When you see a place called Sip, I think it’s fair to assume it won’t be serving food and instead focuses on drinks. But Sip Coffee and Beer Kitchen is more than just a place for caffeine and liquid depressants. It’s also a place to grab some food. And, on Friday nights it’s happy hour prices for appetizers.Check these profit singularity reviews.

So, I did what any intelligent person would do and ordered two appetizers. One was the Chicken Wings and the other was Pretzels and Beer Cheese. The pretzels not only came with beer cheese, but mustard as well. Which is dumb, of course, but the beer cheese more than made up for it. It was surprisingly spicy, but in all the right ways. The pretzels were long and fluffy, with just right amount of chewiness on the exterior and not too much salt.

As for the wings, they were grilled, which is almost always a pleasant way to eat such things. I had half buffalo and half BBQ. They came with ranch, which is not nearly as good as blue cheese dressing, but it was better than the celery that the wings also often seem to come with for inexplicable reasons. The buffalo was pretty great, being plenty spicy like the cheese sauce although it was a bit light. The BBQ was pretty good as well, although the lightness of sauce was even more noticeable for that flavor.

I liked Sip. I liked the happy hour situation. I kind of liked the concept. But I didn’t feel like it was anything overly impressive. It’s a place you go when you’re near or thinking you can use an easy and reliable meal. It’s not a place you go when you’re looking for something special, which is all just fine depending on what you’re looking for.

Ramen is fantastic, right? I mean, we can all agree on that. But we can also agree that summer in Phoenix is not the time for ramen. So, although I knew Obon in Scottsdale had great ramen from carrying out a couple times, I made a different choice when I decided to stick around long enough to eat in the restaurant.

I began with something not Japanese at all. It was called Fuku Wings, which were coated in a spicy gochujang sauce. Gochujang, for those who may not know, is actually a Korean sauce and I have yet to eat a take on it that I haven’t liked. These were no different and they were nothing short of fantastic. It was a little sweeter than a typical gochujang sauce, but packed a spicy punch. There was a little crispiness to the outside and plenty of juiciness on the inside. With such a strong connection between Japan and Korea (albeit an often contentious one), I let the gochujang wings slide on account of being so delicious.

For my main dish I went with Street Noodles, which are spicy yakisoba noodles with peanuts, minced chicken and bean sprouts. I am an unabashed lover of yakisoba and calling them street noodles is pretty accurate because they are generally cheap comfort food. Obon dressed theirs up and I must say I had no complaints. They were mighty spicy and flavorful, with plenty of chicken mixed in there to keep a healthy balance with the noodles. They’re not your everyday yakisoba, but unless you’re living in Japan no yakisoba is and these certainly got the job done.

Between the noodles and the wings, Obon handed me some upscale Asian food in just the right way. Perhaps more important than anything else, Obon is ready and willing to show the people of Scottsdale that Japanese food is much more than sushi and teriyaki chicken. And when the weather drops to whatever passes for a low temperature a few months from now I know the ramen will be a welcome warmer in my belly.

Some were household names with tons of locations around the Valley of the Sun, like Grimaldi’s and Zoe’s, but others seemed a bit more special and I sought them out (along with some booze, of course).

The Italiano – Aioli Burger

I’d been hearing murmurings of how great this place was for a while now, and its victory at Burger Battle 2018 further cemented my desire to get there. This burger wasn’t perfect, nor would I expect it to be in such a situation, but the combination of mozzarella, bacon, basil garlic aioli, balsamic reduction and a discarded tomato made me more eager to seek out the real deal.

Mac Daddy – Tom’s BBQ

Is it proper to describe mac and cheese as wet in a bad way? Because that’s how I felt about the Mac Daddy, which is mac and cheese topped with pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Perhaps the measurements went awry in the kitchen, because a dish like this is very hard to mess up. Yet, it was underwhelming, leaving me thinking I should have hit up another spot in the BBQ region.

