more can you ask for when it comes to a great wings experience. --Sabrina


Duff’s Famous Wings 1604 Bayview Ave. – 416-544-0100
Some like it hot, and when it comes to wings, Duff’s beats the competition. Delicious, meaty and very spicy, these wings are cooked to perfection. Although sometimes they drive me to tears (try the Death & Armageddon wings), your mouth will be craving more after a few bites. A definite must for hot and spicy food lovers. --Antonella


Allen's 143 Danforth Ave. – 416-463-3086
It's all about the sauce at Allen's. No dry, overcooked, deep-fried chicken gristle here. Their fancy chicken sauce (what they call Manhattan Capon) is original, tasty and to steal a phrase from a famous fast food haunt, 'finger lickin' good. -- Gerard


Smokey Joe's 4899 Yonge St. – 416-229-2262 These puppies are so big, they're almost the size of drumsticks. Saucy and tender, the best wings in my opinion. -- Mike

DUFF's FAMOUS WINGS ~ Toronto ON

It took me almost 4 years of living in Toronto to discover the Mecca of chicken wings here. I had searched and searched the downtown. Then, a vegetarian friend from work said she knew of the best wings, best veggie burgers, and best fries. And apparently the wings were supposed to be hot. Now its almost three years later and the rest, my friends, is history.

My good friend Amanda (not really a vegetarian, what we call an Amandatarian) was down to visit, and was willing to indulge me in a wing fix. I have held off on doing a review of Duff's since the beginning of the blog (despite having photos) but I just had a hankering for Duff's. We hopped on the subway all the way to Davisville, then caught the Bayview bus for the trek for great wings.

As usual, the place was busy on a Saturday night. A line up was almost out the door, and a wait of 30 - 45 mins was told to us by one of the owners (in the summer, with the patio in full swing, the wait can be an hour-and-a-half or longer, this place is that popular). We decided to wait, as it was possible a table for two would open up faster. We watched families and groups of people walk away after hearing the wait time, but it just makes me think of words of wisdom I heard as a kid: quitters never prosper. Oh well, less waiting time for us!

The atmosphere at Duff's is a buzz. The place is not big, but it is packed with families, couples, guys watching the game and gatherings of teens. The place feels alive, partly because your sitting very close to the next table. This establishment isn't really a bar, or a full restaurant, or a take-out place, but almost a mixture of them all. Its not the kind of place that you sit and sip: you get in, you get out cuz a whole lot of people want your spot.

Its hard to describe the decorum, but its wood paneling and big chalk boards full of one chicken wing hero's accomplishments. There is also a large bell that is rung when an order of Death Wings have been ordered, and if your brave (or stupid enough) to order Amageddon, police sirens flash and wail to announce to all that the order has arrived. While I have ordered both Death and Amageddon sauces, 1) they are extremely hot, both making my (yes my) stomach churn because of the heat, (I put Armageddon at 15/10 on my scale) but 2) they taste horrible - the flavour is disgusting. On a bet I will go down to eat these wings (and definitely suffer later) but on this Saturday night, I was going for my Superhot and Spicy BBQ.

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: large (big and meaty)
HEAT: Super Hot gets 9/10 (150 000 scoville units), Spicy BBQ 6/10
WET NAP FACTOR: 4.5/5, swimming by the end
PRICE: $8.95 for 10, $16.95 for 20, $39.95 for 50

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: mild/mild medium/medium/medium hot/hot/superhot/
death/Armageddon/honey garlic/BBQ/spicy BBQ

SIDES: an order comes with a vinaigrette coleslaw, giant celery sticks and a choice of creamy dill or blue cheese dip
WETNAP: 2 and a ton of napkins
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: deep fried, then sauced
WING NIGHT: Tuesday night an order of 10 wings is $5.45
OTHER: wing bucket included, personal mini-jugs of pop, quick service, great fries, lollipops

These wings really hit the spot. Duff's is my favourite wing place in Toronto because they make a traditional Buffalo Chicken Wing, the kind I grew up on, but only bigger. A traditional Buffalo Wing is simply a wing that is deep fried, then tossed in a sauce that is pretty much butter and hot sauce mixture. While some people don't like this style (preferring a battered or more bbq flavoured sauce) this is what a chicken wing is supposed to be like. This is actually a sister restaurant to one in Buffalo New York, which tries to lay claim to the discovery of the Buffalo Wing from the Anchor Bar.

I almost always order the Superhot wings, because they retain a lot of flavour but still pack a bite. My lips are always tingling after this and I come to a near sweat. One criticism I do have about these wings that I agree with critics of Duff's is the sog factor. When the wings come out, they are crisp but wet with sauce. By the last 2-3 wings, the butter sauce makes them very soggy and much less desirable than the first ones. A remedy for this is to order the wings naked and have the sauce on the side.

