Tracks Raw Bar and Grill

Located in the LIRR terminal of Penn Station

7th Ave. between 31st and 33rd Streets

Website

Thanks to LIRR service cuts, I literally ran to track 18 in time to watch the 8:19 depart and had to wait an hour for the next train.  Bad enough I was working on a Saturday, now I was stuck in Penn Station. But, I decided to turn a negative into a positive by planting my tuckus at Tracks to watch the game, eat some wings and enjoy a couple of adult beverages.

See the tracks around the plate?
Get it?

The wings were cooked beautifully. Buffalo would be proud. They had a very crispy shell while keeping the meat juicy and tender. They were also meaty and had a nice coat of sauce.  So far, so good.  The problem though was the sauce. It was too sweet. It wasn't quite Redemption or Johnny Famous sweet, but still too sweet for my taste.  It was kind of a shame because there were some good flavors. This was another case of a ketchup based sauce ruining both the flavors and the finely cooked wings. They came so close to being a good wing, but it's all in the sauce.

While I can't quite approve these wings, don't let that stop you from stopping at Tracks to kill some time waiting for your train.  It's always a friendly, inviting atmosphere and a perfect place to grab one last drink before you head home.  You can also try their famous raw oyster bar. It's their claim to fame but I've never tried it.  Next time I'll ask for that instead of the wings.

Mets v. Yanks, Part 2 - Hard Rock at Yankee Stadium

Hard Rock Cafe

1 East 161st Street
Bronx, NY 10452

Now that Citi Field was on the board, it was time to check out what Yankee Stadium had to offer.  With tickets in hand, I jumped on the 4 and headed to the Bronx to meet my friend at The Stadium.  I went in with a little bit of a different strategy this time.  Instead of finding wings wherever I could, I wanted to eat wings from an establishment that was comparable to McFadden's.  There were a few places I thought I'd be able to order wings, but The Hard Rock Cafe seemed like it would be the best match-up.  I also went with a different entrance strategy.  Instead of going in before the game, I waited until after.  This had as much to do with McFadden's kitchen hours as it did with the fact that I was now watching the Bombers, not the Amazins.  I guess you have to give the Hard Rock a point there.  Being able to get wings before or after the game is a nice option.

Looks like something you'd get at a diner

The wings themselves though were unimpressive.  They had a good amount of heat, but that's about all they had going for them.  Other than that, they were kind of tough, the sauce was too thin and there weren't too many on the plate.  These fell into the "bad but they're still wings so I'm going to clean this plate" category.  I didn't hate them, but they were totally forgettable.

As much as it pains me to say it, I have to give the Mets the nod over the Yanks on this one.  Overall, they brought their A game and wanted it more.  Well, it was more like their C+ game but still, they had better wings.  Good thing the Yankees are still better at that whole baseball thing.

Mets v. Yanks, Part 1 - McFadden's at Citi Field

McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon

Citi Field

Behind Center Field on 126th Street

Flushing, NY

Remember that day that Steve and I went looking for McFadden's, to no avail?  Well, ends up we drove right by it.  Like, four times.  Steve had an extra ticket to a Mets/Phillies game and he invited me along (thanks again Steve).  Quick disclaimer:  I am not a Mets fan, I am a Yankees fan. However, pretty much all of my friends are Mets fans and I live in Bayside - heart of Mets territory at only 5.2 miles away from Citi Field (according to Google maps).  So, somehow I end up at more Mets games than Yanks games.  For shame, I know.

It's pretty clearly marked

Anyway, it's game day and Steve gets to the stadium before me.  He says he's in McFadden's and we should meet up there.  I'm thinking to myself, it must be inside the stadium since we surely couldn't have missed it if it were accessible from the outside.  Wrong.  I hop off the 7 train and start walking around to the bullpen entrance of the park, which is on the same street that we drove down last time we were looking for McFadden's.  Sure enough, there it is.  In our defense, it's tough to see... if you manage to look past the huge awning bearing the bars name as well as the additional signage that pretty much lines the whole block.  Long story short, we're idiots.

Just an average picture of some average wings

But how were the wings?  Eh, they were ok.  They had average flavor, were average size, had an average amount of heat... just all-around average.  The thing about wings though is that finding a place serving average wings is still a victory.  I mean, come on, they're wings.  You know that saying about pizza right?  Something like, pizza is like sex... even when it's bad, it's still pretty good.  Well, same goes for wings.  And being that these were better than bad, there were no complaints.

I'm so glad my doctor doesn't read this blog

We also ordered this heart attack on a plate, which was pretty decent - for those of you looking to supplement your wing intake.

We didn't want to stop there though.  We killed a lot of time at McFadden's and still hadn't even entered the stadium yet even though it was like the 6th inning.  We decided to finally make our way in and see what else we could find... and maybe even catch some live game action.  Unfortunately we were out of luck.  We tried the World's Fair Market and they had fried chicken but no Buffalo wings.  The concession stands had chicken tenders but no wings.  Looks like McFadden would have to be the lone wing representative for Citi Field.  Obviously our next task was going to have to be making our way to the Bronx to compare McFadden's wings to the wings at Yankee Stadium.  

For the baseball purists out there who might be upset that we spent so much time in McFadden's before actually entering the stadium, it gets worse.  While we were sitting there, watching the game on the LCD screens, we subtly pointed out to each other that R.A. Dickey was throwing a no-hitter - without using the actual words, obviously.  That put us in a tough spot.  Everyone knows that you can't move your seat when a pitcher is making a bid for the no-no.  But on the other hand, no pitcher in the history of baseball has ever thrown a no hitter for the Mets.  Not Nolan Ryan, not Tom Seaver and not Doc Gooden.  We couldn't miss witnessing the first in person... it would have been history.  Hell of a catch 22.  So of course, we moved... and got to our seats just in time to see Dickey give up his first hit.  So yeah, sorry about that.  Maybe next time.

