October 2010
43 posts
Day 30: Hot Wings Café- 314 N. Brand Blvd.,...
The restaurant: This is the place that started it all, so it was only fitting that it would end Wingtember. Hot Wings Café has been our source for hot wings since February, and in fact it was here that the idea for Wingtember was born. The servers call us “honeys,” and they don’t waste our time with silly menus; they know our order by heart. If you come here and order a salad,...
“This is where I go to feel the closest to my hometown of Buffalo, NY.”
– YELP review of the wings at Hot Wings Cafe. We know they’re good. We’ve been saying it all along.
September 2010
85 posts
Day 29: Zeke's Smokehouse- 2209 Honolulu Ave.,...
The restaurant: Open seating, lots of space inside and tables out in front. It was a half hour before closing but the staff welcomed us in (unlike other places we’ve been) and didn’t rush our ordering process. The restaurant itself isn’t super special or overdone in theme- it’s clean, it’s open and it’s an easy place to stop in and get good food.
The wings: 11 wings for $9.95. Zeke’s batters...
“…this spot is 5 stars baby. However, before I drive out to Montrose...”
– YELP review for Zeke’s Smokehouse.
Day 28: Nick's Hot Wings & Grill House- 6506...
The restaurant: We didn’t really get to soak in the atmosphere because we got there 12 minutes before closing time, and the man behind the counter all but told us we had to order to go. The dining room looked like a cafeteria in an old folks’ home in Mexico, and was complete with three empty, out-of-order vending machines. For all the manly men out there, the entryway features a...
Day 27: Timmy Nolan's Tavern- 10111 Riverside Dr.,...
The restaurant: A man’s man’s hangout filled with wood, leather and mini TV screens tucked back into dimly lit booths. Timmy Nolan’s is an equal split between a sports bar and an Irish pub. Downstairs you’ll find the mugs of beer and the TV screens that hang from the ceiling. Upstairs is as close to table service as you’ll get- a few booths and plenty of seating....
Day 26: Birds Café/Bar- 5925 Franklin Ave.,...
The restaurant: Very swanky, with plush black leather booths and flattering red lighting. It truly is a combination bar and café, but the two were clearly divided, and none of the riff-raff at the bar spilled over into the tranquil café. The only noise pollution from the bar came from a woman screeching “hey everybody!” at the top of her lungs over and over. We trust that a man...
“Fresh, authentic wings served out of a hole in the wall with an excessive amount...”
– Yelp Review (Oh, help.)
Day 25: Art's Wings & Things- 4213 Crenshaw Blvd.,...
The restaurant: Nestled between the wig shops and the The Liquor Bank Store, Art’s Wings & Things looks like it set up shop in an abandoned building once used by the Chamber of Commerce, obviously no longer in existence. It doubles as a hot wing stop and a small convenience store for the neighborhood: if you can’t get your canned goods at The Liquor Bank, Art’s has a single shelving...
Day 24: California Hot Wings- 8746 Washington...
The restaurant: A hole in the wall in the Pico Rivera Towne Center - blink and you might miss it. The place was run by an Asian couple; the man ran the register, and the woman did everything else. There were three tables inside, with some outdoor seating that was presumably shared by the surrounding businesses. It wasn’t busy - the only other customers were a Hispanic couple in...
“Surprisingly good wings. I went here expecting something much worse. Not...”
– Yelp Review from 6/2/2010. Sounds like we have a lot to look forward to. Better be good. We’re going 20 miles on empty stomachs for the quest to find the best wings.
Day 23: Vicious Dogs- 5231 Lankershim Blvd., North...
The restaurant: Long and narrow- much like the hot dogs on the menu. That’s a wiener joke for anyone slow to the punchline (read: women). We ran inside just a half hour before closing so the joint was empty- but the man running the place couldn’t have been nicer. Obviously happy to see two working men in a rush for some meat. A few tables both inside and out featured the clever addition of...
Day 22: Warner Bros. Commissary- 4000 Warner...
The restaurant: What can we really say about a cafeteria. The seating area is cramped (we got it to go, because we don’t have the luxury of “taking a lunch” at our jobs) and there are a bunch of stations that serve different kinds of food—a deli, a grill, a pasta station, a Mexican place, a salad bar, etc. The food is middling and overpriced, so we only eat there...
