PJ Whelihan's Revisited

I suppose I should start by thanking my esteemed friend and colleague who originated this blog for kindly granting me leave to contribute. I am grateful that he has this blog so that I have an outlet to rant. And while there will be wing talk, this is going to feel more like a restaurant review.

During the previous week I had a hankering for wings. More importantly, what I really wanted was to dine out. Due to finances and other circumstances, we've not had the opportunity to go anywhere in quite some time, but I digress. I told my husband and one of our other friends I was in the mood for wings and they were all for the idea. I was heartbroken to learn Red Hills Tavern had closed down, and we weren't up for a pilgrimage to my beloved Moriarty's, so we three went to PJ Whelihan's. We had dined at this location before, and we enjoyed the food, drinks and ambiance. In fact, the right honorable gentleman from New York has already put in his 2 cents about their wings and accompanying sauces.

Unfortunately, this most recent visit left me underwhelmed.

But I will tell you what was good, and I'll start with the wings.

To paraphrase my husband, if cupcakes are a delivery vehicle for the icing, wings are a delivery vehicle for the sauce. That is, if your sauce ain't no good, your wings ain't gonna be much better. With eight sauce choices that span from mild to four alarm-ish, which you are permitted to flight deck sample, Whelihan's does not disappoint. They also have an impressive beer selection. (Now if Whelihan's would only offer a flight deck of both!)

The wings were not dry, overcooked twigs, hoping to be hidden from your palate by their blanket of sauce. These were prepared to the right temperature and were perfectly moist. Ordinarily, I would also mention the skin, but that will have to wait a bit.

Speaking of beer selections, their Copper Lager was divine and it complemented my dinner wonderfully.

Our waitress was accommodating and efficient.

Now for the bad stuff, and since I'm already on the topic of service, the only complaint here is that there was no host present at the front of the house. We had to wait a while for one to show up so we could put our name in. Now, for their part, it was a buzzing Saturday night and she was most likely seating others, prepping a table for the next set of occupants, or any number of other tasks that make up the job of a host(ess). What I found disconcerting was the lack of space for your typical hosts' station. This might be due to the placement of tables in the establishment, or, this may be how the restaurant Chain wants it.

In addition to wings I also ordered a side of their Cheddar Bacon Fries for the table. This is a childhood thing of mine I never grew out of. When we're at one of these striped awnings, I must order I have to fight the urge to order a side of fries. So now when I do so I move the basket or plate to the center of the table and pass it off as a communal dish. It's my polite way of saying, "Oh silly me, my eyes are bigger than my stomach! *girlish giggle*" And I pray no one thinks I'm a pig.

The Cheddar Bacon Fries' description read, "topped with vermont cheddar cheese and crispy bacon". Now I'm pretty sure that Vermont cheddar does not come out of a can! Unless I grossly misunderstood how cheddar is produced in Vermont.

The bacon was not crispy but soggy. I did not have my camera with me or I would have included a photo. Just take it from me when I say, "sad fries".

One last thing before I mention the wings again. This is not a criticism on the way they're prepared; this is an opinion:

Their wings are breaded.

Ugh. I hate breaded wings.

Now somewhere on the menu it might have stated their wings are prepared like that, and being the ditzy wench I am I missed it. Nevertheless, had I known, I wouldn't have ordered them. Or I would have asked for them naked. The thing is, unless the wings come boneless--and let's face it, boneless wings are an oxymoron--Breading. Is. Not. Necessary.

If anything, it's a detriment.

But, others may feel differently. Like my husband explained, the breading makes the wing hold on to the sauce better and it fills you up faster. But then, he doesn't care if his wings come breaded or not.

Me? The only thing that should come between my teeth and the chicken is the sauce. I expect the wings to have a nice crispy exterior, which combined with the tender meat underneath and the yummy sauce on top, should make the entire dish--and my taste buds--sing!

I really wanted to enjoy the wings and fries. I really did! I've ordered other stuff from their menu before and liked everything! I really wish I could type up a more glowing report here, but I can't.

Western NY Wing Tour: Country Sweet vs. Sal's Birdland

It seems you can find Buffalo wings anywhere in the country, so it's worth noting other regional variations. As I've blogged before, I'm a fan of Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs. This Rochester stalwart does not stand uncontested for the sweet-hot wing; among the better-known competition is Sal's Birdland.

