Buffalo Wing Wear

That's right, the title says Buffalo wing wear!  As in apparel!

If you love chicken wings, you must get something from here!  Jason and I ordered two hats, and the awesome owner threw in a packet of the Buffalo Wing Bandz.  Check out the store, if nothing else, maybe you will find a Christmas present for Jason and I.

Fire on the Mountain

Alright Washington, it’s like this, I love you and have forever said that we are better than Oregon in MOST areas.  There are two things that Oregon has us beat on: weirdoes with glorious moustaches and chicken wing restaurants.  Not only has Buffalo Wilds Wings existed for years in Portland but Jen and I just experienced what can only be described as a revolution in wing eateries.  

We headed down south to go and visit the latest addition to our family.  His name is Lord Pistachio Duke of Sandwich and is the most adorable little black pug ever.  As I am writing this he is two weeks old and we are on our way to visit him for the first time.  We were heading to Kalama, WA to go visit the little guy and had mentioned this to our friends Sine and Matt whilst camping the weekend prior.  We told them that we were planning on hitting up Buffalo Wild Wings in Vancouver, WA since it’s the only one in WA and really is a great place to watch a game and have some wings.  Sine and Matt said if we like wings we had to go to Fire On The Mountain Buffalo Wings and should just come on down to Portland and give it a shot.  As Jen and I are always up for an adventure we agreed to do so without any hesitation.

All I can say is WOW! We took exit 303 off I-5 and followed it to Interstate took a left and this sanctuary of savory, sweet and spicy wings was right there.  We were there a little early so I settled in with a delicious beer that had a picture of hops on the tap and the letters IRA.  I am not sure what they stand for but this was an exceptional beer.  Upon talking to the woman behind the counter about this fine eatery she informed us that you could try every sauce before you made a decision.  At Fire On The Mountain Buffalo Wings they have a small dipping station at the register with celery bits to try every sauce they offer, which are all made in house, so rad.  Why more places don’t have this is beyond me.  You can order exactly what you want and maybe discover something new that you will just love.  Discover we did!

While we were waiting for Sine and Matt we ordered Jen some deep fried pickles which were recommended from the, super friendly, lady that was working.  I am sure Jen will give these deep fried pickle spears with a chipotle mayo dipping sauce high marks.  Sine and Matt arrived and we got down business.  To my chagrin Sine ordered a SALAD and tried to justify it by saying she got more sauce this way.  Poppycock! I exclaimed and then dropped it as I was way too excited to get my wing on.  Between Jen, Matt and I we shared 36 wings.  We got four flavors: Hot, Cilantro Lime, Raspberry Habanero and EL JEFFE!

Hot: Is what I would describe as Fire On The Mountain’s take on a traditional Buffalo Wing sauce.  It isn’t their hottest of this flavor they do have an Extreme Hot, which I would probably order next time.  The flavor is really good a little tart, which I like, and pretty spicy but not overwhelming.

Cilantro Lime:  This was a unique flavor that I thought with the cilantro flavor had a bit of a Mexican cuisine feel.  These wings were very good.  Not spicy but a rich flavor that went very well with the ranch I was dipping them in.

Raspberry Habanero:  This was my absolute favorite.  When I was sampling sauces prior to ordering I was a little leery of this sauce but upon tasting it I was surprised at the balance between spicy and sweet that was struck.  So we gave it a shot.  Once it was on a chicken wing and had a second to heat up a little bit it was amazing.  I know when we return for more I am getting twice as many of these and will probably pair them up with their peanut sauce which just missed the cut for our order…..this time.  I cannot recommend the Raspberry Habanero Sauce enough.  A must have if you visit Fire On The Mountain Buffalo Wings.

El Jeffe:  This is the hottest sauce the house has to offer.  It is no joke.  It isn’t so hot that it loses flavor.  In fact I think that’s what makes it so dangerous is that it tastes so good that though your lips are on fire and the sweat is forming on your brow you want another.  If you are feeling real frisky you can do the challenge.  15 wings in El Jeffe sauce in 7 minutes.  If you can do it they are free.  We had five in our batch and I am just thankful that I had an ice cold Rainer (Rahn-yay) to extinguish what was going on in my mouth.  As Johnny Cougar would say “hurt so good.”

There you have it.  Washington wing establishments you better step your game up because Fire On The Mountains Buffalo Wings is amazing.  The atmosphere is very cool and the staff was really great.  We told Sine and Matt that we may make this drive every Sunday as the wings and the company were amazing.  

Jen's point of view:

This place is awesome! I loved it from the moment I walked in.  The environment was awesome, and the staff was super friendly!  I really fell in love when I saw that they had a sauce tasting area (see picture above).  That was awesome!!  The wings were amazing, the fried pickles were great, and the beer was cold...what more could a girl ask for?  

My husband did however, forget to mention that I was a champ with the wings today. I probably ate as many as him and Matt did, and I didnt even cry when I ate the El Jeffe like the other two did.  I wont mention Sine's salad because Jason already did that, but sometimes a girl needs a salad...I get it. 

Long story short, I would drive to Portland just to go here!  Great place!  Come to Washington!!

National Chicken Wing Day

Happy Belated National Chicken Wing day!  For those of you that aren’t privy, July 29^th is the date of this most revered holiday.  I would be lying to you if I told you that I knew about this day any earlier than this year.  As a chicken wing enthusiast and someone who is always looking for any excuse to consume these deep fried delectables, as soon as I heard about it my fate was sealed.  The wife and I decided we would go to Wingers for the all you can eat special they run all day on this hallowed holiday.