Anyway... we did eventually make it to Yankee Stadium for a wing challenge.  Check in on Wednesday, we'll have part 2 posted then.

Dempsey's East Meadow

Dempsey's at East Meadow


Dempsey's in East Meadow is not to be confused with the other Dempsey's that are out there. This one is off of Hempstead Turnpike not too far from Nassau Coliseum. I have to say, this place is the gem that is staring you right in the face and you don't notice it. I must have passed this place a thousand times and never stopped in until recently. The bar is actually in a store front right next to Texas Roadhouse. Just some advice, don't wait forever to get a table at Texas Roadhouse, go next door and get much better food. Trust me, you won't be sorry.

As soon as you walk in, the bartender and wait staff are extremely friendly and go out of their way to introduce themselves, especially if you are sitting at the bar.  Jay, who runs the place, was the perfect host. The bar is set up in a big L with plenty of seating for casual dining.

Now onto the wings......fantastic. Different type than the usual bar wings. The hot was pretty good with just enough kick. Nothing that you have to worry about if you're not good with the hot stuff. We thought they were double fried but we were wrong. That's how much flavor was in these wings. The meat to bone ratio was great and the prices were reasonable. Originally, we weren't going to review this place, we were just going to hang out and catch up about the Buffalo Wing Festival from the summer but it was that good. This place will be visited again to have a more thorough review but overall, it is worth going to.



Next time you're in East Meadow, go to Dempsey's, ask for Jay and tell em the wing men sent ya!

Candlelight Inn

The Candlelight Inn is located at 519 Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale, NY.

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I love this place. Out of all the places I have gone to, these wings are worth traveling into Scarsdale for. Its a bit of a shack with enough seating on the inside and some tables on the outside if the weather calls for it. I have been here a number of times and never get tired of it. I'm the only wingman that has hit this spot up so far but it is on my top five list of all time.

The wings come combined. The drumstick is attached to the wing. If you get the hot, it is soaked with hot sauce and goes down down like butter. The hot is good, not ridiculous but hot enough. The meat to bone ratio is plentiful and is always cooked to perfection. I don't think I have ever had a bad wing session. The Candlelight offers a few flavors; hot, medium, mild, BBQ and teriyaki. All flavors, even the teriyaki (which I'm usually not a fan of) are great. In addition, the prices are fantastic. Very easy on the pocket!

Next time you're in Scarsdale, hit up the Candlelight and tell em' the wingmen sent ya!

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The Long Room

The Long Room

The Long Room is located on 120 West 44th Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway. This place was awesome in every way. It is now on the top three replacing my past number four and five. Nice size bar, with a tremendous amount of televisions; perfect for football. I had the opportunity to celebrate my father in law's birthday in Manhattan a few weeks ago. We went to see "The Perfect Crime" and hit up the "The Long Room" for dinner afterward. Don't see the show. It was aweful. The bartender at the bar, next to the show said one of the actors in show hates the show. Others around us laughed as well since it was so true. Anyway, back to the "Long Room" The bar keeps it dim lit to almost give it a trendy appeal but the actual bar is huge and plenty of tables and t.v.'s to watch.


Now on to the food. The wings were awesome. They had the Hooters type of texture to the wings as well as the sauce flavor. If you can't get your gal to go to hooters for the wings, go to the Long Room. The meat to bone ratio was perfect along with the kick to the sauce. The difference between the two was the wing itself. They weren't as edgy as the Hooter wings. They offered the traditional flavors, BBQ, mild, medium and hot. I, of course, ordered the hot and they were nice. Nothing "hot" contest worthy, but nice. I wish I ordered more but this place is on my radar to go again. Absolutely worth it. I did, however, top the wings off with a ridiculous bacon blue cheese burger covered in tobasco sauce. This dinner absolutely destroyed me but soooooooo worth it. Next time you're in Manhattan, gonna catch a game, go to the "Long Room" and tell em the wing men sent ya!

J'n"R's Rocky Point

J'n'R's in Rocky Point has a big history behind it. This place used to be the one of two Big Barry's. If you have just jumped on board with the Wingmen, Big Barry's is how it started. As high school students, we used to pack in the mighty max, Steve's boat and whatever was working for Jody at the time. Maybe the vete.......chevete. Big Barry's had the atmosphere of an old western saloon. If were drunk enough, we used to put a quarter in the automatic piano and make like we were crooning an old country and western song....we'll at least I did. The burgers used to come out in a pan somewhat similar to what the cowboys used to bring with them during an adventure. The wings, however, were about 3 cents a wing. Good ol' large use to down about 50 hot wings and grub some of ours. Good times.

I had the opportunity to visit J'n'R's in Rocky Point a while ago. The outside and the inside were basically the same bringing back a lot of memories. Immediately, I checked the menu to see the wing selection. The menu had the basic choices of mild, medium and hot. Once the wings arrived, you could smell the sauce permeate through the entire dining room. They smelled fantastic. The wings had a nice texture to them with enough kick from the hot. The hot wasn't something an average joe couldn't handle but good enough. The meat to bone ratio was very good and they were cooked to perfection. In addition, there was plenty of blue cheese.

In my opinion, this is a place worth going to. Food was outstanding, prices were cheap, friendly service and best of all.....has the ol' Big Barry's appeal. Next time tell em the wingmen sent ya!