Carne Asada Fries – SuperFarm SuperTruck

This is a truck that knows how to make fries. The fries themselves were perfectly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, as well as seasoned to perfection. The beef was more ground than steak, but seasoned well, and the cilantro, cheese and sauce all acted in harmony with one another. The lime juice didn’t hurt either. These were easily my booze-free highlight of the festival.

Jollybeez Wings – Good Fortune Kitchen

What can I say? I’m a sucker for Filipino food. And while I can’t say I’ve ever had wings at an actual Jollibee, I have had balut and that should pretty much prepare me for anything. That said, the wing here was pretty good, and while there may have been a little too much focus on the corn and slaw? surrounding the wing, I was definitely a fan of the crispiness, meatiness, moistness and peanut sauce.

Unfortunately, one man can only eat so much. I left the Scottsdale Culinary Festival with not just a full stomach, but also a heart full of hope for the food scene in Phoenix. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like thing are bad in any way, but the variety I saw in places like Good Fortune Kitchen tells me that better foods are yet to come.

It’s hard to go wrong with bar food, but it’s usually pretty heavy stuff. So, when I entered East Park Tavern in Charlevoix, Michigan with a stomach that knew it needed to eat something for dinner, but wasn’t especially hungry, I hoped there would be something I could find. Instead of making my way to the full on entree menu, I went for the appetizers and the wings caught my attention.

They came tossed in either a maple sriracha sauce or house BBQ. As much as I love BBQ, I have a hard time turning down a mix of sweet and spicy flavors like maple and sriracha (while recognizing that, of course, there are BBQ sauces that are both sweet and spicy, sheesh). Like a good human, I went with the blue cheese dip instead of ranch and even though I saw there was celery, I let it fly because I thought someone I was eating with might enjoy it. Plus, celery on the side of a dish is never nearly as harmful as several other veggies.

The wings had a glisten to them that intimated that they were a lot more maple than sriracha, but I let my mouth be the judge of that. It turned out that while there was plenty of sweetness to the wings, this was balanced out by the spiciness of the sriracha, while the blue cheese dressing added a sour taste that melded well with the wings. The wings themselves had a nice crispiness on the outer edge to go along with the tender, juicy meat inside. All I really could have asked for was more meat on the bones, and perhaps just a classic wing sauce. Regardless, these wings delivered, continuing to prove that it is still tough to go wrong with bar food.

I have a confession to make: I don’t understand why people love banh mis so much. Maybe it’s because they are one of the only options out there where people can eat Asian food and sandwiches at the same time. Thus, when I took a stroll over to My Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), I opted for something a little different instead.

Here, different meant Deep Fried Fish Sauce Chicken Wings. Now, I love me some fish sauce, but it is also some potent stuff and I was somewhat worried about the liberties that My Banh Mi would take with these. Fortunately, they took a good route and put together some fantastic wings. The were juicy, crispy and flavorful – with that savory umami flavor being brought out by the fish sauce, but in the best way. On top of that, the dipping sauce paired well with the wings.

My Banh Mi wasn’t exactly a foray into traditional Vietnamese foods and it clearly catered to foreigners, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t know how to fry up some good wings and I was perfectly happy with that.

When it comes to grilling (as opposed to generating energy), charcoal is king. Somewhere along the way, someone realized that this would translate into a great restaurant concept. Thus, the world was given Charcoal in Venice. Charcoal, like most BBQs, is pretty meat-centric and great for unvegans. Nonetheless, there were definitely veggie options for those who prefer not to enjoy life as much.

We began with an order of the Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings, as we were told that the main courses would take a while. These were prepared with oregano, chili and vinegar and tasted pretty good. They weren’t smokey like the wings you would get at a BBQ spots, but certainly enough to bring the flavor of the grill. There were a few sauces at the table and I found the chipotle BBQ sauce went best with these.

