Press 195

Press 195

40-11 Bell Blvd.

Bayside, Queens 11360

718-281-1950

www.press195.com

Maps and Directions

It was the Monday before the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo NY, and Jody and I needed to get together to discuss details about travel, itinerary and iPod playlists for the drive up.  Instead of just meeting at one of our homes, we decided to make it a working review... which is kind of like saying we were doing work while we worked.  A bit redundant, but it was just that.  So we met at Press 195 in Bayside, NY, ordered a couple of Allagash White beers and took a look at the menu.

Press 195 has two flavors; buffalo and BBQ.  We decided quickly that BBQ was not happening and went with the large order of buffalo wings.  For $8.00 you get a normal order and for $15, you get a large order.  The large had about 16 wings, making them just under a dollar per wing.  We also placed ordered up some french fries.  Press has amazing french fries and they have homemade dipping sauces as well.  More on that later.

Large order of wings... about a buck a wing.

The wings came out and smelled delicious.  The sauce did not disappoint.  It was a very well concocted version of the traditional buffalo wing sauce which includes butter and hot sauce.  Jody, on his trip to the little boy's room, a bottle of Frank's Red Hot sauce in the kitchen, making this sauce as traditional as it gets. Press 195 did add a nice amount of heat to these wings, I am assuming cayenne pepper was their weapon of choice since it seems to be the standard for spicing up the traditional buffalo sauce.

So, if they smelled good and the sauce was good, what was wrong with them?  Well, they were a bit inconsistent in size, making them a bit inconsistent in how well they were cooked.  The larger wings had a nice crisp on the outside, but juicy on the inside, making them delicious. The smaller wings, on the other hand, which probably cooked just as long as the large wings, were a bit overcooked which robbed them of their juicy cores.  Having about eight wings each, we may have had 2 or 3 over cooked wings each, which is not horrible, but not great either.

Let's rearrange the alphabet and put 
U and I together. Oh yeah!

As you can see by the above picture, the sure do make some good looking Belgian fries.  I mean, if I were at a bar and saw those fries, I'd do a shot, walk up to the bar, order the fries a drink and do my best to get their number.  I'd probably strike out, but hell, just telling my buddies that I tried with something that hot and failed, now that would be a great story.  They taste better than they look too.  Hand cut, double cooked, seasoned perfectly and served with your choice of dipping sauces ($.75 each), these were worth the trip alone.  I took the picture before we threw the ketchup out.  Who needs ketchup when you have Chipotle Jalapeno Mayo (not pictured) and Traphagen's Honey Jalapeno Mustard?  Both sauces were amazing compliments to the fries and both had a nice spicy kick to them.  Try the fries when you go!

Press 195 is first and foremost a sandwich joint.  With 40 hot sandwiches, a bunch of cold sandwiches and burgers on the menu, Press will impress you with their gourmet selection.  I suggest getting fries every time you go, they are just that good.  The wings were not too bad either and I have to say, I would order them again.  They also have a very large selection of beer and they keep a lot of micro brewed beers on tap and bottled in stock, so step out of your comfort zone and try an Allagash or Magic Hat or even an Arrogant Bastard Ale.  Last thing I'll say is that the atmosphere is pretty cool as well.  It is not a sports bar and can seem a bit yuppie-ish from the paintings on the wall and modern feel, but they have a few TV's with the games of the evening playing, a very nice staff that is also very helpful and Elvis Costello on the radio and any place that plays "Veronica" is ok by me.

It is safe to say that Press 195 is Wingmen Approved!

This is why fruit-ing the beer is ok.  
This fry lived to see another day.

Irish Times

254 West 31 St.
New York, NY 10001
Website

Last week, I was heading out of work and was in the mood to grab some wings.  I sent a text to one of my NYC correspondents, BJ, and we decided to give Brother Jimmy's a shot.  We took one step in, realized the place was mobbed and it was going to be tough to get food and walked right out.  So much for planning ahead... we scouted midtown for another spot.


Right up the road was a place called Irish Times (I wonder why no one has ever come up with that name for a bar before [sarcasm]).  The crowd was much more manageable so we decided to give it a go.  We ordered a plate of traditional Buffalo wings, which were their only choice, and got to work.  