I also ordered the spicy bbq wings, as they have a nice flavour. Unlike other dull bbq sauces, this one has a kick (but you can ordered the milder version) which makes for a nice contrast with the superhot wings.

The order of wings also comes with coleslaw and giant celery sticks with dip, which are great extras that most places don't offer. Another bonus is the mini-jugs of pop you can get; a small pitcher of pop to douse the pain with, without having to wait for the staff to refill and refill.

Amanda ordered the grilled cheese sandwich there. In her words it was "good. Grilled to perfection" and the fries were "tasty but not too preachy".

As always, Duff's met my wing fix and left me with a smile on my face and a lollipop in my hand.
When you need a classic chicken wing with more than a kick, Duff's Famous Wings will deliver.

click HERE to see some other photos from Duff's

Duff's Famous Wings
1604 Bayview Avenue, Toronto
duffsfamouswings.ca

Return to WingHouse

A few days late, just a quick update on The original Wing House. Had a delightful evening with Nee and Ray. We decided to take in wing night. The place was pretty empty, which is sad on a wing night.


I had been recovering from a digestive virus and was cautious of trying a hotter version of Home of the Brave sauce, but after seeing Ray's enthusiasm, I decided to go for it. Ray was discouraged by the owner when trying to order a flavour combo, and ended up with the same as me, Home of the Brave with Suicide (last time I tried homicide). I was thoroughly disappointed with the heat (barely a tingle) but thankfully the flavour is soooo good. Ray went on to get another order of wings, the Johnny Knoxville bbq wings, which I wouldn't order on my own. They had a sour flavour to them that just didn't do it for me.

More down sides included Nee's chicken fingers, which were just your regular store bought frozen chicken fingers (but the fries were good), no beer on tap, still no debit/visa, but they were in the process of hiring more staff.

Overall, the wings are still good and I always want more. But Wing House still needs a lot of improvement.

Ottawa Wings II: BIDDY MULLIGAN's

[PLEASE NOTE: Biddy Mulligans has entered the Dead Pool and is now closed. RIP]

(not the actual restaurant front, but close - is this global chain?)

After a long morning of hitting the streets apartment hunting, running on no food, Dude and I needed to re-fuel. We were in what is called Centretown and started pub hunting. One pub was closed. Then we went to "Wings & Subs" (or some such name) but it was too sketch. We ended up at Biddy Mulligan's, and boy was that the right choice!

As the saying goes, 'if it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it must be a duck'. Biddy's walked like a pub, quacks like a pub, yeah it was a pub. The biggest highlight was our waitress, a Scottish lass who was super friendly (taking time to show Dude good places to look to live in in Ottawa).

I didn't get wings by themselves, I got a platter, which is supposed to be for 2, but I say 4. I had so much leftovers, I had them for 3 more 'meals' for the rest of the weekend!

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: large
HEAT: hot 8/10, suicide 6/10 (yes you read that right)
WET NAP FACTOR: 3/5
PRICE: $8 for 10 wings, $17 for 'nearly 3 pounds', $12 for my platter

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: mild/medium/hot/suicide (didn't write the rest down, sorry!)
SIDES: it was a platter, hard to guess
WETNAP: 2!!!!
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: dusted, then deep fried
WING NIGHT: none advertised
OTHER: great platter!

I went straight to the wings on this bad boy platter. These dusted wings were slightly cooked too long (a little charred tasted) but overall meaty, juicy and hot. The sauce was 3rd Degree (I'd recognize it anywhere!), so it had a flavourful bite. The suicide on the other hand was a dark, almost looking like a balsamic vinegar and pan 'jus' with some pepper, and it tasted . . . well like not much at all. It was less hot than the "hot". Again, I was glad I ordered it on the side.

The platter itself was great. Onion rings, zucchini sticks, potato skins, chicken fingers and wings, with plum sauce, sour cream, and ranch dipping sauces. As I said, this was for 2 people, but it was just a mountain of food. Dude ordered a sub I almost ordered first, Steak/Ham/Bacon with mozzarella melted on top, with fries (which were also good). It too was a monster of a sandwich.

So in the end, Biddy's was your standard pub, friendly waitress, good wings and great platter and sub. If I was craving a lot of food, I would definitely be hitting this place in our nations capital.

Biddy Mulligan's Pub
303 Bank Street
613-230-3307

Ottawa Wings Part I - DERRINGER's SALOON

DERRINGER's CLOSED in 2016 - RIP

Oh Canada!

On last minute notice, Dude got a job in Ottawa and needed to go up to find an apartment. Needing some assistance navigating, looking at places, as well as just keeping company - I thought I would come along and check out our nation's capital and see what it could offer for wings.

