Wing Review: Hennessey's Tavern

What is it with the overpriced wings around this area of Mission?

So the menu claimed you get a 1 lbs of wings for ~$10. Turns out that a pound is 8 wings. The size was all over the map. I had one drum that was huge and juicy and another that was so small it was like jerky.

The flavor was good and it had a little burn to it. The came with lots of celery and the ranch just the right consistency to coat the wings. I would get these again, but maybe bring a scale to verify the weight.


Hennessey's Tavern
4650 Mission Blvd San Diego
(858) 483-8847

Wing Review: Ocean Pizzeria‎

This will be my last wing review this year and the results are not good.



Runny ranch
No veggies
Dry and tough like they were cooked in the microwave
No flavoring until side sauce is applied
Sauce was buttery and not tangy or spicy

There pizza is marginally better when it's fresh. Their sandwiches are a better bet.

Ocean Pizzeria‎
4150 Mission Blvd San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 581-9490
oceanspizzeria.com

Wing Review: Dirty Birds

I have stopped in once before for a beer while waiting to pick up some food from the Thai shop. The place wasn't crowded then either. I noticed then that there prices were high, but the bartender assured me they were the best.

So the Friday night the wife and I were trying to decided were to go eat. I mentioned that I wanted to give Dirty Birds a shot, but recalled their prices were high. After getting seated and looking at the menu, I said "Ok, let me see if I got this right... for $7 you get six wings? They better be some god damn good wings."

They weren't.

Here are my notes:
Runny ranch
Dry spiced Lemon Pepper was bland
Pricey

The bartender was very attentive and the beer was served in an iced mug. The wings took a while considering we were only two of seven people in the bar. I usually would try the buffalo style, but Alison was sharing so we compromised on Lemon Pepper. Although they were bigger in size, they reminded me of the wings at Boll Weevil. I wouldn't get these again, but will come back and try the buffalo when they have their half priced wings.




Dirty Birds
www.dirtybirdspb.com

4656 Mission Blvd
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 274-2473

Wing Review: Rock Bottom LJ

I felt like I was walking into a TGIFs or something when we hit this place Saturday night for some late night happy hour special. At first I thought I was on the set for a scene from Office Space. We had just come from the Nutcracker and I was ready for some beer and wings to wake me up! You could smell the wings when you entered the bar area.

The order came out quickly and they were hot. The portion was small though. They weren't as tangy as they smelled. They had way too much paprika for my liking. Paprika is a good supporting spice, but doesn't handle the leading role well for wings. They were dripping with sauce and the veggies were fresh and crisp. Bottom line, I would try something else next time instead of the wings.

No on Prop D ads on YouTube

See the ads for those opposed to Prop D. They want no Permanent Alcohol Ban and want to keep Our Beaches Free. This is for San Diego, up until a temporary ban was put in place, this was one of the last areas in California where you could drink on the beach legally.

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recession/depression soup

recession/depression soup

Soup solved two problems for me by helping me lose weight and save money. That wasn't the intent at first. I had to eat soup after I got my wisdom teeth out. I noticed it filled me up and I lost a few pounds.

The disadvantage though was all soups have really high salt content. And what's the deal with the nutrition label on canned soup being for two servings? Do people really only eat half a can? So I started making my own soup that's healthier. The wedding gift that we got that I use the most is the crock pot. We actually got two, one is solar... It's just not that sunny in San Diego. I haven't used it yet. Plus I would have to put it on the roof.

Costco leftovers also lend themselves well to soup. I usually make the soup a day or two after the Costco run. This will make about 8 good size servings (two weeks of workday meals for me). It's more like a spicy chili than a soup if you get technical...

1. Set the crock pot to low heat for four hours.
2. Add olive oil and work it around to lightly cover the bottom
   
3. Add two cups of brown rice
   
4. Add a handful of whole grape tomatoes (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
5. Add a handful of sliced grape tomatoes (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
6. Add 1/2 packet of chili powder (packets are ~1 and last at least two batches)
7. Add couple of teaspoons of cumin
   
8. Add couple of teaspoons of garlic powder (not salt)
9. Add pepper as you like
10. Add sliced and whole mushrooms (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
11. Add dried shiitake mushrooms (big bag at Costco ~$10 and will last 10+ batches
    
12. Add water to cover everything and mix
13. Let this cook for two hours stirring occasionally
    
14. Cut broccoli to small pieces and add (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
15. Let this cook for one hour, stir as needed
    
16. Add two good size frozen chicken breast (Costco!)
    or Add 8 turkey meatballs (costco)
17. Once the chicken is pretty much cooked, remove and slice or shred and return to pot
18. Cook until chicken is done (not pink)
19. Examine the rice, most seem to cook around the 3:30 to 4 hour point. Extend cooking time as needed for rice to puff
20. Remove and package

I use plastic containers and freeze about half and the other half in the fridge for this weeks lunch

Wing Review: Wings n' things

We went downtown last night. The original goal was to meet up for a little boat party at the Hyatt. Long story short, there's more than one Hyatt near a marina in San Diego. Since Alison was meeting up with friends for a girls night and I was to drop her off, we went to have a drink at the Top of the Hyatt. As usually, we went to the wrong bank of elevators the first time, but we eventually made it up there. We had a great view of the midway.

I dropped her off at Sushi Deli on Broadway and was craving BBQ, so I headed over to Phil's BBQ. It was about 8 pm on a Saturday night, but I got a spot with out a problem. My hopes were high until I rounded the corner and saw the line. I've never eaten here before, just have had the food when someone else has picked it up. I'm not patient enough to wait in line, so I hoped back in the car and went to my backup plan: Wing's n' Things.

I haven't been here in years. I used to go more often when they had a shop in PB and even more often when I worked for Sharp near Convoy. The smell hit me as I walked in. I ordered 16 hot wings (I skipped the breadsticks) to go and sat down to wait patiently. That's when I noticed a sign in the next shopping area over "Wing Street". Oh, what have I missed? Then I saw it was a Pizza Hut, so I assumed I wasn't missing much.

I should have eaten then there for maximum freshness, but I wanted to head home first. Was I trying to tease Shelby? The smell filled the car and spilled out on to the streets as I motored home with the top down. First bite reminded me what a good traditional wing sauce tastes like nice and tangy. In the to-go container the are swimming in sauce, and this is a good thing. I can tell you I spent a little too much time in the sun yesterday as my chapped lips were quickly on fire. My nose started to run and my eyes teared up. Despite this, they weren't uncomfortably hot. No really, I mean it. I regret not getting a few bread sticks to soak up the extra sauce. Other than that, it was a great meal. Ranch was good and the celery carrots were cold, crunchy and fresh.


3445 MIDWAY DRIVE
SAN DIEGO, CA 92110
619-226-0185