I picked the Smoked and Grilled Bone-In Short Rib for my main course and shockingly my and every else’s main courses came out shortly after the wings arrived. This may have been an operational faux pas, but at least I didn’t have to wait long for my main course. It turned out to be served all sliced up and laid upon the bone, so “bone-in” may have only applied while it was being grilled, but that didn’t prevent these short ribs from being incredibly delicious. The meat practically melted in my mouth and was perfectly seasoned with what appeared to be just enough seasoning to bring out the savory flavor of the short ribs.

We also snagged ourselves a Yukon Potato Baked in the Coals. It was topped with salted butter, creme fraiche, aged gouda and chives. Oh, and did I mention that it was baked in the coals? Yes, this potato came out coated in the ash of the coals, which made the skin incredibly tough to eat, but gave the innards of the potato a perfectly soft and moist texture. The toppings helped it along with flavor, but this thing probably would have done just fine with a touch of butter to go with the flavor of the coals.

Are you the type of person that goes to summer BBQs and thinks, “Man, I wish this was more upscale”? If so, Charcoal is the place for you. Everything is perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked and reminiscent of what you would do if you were hosting for the 4th of July and had an unlimited budget to get great cuts of meat. Just be wary of the fact that all plates are meant to be “shared” and the main courses may arrive at the table faster than you would expect.

There’s something about fusion done well that really gets me excited. Throw some Korean BBQ into tacos and I’m sold. Try to make Mexican food Kosher, not so much (don’t underestimate the need for cheese!). But I had never thought of Indian food as something to fuse until I found California Chutney in Old Town Pasadena. This place is all about fusing Indian food with American (and by American I also mean Mexican because, hey, North America).

Instead of a salsa bar, there’s a chutney bar. There’s a tandoori oven and they make naan right in front of you. That naan can be used for tacos and they make roti into burritos, but I was more interested in a couple other options. Thus, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala Fries and Tandoori Chicken Wings.

The fries were pretty impressive, being topped with roasted chili sour cream and goat cheese in addition to the chicken. There were also some chives for good measure. Regardless, the chicken took front and center in this dish, dominating with some powerful flavor and spice. The fries themselves were solid, holding up well under the weight of the toppings while staying at a good consistency. I tried a few different chutneys with the fries, but they weren’t necessary.

They did come into play, however, with the Tandoor Chicken Wings. They came out sizzling like fajitas and were weirdly served on a bed of onions. I guess these added some flavor, but they were unnecessary because these wings were already packed with delicious flavor. They also had a nice kick, and thus the Mango Ginger chutney became my friend. This chutney added some sweetness to the wings without distracting from the tandoori taste.

While I may not have gone for the tacos or burritos, I was incredibly happy with the fries and wings. This was fusion done right, and I hope California Chutney is here to stay.

After many days abroad, one might think I wouldn’t jump right into another ethnic meal after returning to the USA. Well, you’re right, because my first stop was Taco Bell, but after that set my stomach straight it was time for a meal at Nicky’s Thai Kitchen in Downtown Pittsburgh. Nicky’s sits on the fancy end of the Thai spectrum, which is usually something I try to avoid because cheap Thai is awesome, yet I was willing to give Nicky’s a try.

I started out by splitting some Thai Chicken Wings with a buddy and they were actually really awesome. The sauce had just the right amount of kick (well, at least for a white guy) and the seasoning was delicious. Moreover, the wings themselves were pretty meaty.

As for my main course, I went with the Massaman Curry with chicken. It also came with potatoes, peanuts, and a mix of peanut butter and coconut milk with the curry paste. I ordered it at spice level 5 (out of 10), knowing that I could always add more if necessary. When it arrived, I was disappointed to find the curry littered with peppers and onions, but at least it wasn’t difficult to eat around these. As for the spice level, I found it to be pretty close to perfect. It was also the kind of spiciness that builds, so unlike my friends that added extra flakes after their first bite, I waited mine out and was rewarded with edible food. The curry itself was fine, but nothing really special.