Before getting to checking out the wings, I have to say I loved Ottawa. Driving was a breeze through the city, taking maybe 20 mins to get from one side to another and not because its a small city, but that it just seems to do traffic right. Also, the people were so friendly, giving it the "City with a Small Town Feel" quote I kept hearing true as possible. However, Ottawa being so far away does make me feel living in Toronto IS the centre of the universe. Sorry Dude, there isn't going to be much visiting.

On to the wing hunt!

Just before leaving for Ottawa, I did a quick Google search for "best wings" in Ottawa, which led me to THIS site, as well as HERE, to keep some meal options open. Believing this individual's information about a Friday night wing night (or every night cheap wings) Dude and I headed of to Derringer's Saloon.

Finding the place was waaaaaay easier than we thought, and free parking in the city over the weekend was great. The area was a bit of a dive, but we didn't let that stop us. Derringer's was relatively empty, but I really liked the 'saloon' feel. I was expecting a more stylish atmosphere ('Derringer' screams 1930's gangster to me) but the large Tex-Mex menu made up for that. The question was, would the wings?

THE SCORE
SIZE of WINGS: small
HEAT: 5/10 for hot, 7/10 for suicide
WET NAP FACTOR: 4/5, very wet but not soggy
PRICE: $7 for about 10

EXTRAS Info
SAUCE CHOICE: mild/medium/hot/suicide (one or two others, I can't remember, sorry!)
SIDES: none
WETNAP: yes 1, and it was needed
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: deep fried
WING NIGHT: Wednesdays (not everyday as advertised on websites), don't know the value

Ok my biggest disappointment was the fact that the wings were not on special for 35 cents a piece. Thats fine, I can pay full price. But the fact that these wings were kind of small made me disappointed in the cost of the wings, especially with no veggies and dip on the side.

I have become more and more cynical about wing sauce in my years, so to be safe, I ordered Hot, with a side of Suicide - and my intuition was right. The hot was not a bad flavour, it had a hint of BBQ, but that peppery flavour was dominant and thus did not make me so happy. The suicide was VERY similar ti the 'killer suicide' of The Wing Machine (I haven't reviewed them yet!) which is almost a paste, and even more peppery. And loyal readers know my feelings on substituting heat through pepper.

The wings were saucy, yet maintained their crispness. 

Other highlights of dinner included an EXCELLENT poutine and Dude got a giant, tasty Taco Salad (see LOTW photo album for more pics). We also witnessed a delicious smelling fajita that sizzled on a plate past us to another table.

So my final review, for great Tex-Mex and wonderful poutine, Derringer's Saloon. As for the sign that said "Voted Best Wings & Beans", I didn't try the beans, but the wings, you could pass on.

Derringer's Saloon

99 Montreal Rd.Ottawa

(613) 745-8188

Humpty Dumpty Buffalo Wing Chips

Planning to do some hanging out this Friday night, Nee and I decided to get some snacks. Looking at the snacks in the convinience store, I came across the following bag:

"Buffalo Wing" chips eh Humpty Dumpty? Why not. Actually they also had "Spicy Wing" flavour as well, which was tempting, but that can be tried another day. Question, is it sad to get a bag of wing flavoured chips just to do a review for your blog???

THE SCORE (revised for chips)

SIZE of CHIPS: mostly large, except for broken ones
HEAT: for a chip, 8/10
WET NAP FACTOR: 2/5 for grease
PRICE: got 2 bags of chips for $5 at Mac's

EXTRAS Info

CHOICE: Buffalo Wing, Spicy Wing
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: Rippled!


I'm often skeptical with Humpty Dumpty chips. They are often a cheaper brand and rarely pack a lot of flavour. However, upon arriving home, it was first a surprise that they were rippled (rippled often have more seasoning in my opinion). Second, as chicken wing chips, they were 'on the jazz'.

These chips actually had a bite. A little numbing of the lips after eating just a few? There are some joints that serve suicide wings weaker than these! The taste is a combonation of bbq and salt & vinegar, which gives it a spicy, tangy taste.

So if you can't get your favourite wings or your looking for a more traditional party snack, Humpty Dumpty's Buffalo Wing chips are a great spicy alternative.

The Original WINGHOUSE

(The Original Winghouse is NOW CLOSED)

Ladies & Gentleman, in this corner, the heavy weight wing champion of Toronto: Duff's Famous Wings. And in the other corner, new to the scene, the contender, The Original Winghouse.

Lets get ready to rumble

And rumble we shall. First of all, I have to thank Hannah for telling me about the poorly advertised Original Winghouse (OWH). Thank you. Thank you. thank you thank you thank you. When she told me about OWH I was skeptical but excited: I've been in Toronto for nearly 6 years now, and Duff's (still to be reviewed here) has been the top wing joint. But a new wing place in town meant I may have another chance at tasting greatness.