So, who has the better wing, Country Sweet or Sal's?

Fresher and crisper than before!

The first stop is Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs, which is almost always busy. Since they've closed their other two locations, the Mount Hope location has been satisfying cravings for the entire city. The wait was about five to ten minutes, which isn't too bad; I've waited easily up to twenty minutes on some visits. As usual, I picked up a ten-piece dinner with a double-order of macaroni salad. On this visit, a ten-wing dinner cost $10.30. Not too bad, considering the size of their pterodactyl-sized wings and the inclusion of two sides. After cooling down, I dug right in and noticed that these wings were better than usual. They were very fresh, with juicy, tender meat, and an even crispier batter than I remember them having. Most impressive. The macaroni salad, generally bland, as usual, had a bit of a different taste, which was negated with ample application of the Country Sweet sauce. If I had made the trip for these alone, I would not have complained one bit. Please check out my earlier review of Country Sweet for more about their wings.

Taking hints from Country Sweet?

Next up, after a few hours to digest, was Sal's Birdland on Scottsville Road. The old hamburger stand building they used to be in had apparently been razed, and I had to look a little bit to find them in the industrial strip mall that stood in its place. Their new digs were sparse, with industrial white walls, floors, ceilings, and even the seating and tables. The decor, as little as it was, felt very incomplete, and made the place feel too sterile.

When I was in college in the 80's I recalled their wings to be somewhat smaller, yet less expensive than Country Sweet's, without batter, and lovingly slathered with their signature Sassy Sauce. Whereas Country Sweet's sauce is red, very sweet, and with a bit of sourness, the Sassy Sauce is yellow, thinner, mustardy sand sour, with a nice hint of sweetness. I noticed their prices had actually exceeded Country Sweet's, so I hoped there would be at least a size increase from way back. Again, a ten-piece was ordered, with their signature potato wedges  and macaroni salad. I was certainly surprised that their wings seem to come from the same breed of pterodactyl as Country Sweet's (that's to say they were large), but they also were similarly batter-fried, which I am pretty sure wasn't they case long ago.

When I received my order, they were served absolutely nuclear-hot from the fryer, partly melting the foam container (a bit of a concern). After ten minutes of waiting for them to cool to safe levels, I found the meat itself seemed to seasoned before cooking, and quite juicy and tender. The macaroni salad was flavorful, even more than Country Sweet's, not vinegary, and took very well to the sauce. The wedges were well-seasoned, not overly so, and were just crispy enough without being too greasy. The star of the meal is, of course, the Sassy Sauce, but I felt that the batter of the wings competed too much. I feel the wings would fared much better without the coatings, letting the sauce mesh better with the meat. The batter, also was maybe too crisp, and I found it too much of a distraction to fully enjoy the meal.

The Verdict: While I really like Sal's Sassy Sauce, and appreciate their bigger wings, I can't help to get the impression they are trying too hard to be like Country Sweet in a lot of ways. I liked them more when they were much more different than their competitors, but now they feel a little bit too "clone-ish". Their wings, while seasoned nicely, were set back by the batter, not to mention the higher prices. Country Sweet's overall experience is much more enjoyable, from the better, although cheesy, decor, to the flavor-neutral batter that helps their sauce absolutely shine. If I had to choose between the two, I will absolutely choose Country Sweet these days, although I must recommend keeping a few bottles of the Sal's Sassy Sauce in the pantry for use with unbattered chicken, such as barbecue, or as an alternate to Buffalo wings.

Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs
1691 Mount Hope Ave
Rochester, NY 14620
(585) 244-3200

Sal's Birdland Restaurants
400 Airpark Dr
Rochester, NY 14624
(585) 328-1620
www.salsbirdland.com

Terrapin, Rhinebeck, NY

Hot cuisine, haute cuisine.

Rhinebeck, NY is a great little town in the Mid Hudson Valley. They have a great assortment of restaurants, and they are a stone's thrown from the Culinary Institute of America in nearby Hyde Park. On this particular visit, we were inspired to try out Terrapin, a celebrated bar and bistro situated in the former First Baptist Church, a very impressive building. They have received very high marks from Zagat.

After being seated on the patio, we ordered a few items, including an appetizer of wings.