So, along with pretty much any upscale Thai place I’ve ever been to, Nicky’s Thai Kitchen fell victim to simply not offering more that I could get at a less upscale spot. There was nothing bad about it, but just not enough good to justify the fancy pants-ness of the joint. Except maybe those wings.

Chicken Wings (or Buffalo Wings to everyone else) can be found pretty much anywhere in Buffalo. And while pizza places around the country have tried to introduce wings as a side to pizza over the last few years, this is nothing new to La Nova Pizza. With a location in the city and another in Williamsville, we made our way to Williamsville to get all of their goods.

Little did we know that this location was more of a carry out situation, but we grabbed seats at basically the only stools available and placed our orders. We began with some of their hot wings, then topped it off with their bacon cheeseburger pizza. And before I go any further, I should also mention that my buddy got some Bar-B-Que Wings “from the Pit” that had no business being as good as they were. Much of this was due to the fact that they were actually grilled and had perfect char to go with the rest of the flavor.

But as for my food, the wings were certainly tasty. By no means was their sauce amazing, but it was better than average and at a heat level that most people would find comfortable. The pizza we ordered was massive, sliced into squares and oozing with cheese (mozzarella and cheddar), ground beef and bacon. It also had tomato sauce, which was actually the best part of the pizza. Sure, the cheese, beef and bacon were great. I mean, how could those things not be? But that tomato sauce really solidified why La Nova was a worthy pizza joint to visit.

Having now visited La Nova, it is obvious to me why nationwide pizza joints want to capitalize on the addition of wings. The trouble is that to do so, they have to really care about their wings, like by preparing them the way La Nova does. It doesn’t hurt to make a damn good pizza either.

I don’t always go to Pittsburgh’s North Side, but when I do, it is for BOGO (buy one get one free) wings. And these wings were at James Street Tavern, a sort of gastropub with a jazzy theme and some actual live jazz music if you show up at the right time. I, of course, did not, but I did show up on Thursday night when the place has those 2-for-1 wings. And we went all-out with the wings, beginning with some Classic Hot Buffalo over there on the left.

These were not bad, but not especially hot or unique in any way. We also snagged some Chipotle BBQ, Parmesan Herb and Habanero Jelly. By far my favorite was the Chipotle BBQ. Like, to the point where I would only order these if I made it back. This is not to say the rest were bad, but they were simply not for me. The Habanero Jelly was also not very hot, the Parmesan Herb was, well, what you’d expect from Parmesan Herb and the Classic Hot was neither very hot nor very flavorful. The Chipotle BBQ, though, had a great flavor and just a touch of heat. More heat would have been nice, but whatevs.

After chowing on all those wings I picked out a burger for my entree called Singing the Blues. This was topped with gorgonzola and bacon, plus some invisible (from the menu) lettuce, tomato and onions. I ordered without those, asked for it medium-rare and upgraded my chips to their White Cheddar Grits. Unfortunately, when I asked for no veggies on my burger, my waitress failed to recognize my hatred for vegetables and the burger (eventually, it actually took quite a while) still came out with a pickle spear. This resulted in the loss of at least one good chip (oh yeah, I was given both chips and grits because at some point a mistake was made), but at least the juices didn’t hit the bun.

The burger turned out to be pretty good, albeit not quite at medium-rare. It was char-grilled and tasted like a delicious barbecue burger and the cheese and bacon were just right. The White Cheddar Grits were inconsistent, in that I tried a friend of mine’s as well as my own and mine were better. Next time, though, I’m worried I could get a bad batch. And while my burger also turned out pretty well, not everyone felt the same. Some people had items missing and whatnot, which I attribute to this being an off-night in the kitchen. Surely the place is capable of success as it was with my burger.

I’d check out James Street Tavern again to ensure that it was just an off-night. But I can say for sure that BOGO wings are a good way to go, although I’m not quite sure I can say the same for medium-rare.