Decent flavor, but 

rubbery and salty - Pass

The wings were a bit of a disappointment.  They weren't very big and had a rubbery texture.  The sauce was pretty standard and actually had a decent flavor, but was overwhelmingly salty.  I think this may have been a mistake because I can't imagine they serve wings like that on a consistent basis.  I'm thinking the salt was added afterwards and a line cook who might have been in a bit of a rush was a little too liberal with the shaker.


It was not a very good experience overall and we promptly moved on.  It's possible we caught them on an off day, but there are just too many promising wing joints in NYC to find out.  Maybe we should have just waited it out at Brother Jimmy's.

Ninety-Nine

Ninety "99" Nine
Restaurant & Pub
5 Salem Turnpike
Norwich, CT 06360
860-892-1299
www.99restaurants.com 
Map and Directions


           Last weekend, my wife and I ventured out to meet an old friend and her husband at their new home in Connecticut. Their house was built on her husband’s family land adjacent to the family cow farm just outside the town of Norwich. According to Wikipedia and I, Norwich was founded in 1658 by settlers from Old Saybrook led by Major John “I love wings” Mason and Reverend James “got saucy fingers” Fitch. They purchased the land that would become Norwich from the local Native American Mohegan Tribe in exchange for a satchel of wings and a coupon for all you can eat breakfast at Denny’s. By 1694 the public landing built at the head of the Thames River allowed ships to offload wings at the harbor. The harbor area is known as the Chelsea neighborhood. The distance between the port and Norwichtown was serviced by the East and West Roads which later became Washington Street and Broadway where you can find a variety of places that serve wings with all sorts of flavors (I totally made that up).

Ninety Nine Bar and Grill was founded in 1952 when Charlie Doe opened a pub at 99 State Street in Boston. In 1962, the restaurant left Boston, moving its main location to Woburn, which still stands. Over the next several decades, the chain expanded throughout Massachusetts as well as the New England area. Before my friend’s housewarming, my wife and I were starving and were actually looking for a diner. Sorry Norwich, didn’t see one. Really didn’t see much. The houses were beautiful and the town seemed nice, but there wasn’t much…..at least by NY standards. After going through a no go zone and almost crossing a bridge somewhat similar to the one from the Beetlejuice movie, we gave up and looked for the next thing we came across. Ninety-Nine Bar and Grill. The parking lot was filled and it was only noon. Figured it couldn’t be all that bad. I gave up on my hopes of eggs and pancakes and figured lets’ wing it up!

The restaurant, itself, was very nice in its décor. It was very western like. For those of you who remember Big Barry’s, it had that kind of atmosphere. The servers were as hospitable as could be and the environment was super friendly. Kind of nice having people smile at you and saying hello. The place seemed as if this is where you go before or after a service of some sort depending on your faith.

The menu was very similar to AppleBee’s or Chili’s. The variety in the wing selection was the same. You had the choice of either hot or mild on bone or boneless wings with an option of an extra-large order rather than the regular. I ordered the extra-large order of the hot wings but the waitress brought me the boneless. I was so hungry that I didn’t care. They were very good but not to the point where I would drive 3 hours to get them. The size of the boneless wings was substantial and the amount they gave you was more than enough for two people to share. The sauce caught up to you after a while and eventually made you sweat. Overall, they met my standards and I was able to walk away satisfied. If you’re ever in Norwich, check it out and tell them The Wingmen sent ya!

Cavanaugh's

Cavanaugh's

Restaurant and Pub

255 Blue Point Avenue

Blue Point, NY 11715

631-363-2666

http://www.cavanaughsbluepoint.com/

Map and Directions

Cruising the south shore of Long Island on a Friday morning traveling from one Long Island College to another doing a bit of non-Wingmen related research, I worked up a bit of an appetite.  I saw what looked like a cool place, called The Portly Villager, on the north side of Montauk Highway and decided to stop.  Well, they only serve sandwiches, so I was a bit out of luck.  The bar tender, Bob, told me that if I wanted good wings, I needed to head on down to Canavaugh's. A small pub with tons of TV's and serving up cold beer and pub grub. I ordered Cav's Chicken Wings ($7) and a Stella Artois. They seem to be the only flavor and only spice level, so we'll see how they taste.

