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| 331 W. Broadway New York, NY 10013 Website |
Showing posts with label soho. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soho. Show all posts
March 28, 2011
UPDATE: South Houston
March 01, 2011
South Houston
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| 331 W. Broadway New York, NY 10013 Website |
They also make a Buffalo wing which is grilled as well. I think most Buffalonians would say that the fact that it's grilled means it's actually not a true Buffalo wing, but I'm going to say that they shouldn't be so stubborn. Grilled is better than fried, in my opinion anyway... I know, blasphemy! These wings are meaty, flavorful, have a generous coat of sauce and, again, you just can't go wrong with the grilled taste of crispy BBQ char.
I go to South Houston pretty often for lunch with a few guys from work. I don't think there's been a time yet that someone hasn't ordered the wings. As a matter of fact, there have been a few times when everyone ordered the wings. They're a staple. I suggest ordering the combo so you get half an order of Buffalo and half Peach-Apricot BBQ. You should also check out one of the many draught beers they offer. It's always a rotating selection of local and imported porters, ales, IPA's, lagers... you name it. They also brew their own craft sodas which is kind of cool.
The staff and management has always been friendly. They even gave us free pint glasses with their logo on them the first time we ate lunch there. We've been returning pretty regularly ever since. Check them out.
PS - They also have the coolest ceiling fans I've ever seen.
PS - They also have the coolest ceiling fans I've ever seen.
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| The fans rotate around the light. I want one in my home. |
February 04, 2011
Kool Bloo
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117 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10013 |
I've worked across the street from the takeout/delivery joint Kool Bloo for about a year now. I went there once when we first moved into the building... and hated it. I take full responsibility though. I ordered a shawarma sandwich from a place with nary a spit. I should know better. Still though, I've avoided this place since then. Until today. They advertise wings in huge letters on the outside of the building (which Steve noticed when he picked me up for our trip to Buffalo), so I guess it's about time I gave them a try.
The wings come in a combo deal that set me back $9.75. It includes 5 wings and fries. Not exactly a huge portion, but, as you may know from my last post, I'm not a fan of huge portions anyway.
Right from the first bite I could taste the recognizable combination of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and butter. If I had to guess, I'd say the normal 1:1 ratio was slightly skewed in favor of the sauce, giving it a little extra heat. There were also some added seasonings which kicked them up a bit. The wings were relatively plump with a decent amount of meat, but very little (if any) crisp in the skin. These were pretty average across the board. I wasn't disappointed because I didn't have high hopes, but I wouldn't go out of my way for them either. Put simply: they'll do.The fries on the other hand, those were good. I'm getting those again.
June 01, 2010
Bar 89
89 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10012
New York, NY 10012
www.bar89.com
The next stop on my recent tour of SOHO brought me to Bar 89 on Mercer St. just South of Spring St. I knew nothing of this place when I first set out, other than it was nearby and served wings. When I first walked in, I thought I might have had the wrong place. As you can see by the picture, it's not exactly the type of place that you would expect to find wings being served. It felt more like a chic loft club than anything that resembled a pub. I felt a little out of place and underdressed, luckily I ordered them to go.
What really attracted me to this place was their combo platter. Once I see that on a menu, I'm sold - LOVE the combo platter. Bar 89's platter included all three flavors of their wings: Buffalo, Dragon and Buck'N Wings. The combo platter also comes with a side of waffle fries, which I thought were a pretty nice touch.
The buffalo were nothing special. They were a bit on the dry side, not very meaty and could have used more sauce. They seemed a little saltier than most Buffalo sauces I've had, but I actually liked that.The Buck'N Wings, described on Bar 89's website as a teriyaki and spice glaze, were also a little on the small and dry side. The sauce is tough to judge because, like the Buffalo wings, there wasn't a whole lot on the wing. From what I could tell, it was a pretty average teriyaki sauce.
The Dragon Wings, which Bar 89 calls "full of the Orient", were easily the best of the group. They had two things going for them, in my opinion, that made them the clear winner. First, they were larger which means they weren't dried out in the middle. Instead, they were plump and moist. Second, they had a much more generous coating of sauce. I like that for the obvious reason of stronger flavor, but I also like that the excess sauce burns just a little and gives it that nice char flavor that we're always looking for. Flavor wise, these were a little sweet. Not quite as sweet as BBQ or Honey, but definitely toward that side of the spectrum.
Although the service was good and the maitre d' was friendly, I just don't see this place being a go-to destination for wings. Just the fact that I just typed "maitre d'" on a blog about wings seems a bit odd. There is pub grub on the menu but the surroundings are anything but... and the prices reflect that. I got about 30 wings and it set me back 40 bucks. The rest of the menu was just as pricey.
If you have to satisfy a craving for some pub grub, but need a trendy, chic environment then this is your place. If not, I'd recommend just hitting one of the numerous other pubs in the area.
April 28, 2010
Mooncake Foods
28 Watts St.
New York, NY 10013
mooncakefoods.com
A soggy view across Watts St. at Mooncake.
Purists will say this isn't a true Buffalo wing. They'll point out the undivided wing. They'll complain about the lack of cayenne hot sauce. They may even say it doesn't even look like a real buffalo wing. Well purists be damned. If these wings are wrong, I don't want to be right!
Mooncake is a place I've been going to pretty regularly for lunch lately. I've tried a bunch of their dishes, from grilled chicken to beef shins, miso glazed salmon to pulled pork sandwiches - and I have yet to be disappointed. I never thought to order their wings because it's a much different establishment than the pubs and sports bars we usually chow down in. Its just a tiny, trendy-ish bistro dishing out solid Asian fusion comfort food.
Well this week I decided to give their honey and soy chicken wings a try and I'm really glad I did. I don't think I've ever eaten a wing that was cooked better than these. They were fall-off-the-bone tender as if they'd been slow-cooked for hours, but had a great grill char on the outside. Normally I'm not a fan of wings with honey based sauces, but the flavor of these things was terrific. The honey mixed with the soy gave these a unique taste that doesn't really compare to anything we've had so far. They also came with a citrus dipping sauce (which was great in it's own right) in lieu of the traditional ranch or bleu cheese.
The order only comes with four pieces of chicken for $6.50... but wait. Before you dismiss this as a terrible deal you should know that the wing itself is not divided into a wingette and drumette. Instead, it's served as a whole wing. So really, it's like getting an order of 8 wings anywhere else. Not to mention (and I'm not sure if you can tell this by the picture) they are pretty large pieces of chicken. The drumettes are almost the equivalent of a full size drumstick.
After I devoured my lunch (they stood no chance) I had to get up to wash my hands. I came back to find that my whole office smelled like honey & soy wings. I have to say, this made me happy. In fact, and I probably shouldn't be admitting this, I gave the bones one last sniff before I tossed them in the trash. Yes, I liked them that much. I definitely have them in my top five right now, and they're in strong contention for the top spot. The only thing bad I can really say is that I'm sorry this was a solo mission and Jeremy and Steve have to hear about it through this review instead of tasting them for themselves. Well, it's not like I would have shared anyway.
So if you're in the mood to try something a little different, or just want some solid Asian fusion, give Mooncake Foods a try. The service is fast and friendly and the food will not disappoint.
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