To quote their menu, they list them as, "one pound of free-range chicken wings". We opted for the Asian barbecue sauce, although they also offer mild and spicy sauces. Additionally, we ordered the "endive, candied walnut, and french d'auvergne blue cheese salad" and the "peking duck wraps".

The wings were served piping hot, dripping with an aromatic, red glaze. I found the wings a little small, if not a bit underdone. They could have stood another thirty seconds in the fryer, in my opinion for the sake of the interior. the outside was a little crispy, yet I would have liked it a little more so. The sauce itself was a little spicy, a bit sweet, and not too vinegary. Overall, a good balance of flavors. A pound of wings sounds like a lot but they go pretty quickly. There were about ten or twelve of them. Why not just list them as a dozen? Let's keep in mind this is far from a wing shack, and these were just appetizers.

The wings were fine for flavor, but I would not travel here just for them. However, if you are in the area, I'd suggest adding them to your order.

So, what about the rest of our meal? The endive salad, with candied walnuts, French blue cheese, apples, and balsamic vinaigrette, was an absolute winner. The sweet apples and walnuts contrasted perfectly with the blue cheese and vinaigrette. It was not overly filling, yet I didn't feel it was too small. It's large enough to share as an appetizer.

The Peking duck wraps were excellent. Inside the wraps were lots of crisp duck meat. I didn't find them particularly fatty at all. The meat was bathed in a sweet hoisin sauce-based dressing, and eating these wraps was an exercise in messy, gooey, deliciousness. The dish came with an asian slaw, which they could easily sell on its own, it was that good.

Terrapin Restaurant
6426 Montgomery St
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
(845) 876-3330
www.terrapinrestaurant.com

Tebaya (New York, NY)

おいしいです！ (Yummy!)

What do you get when you cross Japanese fast food, a small, unassuming shop in the Flatiron District, and a chicken wing? Tebaya has the answer, and yes, it's in English.

I've come here a couple of times in time for the lunch special, which includes eight wings, rice, and a small salad. They make each order fresh, and you can easily see them preparing your order. The shop is quite small, with a couple of tables and a counter for seating, so don't expect a table if it's prime lunch hour.

The wings are covered in a teriyaki-type sauce, but not too heavily, with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. It's about as much sauce as the Korean-style wings have, which one might end up comparing them to. The wing pieces are the forearms only, and they are fairly small. The salad, too is a bit small, but is still very tasty. When you bite into the wings, they are distinctly crunchy. The meat is just a little overcooked, but this does not take anything away from the flavor. Speaking of flavor, I would describe the sauce as peppery, salty, and with a hint of teriyaki sweetness. I would definitely classify these more as savory, and not as sweet. The rice serves to mop up the excess sauce that might have otherwise been left on the plate, and to add a little extra bulk to an otherwise light meal.

The verdict? These wings are delicious, though I wish they were bigger, and that they included the drum portions. These make a great snack, but those with heartier appetites might want to order extra if this is for a main meal. Definitely recommended.

Tebaya
144 W 19th St
New York, NY 10011
(212) 924-3335

Red Hills Tavern (Gilbertsville, PA)

Ahhh Hot n' Honey happiness!

Not far from Pennsburg, PA (where Pizza Como is located) is the town of Gilbertsville. This is where you will find the answer to the question, "Where can you buy both livestock and lingerie?" The answer is Zern's Farmers Market. Right next to Zern's is a small, easily overlooked restaurant, Red Hills Tavern. I was told that Red Hills Tavern has the best wings in the area. They have only six sauces: Mild, Hot, Suicide, Hot & Honey, BBQ, Hot Garlic & Parmesan.



The picture is from my second visit to Red Hills Tavern. On my first visit, I accompanied a good friend and local expert. On that visit we split 40 wings between us. My friend had been there before and recommended that we get 20 Hot and 20 Garlic & Parmesan. I was skeptical about the garlic & parmesan. I have had garlic & parmesan wings on a couple of occasions and they were always disappointing. What I overlooked was that these are not actually garlic & parmesan wings, but are "hot garlic & parmesan" wings. That is, they add garlic and freshly grated parmesan cheese to their hot sauce. On my second visit I got 20 hot & honey wings.