A busy place at lunch, Cavanaugh's seems to have a very dedicated crowd that frequents this small Irish pub.  It seemed to me, even before I feasted on my wings, that Bob's suggestion was going to be a good one.  If you are a gambling person, well, there is plenty of it here: buy a Mega Millions or Powerball ticket, play Quick Draw or bet on some televised horse racing, you can do it all... you can even buy some scratch-offs if you'd like.  Not being much of a gambler, I was watching golf.

My 12 wings came with celery and bleu cheese, piping hot and sitting in a large reservoir of extra hot sauce at the bottom.  Before I bit into the first one, I took notice of the presentation.  Good sized wings cooked well and charred a bit on the outside edges.  They reminded me a lot of Mike's Place's wings. My first bite made me a very happy man.  The spice was non-existent, but the flavor was like a tidal wave of hot sauce, butter, spices and what I can best describe as Italian dressing.  I am not sure that is what is in there, but it was a tangy flavor with a lot of layers to it, so Italian dressing is my best description.  They were quite crispy, most of them had a good juicy core (some of the smaller ones were over cooked a bit) and then, couple those qualities with the char on the outside and one could argue that they were perfectly cooked.  

So, next time you are on the south shore and in the mood for wings, stop by Cavanaugh's and order a dozen.  They will be cooked well, served in a very tasty sauce and you'll be surrounded by good folks in a great bar.  Cavanaugh's is Wingmen Approved!  Try them out some time soon!

More please!

Eat Oceanside

Eat Oceanside
Busco's Deli & Catering
Busco's Gourmet & Kitchen
234 Merrick Road
Oceanside, NY 11572
www.EatOceanside.com
Maps and Directions

For some reason, this place seems to have three names, and it could have 33 names, it will not mask the fact that they had the worst wings I have ever eaten.  I am not exaggerating.  The worst.  Johnny Famous is gourmet and Redemption Grill has the Queen's royal cooks compared to how bad Eat's (Busco's) wings are.

I barely finished these disgusting hot wings

Butter, butter and more butter.  These hot wings were just poorly cooked wings drenched in butter and then spritzed with hot sauce.  I choked all six of them down because I was hungry and really wanted to like them.  They were soggy, they were slimy and they were disgusting.  I have to be honest here... I will never order them again.

Those three wings were never eaten

The teriyaki were even worse. What a waste of time, appetite and money. The sauce, first off, was a thick Peking style Mandarin flavored sauce, not a salty, soy sauce based teriyaki.  Secondly, it was also wretched. Sickly sweet, poorly cooked, and just plain bad.  I am not sure how they call it a teriyaki sauce.  I honestly did not finish these.  By the third one, I was so put off by the wings that I just packed them up and threw them away.


We order from Eat every so often from work and I know they have good salads and sandwiches.  What they don't have is good wings, they don't even have edible wings.  I will never order wings from here again, in fact, I don't think I will ever go back there again.  Eat Oceanside, definitely NOT Wingmen approved.  There are a lot of good wings out there, avoid this place at all costs.

Smok-a-Burger's

Smok-a-Burger's

380 Larkfield Road

East Northport, NY 11731

631-266-2600

http://www.smokaburger.com/

Maps and Directions

Running errands a few weekends ago, I was heading down Larkfield Road in East Northport on my way to Commack and saw Smok-a-Burger's and decided to stop for a quick lunch.  It's a small roadside burger joint with a solid menu.  Lots of burger choices and loads of sides as well as quesadillas, starters, sandwiches, wraps, salads and drinks (soft drinks and beer).  They also have desserts and milk shakes... mmmm.