Day 21: The Casting Office Bar & Grill- 3575...
The restaurant: We like it. There’s an abundance of theme but cohesive enough not to be annoying. Friendly staff and a floor plan spread out and on different levels, accommodating many guests, yet maintaining an illusion of intimacy. And even on a Tuesday night with a total of 5 people in the bar, the staff still put forth the effort to host a trivia night. The wings: 7 wings for $8.25....
Anonymous asked: Loving the blog - it's thorough and detailed and when I read it, I feel like I'm licking sauce off my fingers right alongside you - well done!
Quick question - can you provide a little insight into wing pricing? I love that you include what you paid, but as I'm not the wing-fancier that you two men are, it'd be cool to know what your parameters are for reasonable wing...
Quick question - can you provide a little insight into wing pricing? I love that you include what you paid, but as I'm not the wing-fancier that you two men are, it'd be cool to know what your parameters are for reasonable wing...
Day 20: Henry's Hat- 3413 Cahuenga Blvd. W.,...
The restaurant: This place is parading as a hip hangout, but don’t be fooled- it’s nothing more than a sports bar crossed with a BJ’s. The hostess had to put a wedge underneath one of the legs of our table to balance it. Some might say that gives the restaurant “character;” we say it foreshadowed the horrific culinary experience we were about to suffer...
Day 19: The Cork- 4771 W. Adams Blvd., LA, CA
The restaurant: Do we say it’s a dive bar or a bar in the projects? The latter seems extreme but trust us it’s an accurate description. We imagine the same person who designs exotic dance clubs did the interior decorating here. Faux plants and flowers mixed with white Christmas lights and a steady stream of neon blue rope lights help distinguish steps in an otherwise dark (and damp)...
Day 18: 710 Grille- 710 S. Weymouth Ave., San...
The restaurant: It was small, charming and inviting. Well lit, plenty of seating, and paper towel rolls at every table so you never have to ask for extra napkins. The celery and carrots that accompanied our wings were served in small Ziploc bags, which we thought was ingenious because it meant the crudités weren’t warm and wilted under our bounty of hot wings. Really the only thing we...
CLOSED: Buffalo Wings and Things- 1269 Westwood...
We’ve encountered quite a few wing closures in the last two weeks which accounts for all the calendar changes. Doesn’t bother us. We’ll drive to Westwood only to find a joint has closed, take charge of the situation (like men) and change places faster than it takes to u-turn on Santa Monica Blvd.
Day 17: Wing Stop- 7057 W. Sunset Blvd., LA, CA
The restaurant: Eh, it’s more like a Subway. There were a few tables crammed in the hallway that goes back to the bathrooms, but that’s about it. Also, as one of the workers bused one of the nearby tables, she spilled wing bones all over the floor. We noticed more people taking out while we waited for our order, which is probably the correct way to eat wings from Wing Stop because...
“These 2 Guys are CRAZY Wing Fans!!”
– Anonymous
“Sad to hear that this place has closed I grew up with this place…”
– L.A. local expressing their anguish to find Rubin’s Red Hot closed. We were upset… until fate led us to Ye Rustic Inn earlier than we’d planned. And obviously, if it closed… it couldn’t have been any good.
Day 16: Ye Rustic Inn- 1831 Hillhurst Ave., LA, CA
The restaurant: Clearly not a restaurant. It’s a very dark and very crowded bar—a place you’d expect someone named Huck to hang out, if you know what we mean. Every seat in the place was taken, so we had to order to-go at the bar. The plus side was that the only women we remember seeing were behind the bar serving men—as it should be. The name Ye Rustic Inn...
Day 15: Ribs USA- 2711 W Olive Ave., Burbank, CA
The restaurant: The fact that it’s gross is funny. Until you realize the tables are sticky, the front of the restaurant smells like a janitor’s closet and the man who runs the place is obviously a failed entertainer (and he failed for a reason). Apparently it doesn’t get much evening business as it closes at 9pm. We’re sorry, is this Altoona, Kansas? We thought we were in LA....
“One of the better chicken wings I’ve had in L.A. … and finally an...”
– Yelp Review (From J.E.) of RIBS USA. Tonight we measure our respect of J.E.’s hot wing opinion… or lack there of.
“…when I read it, I feel like I’m licking sauce off my fingers right...”
– D. Garcia