The wings are larger and meatier than what most restaurants serve. They came out hot on both occasions with plenty of sauce. The Hot sauce is a good standard Buffalo style sauce with good heat. The Hot Garlic & Parmesan sauce is an outstanding flavor combination. The parmesan adds a good contrasting flavor to the Buffalo sauce, while the garlic is, well, garlic (I like garlic). Finally, the Hot & Honey sauce is one of the best sweet wing sauces I have tasted.

Highly recommended.

Red Hills Tavern
1080 East Philadelphia Ave
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
(610) 367-6660

Pluck U (New York, NY)

Alright so it's about 100°F today, and I'm craving something spicy. Wings will do the job nicely. Quickly checking what's in the area, I pick Pluck U, a Greenwich Village staple that I've not been to in at least fifteen years. Since it's so damn hot out, I'm not thinking clearly, so I order ten wings tossed in their Death sauce. Actually, i did inquire as to just how hot the Death sauce was, and i was given a spoonful of the sauce to try. It had a kick, but wasn't ridiculously hot, so I went ahead with it. In my stupor, I also forget to take pictures of musings, so forgive the lack of pictures with this post.

I take a seat near the door, and the guy behind the cashier offers to redirect the fan toward me, in anticipation of my potential immolation. The wings come out steaming hot, slathered in a thick, dark red sauce. Now, I usually complain when there's not enough sauce on my wings, but today, the opposite was the case. It was pretty messy, and a good cleanup was in order afterwards.

So how were the wings? Better than I remembered them from long ago. The Buffalo-style sauce was strongly flavored, with a lot of hot pepper flavoring, not excessively vinegary, nor bitter like many other super-hot sauces. The outside was crispy, every piece delightfully crunchy. The meat, while juicy, was just a touch overdone, but still very edible. There weren't any noticeable spices used other than the sauce. As I proceeded to plow through the wings, the heat built up, leaving my lips tingling and my brow sweating. I think I wiped away a few tears as well. Not a fan of blue cheese, I was relieved there were a few sticks of celery, taking the edge off as needed.

The decor of this place is, um, yellow, and there's only a few tables. Most of their business, I assume, is take-out or delivery, so don't go expecting much by the way of ambiance. Still, these are pretty serviceable wings, and pretty much following the standard recipe. So, if you are craving no-nonsense Buffalo-style wings, and you're in the area, these might be a good choice for you.

Pluck U
230 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 505-2468

Boka, featuring Bon Chon Chicken (New York, NY)

Your average Korean-style fried wing.

St. Marks Place has restaurants galore, many of them Asian, over it's one block stretch. Boka's attraction, apparently, is that they serve Bon Chon chicken. There are a quite a number of establishments serving Korean-style fried chicken, including a few under Bon Chon's own banner. How does Boka stand out from the rest?

Boka's menu is varied. In addition to their chicken section (we ordered a combination of wings and drumsticks), they also feature bi bim bop. kim bop, and numerous items to share. In addition to our chicken (ordered spicy), we ordered octopus and udon in a spicy sauce.

The first thing we noticed was the food came out FAST. It seemed as if they brought it before we finished ordering, but the reality was that it could not have taken more than three or four minutes at worst. I am not sure if these times are typical at all hours (we came at a very busy dinnertime), but I'm pretty sure that these items were already prepared en masse in anticipation of the crowds. In all the haste to serve us, our server never brought the customary pickled radishes, which would have been very useful later in the meal.

The octopus, was indeed, very spicy. The dish included scallions, some peppers, and a disappointing few udon noodles. Aside from the few udon that graced the plate, the dish was delicious and opened up our sinuses nicely. The octopus might have been a little overcooked, but we let that go.

While we ordered a combination of wings and drums, I kept firmly to the wings. Already tingling from the previous dish's spiciness, the wings took it further. I ended up not feeling my lips for a short while, and I think I might have broken a sweat for a bit. I'm pretty sure this was the result of the sustained barrage of heat maintained through both dishes, as the wings alone wouldn't have taken me quite that far. The sauce was also fairly sticky. There was a bit of bitterness, and they weren't as sweet as I expected. The wings were a respectable medium-size. If you've had other Korean fried wings, you may find these to be "average", compared to some of the competition. Mind you, these aren't bad wings. They're satisfying, just not particularly special.


Boka
9 St. Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-2887
bokanyc.com