The wing menu was pretty impressive too.  They offer BBQ, Buffalo, Blazin', Sweet Chili and Bourbon.  Only having appetite for one order of wings with my burger, I could only try one flavor and choosing was going to be difficult.  I wished I had a big spinning wheel with all the flavors on it so I did not have to choose, but after some real soul searching, the Sweet Chili called to me.  It was a flavor I have not seen on many menus, so I decided to give it a whirl.  My burger on the other hand was much easier to choose and dress up.  I grabbed a single patty with American cheese, tomato, jalapenos and ancho chipotle sauce.  I was stoked for both of my choices!

(tear)... they look so beautiful together!

How were the wings?  Well... They were awesome!  The sweet chili sauce was, as the name suggests, sweet and tangy with a tiny bite to it.  The wings were not very crispy, but were juicy, pretty big and delicious.  I was fascinated by the arrangement of flavors, so I asked the server how it was made and he said they buy it "pre-made," and that it is very similar to a "duck sauce."  Duck sauce is made from fruits (like apples, pears, plums) apple juice, garlic, mustard powder and a few other ingredients.  I could taste the fruit, although this seemed to have a bit more citrus to it and the chunks of chili peppers in there is what gave the wings their little bit of spiciness.  They were very tropical in flavor, in fact, they reminded me of wings I used to eat weekly when I lived in the Cayman Islands.  On Grand cayman, there is a bar called The Wreck Bar in Rum Point and their wings were amazing.  Ahhh... nostalgia. 

The Wreck Bar, Rum Point, Grand Cayman

How was the burger?  Also quite good.  Cooked well and big for a cheeseburger that cost me $3.89.  The spicy flavors of the jalapenos and ancho chipotle sauce were a perfect compliment to the sweet wings I had just devoured. 

From what I can tell from the limited menu items I sampled, Smok-a-Burger's has really good food.  It comes out fast, hot and tasty.  The Sweet Chili wings are Wingmen approved, but because there are so many other wing flavors on the menu, another trip (or 2) for the Wingmen will be necessary.  I guess I will just have to take one for the team and go back again and again.  Don't feel bad for me, it's my job.

Cross Sound Deli

Cross Sound Deli

41270 Main Road (Route 25)

Orient, NY 11957

Although the receipt had this address:

2 Ferry Street

New London, CT 06320

(I was totally on the Long Island side)

Heading up to Massachusetts for a party to celebrate my friends, Seth and Allissa's wedding, I decided to take the Cross Sound Ferry from Long Island to Connecticut. I made 2 PM reservations out of Orient Point and drove east. Hitting traffic, I showed up 20 minutes after 2 and missed my boat. So as I sat in the standby lane, I noticed two things, 1- a little deli and 2- I was hungry.

Walking in I stood on line thinking a BLT would be perfect and as I looked at the menu on the wall I saw "Buffalo Wings...... $5.95" and thought to myself, "how many times am I going to be out here, in standby and hungry? I have to order wings," and anyway, I am a Wingman, it's my job.

They came out, piping hot and in a Styrofoam container served with a package of Ken's Bleu Cheese Dressing. Frozen, breaded and a bit small, these didn't have much going for them. And then add the fact that I saw the cook take a plastic bottle, squeeze out a bunch of hot sauce on the wings and then bring them to me with no shaking, no mixing, no agitation at all and you have a recipe for poorly prepared wings.  I got a bit sad.

Hot wings, lemonade, and my Jeep's fender as a table.

Oddly enough, they were surprisingly good for what they were. The hot sauce from the bottle had a decent kick and the cook was very liberal in the application, so there was a generous pool of red goodness in the container for dipping. Again, they were small, but crispy and juicy on the inside. I really had no problem polishing off all 10 of them.

If I had been at a bar or restaurant, I would be a hell of a lot more critical of the wings, but this is a little stand at the easternmost tip of the North Fork of Long Island. This place feeds beach goers, ferry riders and people heading over to the casinos. It is not a wing place... Heck, they seem to be known more for sandwiches and ice cream.

I am not going to say that the Cross Sound Deli is Wingmen approved, but when you are waiting for a ferry (be it the 3, which just left, the 3:30, which I may or may not get on, the 4, which I have a chance for or the 5, which is guaranteed), they are good in a pinch. Honestly, if I miss the 3:30 too, I see ice cream in my future.

 

Yup... Missed the 3:30.  I made it onto the 4.