There are some ups and some downs though, don't get me wrong. First, Dude and I went to check this place out for lunch, only to find its not open for lunch on weekdays. Right. Second, I was not a fan of the wicker chairs for sitting. They are great for relaxing in, but not serious wing eating. Other problems included no delivery, no website, and they do not accept credit cards or debit. OWH lost some points for these features. But, lets get on to the good stuff: the wings!

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: medium to small
HEAT: my flavour combo was about a 5/10, but I ordered conservatively
WET NAP FACTOR: depends on your sauce choice, but 4/5 for mine, perfect
PRICE: 10 wings ($6.95), 20 ($12.95), 30 ($18.95), 40 ($24.95), 50 ($30.95), 100 ($54.95)

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: OVER 90 flavours!!!! and you can mix and match. click HERE & HERE
I went for "Home of the Brave" with "Homicide"
SIDES: 1 celery stick and 1 carrot stick with ranch dip, sit in only
WETNAP: none, but paper towel-like napkins
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: lightly dusted in flour, then deep fried
WING NIGHT: Tuesdays - Buy 10, get 5 free
OTHER: great pepsi (for pepsi that is), bone bowl, and EXCELLENT service

These wings were amazing - and I don't use that term very often. First, one of the two guys running the place was quick to explain what the 90 different sauces were. He asked what kind of flavour I was looking for and customized my order. We also talked to another owner(?) who talked to us about the place, the wings etc. These guys care about wings, and it shows.

I asked for a Buffalo-style sauce with kick, and it was suggested I get the "Home of the Brave" sauce taken up a notch with the "Homicide" sauce. The result: pure chicken wing goodness. The sauce had a small kick (just a bit of numbing of the lips) but the flavour was so wonderful, I was almost euphoric. The meat basically fell off the bone. The sauce was syrupy and stuck to the wings, like 3rd Degree sauce, not a Frank's butter sauce.

We had had a late lunch, so Dude only tried one wing, which he found spicy, but he also could not get over how good it was. "How good could it be?" you ask, well, we almost went back later that night, and if Dude was sick (unrelated illness) today, we probably would have gone back.

OWH still has some things to improve on to come into its own, but Duff's and other wing places definitely have some competition . . .

The original WINGHOUSE
1063 Bloor Street West, Toronto
416-539-9141

See HERE & HERE for menu and more pics

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

PIZZA PIZZA ~ Toronto ON

It was inevitable: living in rez, late at night on a Friday AND trying to avoid work: a classic university call for pizza was in store. Who else else are you going to call than Canada's #1 pizza, Pizza Pizza?

Ok, so Pizza Pizza is not the best pizza out there. It is generic, it is cheap, it is everywhere and it does have a lot of selection. I know there are a lot of people who rag on Pizza Pizza, but its always been there when I needed them. Since Juliana and I were both sucessfully avoiding work and needed a late night bite, this classic take-out pizza seemed to be in order. And if I'm going to have pizza, well, why not have some wings to boot!

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: medium to small
HEAT: 2/10 not hot at all
WET NAP FACTOR: pour your own sauce
(I could have ordered with sauce, but wanted to try the new flavour)
PRICE: $4.99 (6), $6.99 (10), $12.99 (20), $18.99 (30)

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: Blue Cheese/Honey Garlic/Honey Mustard/Hot/Mild/Plum/Sweet Chili Thai/Texas BBQ (I went with hot)
SIDES: none, unless you order sides
WETNAP: none, not even napkins
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED, BATTERED: Baked with choices of: classic/lightly breaded/cripsy breaded/zesty breaded (I went Zesty)
WING NIGHT: none, its a delivery pizza

They had a new type of wing, "Zesty Breaded", how could I resist? I normally get the sauce mixed in, but I wanted to taste the 'zesty'. Well to be honest, they were weak in flavour. Ok, there was a hint of 'zest' almost a lemon flavour (I guess), and then I doused them in hot sauce (which was good, but not hot at all). However, these were the best wings I have had from Pizza Pizza. They were meaty with breading, and I think anyone could handle the heat of these wings.

As for the pizza itself, went with the New York style Pepperoni pizza. This is what Juliana had to say about that:

"It was....yummy. Tasted like pepperonies.......and cheese. However, there was a lack of precision in the cutting of the pieces which made things slightly complicated."

The pepperoni was thicker than usual, and as Juliana pointed out, it tasted more like a pepperoni stick than their regualar meat spheres. Would I get it again? Probably. Oh and of course, Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce, *drool* so good.

Jane stopped in to try and Steal Julina's slice!

While I wouldn't call Pizza Pizza for the wings alone, these wings were a good addition to a good pizza. Plus, we were all able to put off work for another night. Thanks Pizza Pizza, you came through once again.

Pizza Pizza
Various Locations
http://www.pizzapizza.ca/index2.htm