Anyone who knows me knows that I can be a bit of a braggart, especially when it comes to my wing eating prowess.  To be fair my technique is flawless, but the amount of wings I can consume in one sitting has declined sharply in the last year as I have done my best to shed a little weight.  That being said, I was going into this celebration with lofty expectations.  I was eyeballing the three-dozen mark.  Even now as I type this, that doesn’t seem like that many wings, perhaps I am a bit skewed.  I not only had high hopes for myself but  also for my P.I.C.’s (Partners In Crime) in this caper.  I went to Wingers with my lovely wife Jen and one of my best buddies and old college roommate Jeffrey Wayne Riley.  Both are self-professed wing lovers and the perfect peeps to celebrate this sacred day with.

We got to Wingers and were a little shocked, excited, and disappointed all at the same time to find that the place was kinda dead.  Oh well, that meant more personal attention for us and quicker wing turnaround time.   I decided I would start out with a half-dozen wings slathered in Wingers’ amazing Rebel sauce.  It’s a spicy sweet delight, and honestly is only sauce you need to have there.  Their other sauces are good, but this stuff is GREAT. Jeff started with six of their Classic Buffalo wings, and Jen had FOUR wings with the Rebel sauce.  This is where things took a turn for the worse.

Now I am not one to judge, usually, but when you have put your name on a chicken wing blog, and are   semifinalist for the National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival Road Warrior challenge there are certain things that come with it.  One of those things is on National Chicken Wing Day; you should probably really go for it on the wing consumption front.  At Wingers, for their all you can eat, you get the initial six wings and then they bring them to you in threes from there on out.  You can have any sauce you want.  I have said all of this to say that Jeff and I embraced the challenge of eating as many chicken wings as we could.  Sure we didn’t hit our goals, but damn it we gave it our all.  The same cannot be said for my darling wife.  I knew things were amiss when she started looking at the Build A Salad section of the menu.  That’s right SALAD on Nation Chicken Wing Day.  Blasphemer is a strong word but I feel it is apt in this instance.  As my right hand man and I are downing wings by the three Jen was pondering the similarities of chives and green onions and deciding on dressing.  I was absolutely beside myself but I wasn’t going to let her dampen my spirit as I foraged ahead 6…..9…….12 wings in, break time.  One thing I will say, and it is a bit of a cop out.  Wingers had some large wings on this day so those these numbers aren’t going to wazzle and dazzle you on the wings consumed front.  The ounces of delicious chicken flesh consumed were something to behold. 

One thing that is crucial when eating wings is your beverage of choice.  I am a beer drinker.  When I am not eating wings I love a hoppy IPA, when you are eating spicy fried pieces of heaven I suggest your favorite light beer in high quantities.  When our waitress asked if I wanted another beer, I said I wanted a bigger light beer.  I had a mug in mind and planned on having at least two.  Jeff really made a heads up move here and asked her if they had anything bigger.  This is when I was introduced to Wingers Big Ass Beer Glass, 50 oz. of delicious beer.  The perfect glass vase of beer for when you are eating all that you can on the chicken wing front.  This was one of the highlights of our visit. 

I digress.  Upon receiving my Big Ass Beer Glass I continued on eating wings by the three.  15 wings down and I am super full.  Jen is just now getting her SALAD and I am feeling sorry for her.  A little because she ordered a salad and a lot because she has to live with me after I filled my stomach with chicken parts.  It’s hard for me to express the shock I felt that day.  Here’s the woman I love, my partner in all things chicken wing, eating a SALAD on National Chicken Wing Day. It wasn’t Washington State Chicken Wing Day or Pierce County Chicken Wing Day.  This is the day our federal government has decreed is THE day to appreciate the chicken wing.  When President Taft signed this holiday into law from his bathtub he certainly didn’t have eating SALAD in mind.  Given the current numbers on obesity in the country, having a salad on National Chicken Wing day is literally and figuratively un-American.   Don’t worry though Jeff and I completely engorged ourselves for you and for me and the entire USA!

Final Count

Jason – 18 wings and 66 oz. of beer

Jeff- 14 wings and a few Pepsi’s

Jen- 4 wings and a SALAD

I guess it’s pretty easy to see who loves America more.

I shan't be denied!

Greetings,

As we move forward getting close to the National Buffalo Wing Festival there are many events that go along with this momentouse occasion.  It's not just a stadium filled with literally hundreds of different kinds of buffalo wings for consumption.  It's a celebration of the buffalo wing and the people who love it.  Jen and I will be trying to enter as many of these events as possible.  Here are just some of the events we hope to participate in

• .5k Chicken Wing Run
• Amateur Chicken Wing Eating Contest
• Ridiculously Hot wing Eating Contest
• Bobbing for Wings
• Yancey's Fancy Cheesiest Couple Constest

Sure some of these sound silly but the people at the festival are taking this stuff seriously.  There are official applications for all these events.  I of course have sent in my application to be in the Amateur Chicken Wing Eating Contest.  I truly hope they select me for this.  Below is what I wrote on my application.  

My desire to push my body to its limits mentally and physically in the name of delicious competition has compelled me to submit this entry for consideration in being a participant in the Amateur Wing Eating Contest. My techniques, in poultry appendage consumption, are time tested and are stuff of legend in my neck of the woods. It's time for me to put my training to the test on what i feel is the grandest stage of them all. While keeping my amateur status in tact. I shan't be coaxed by the bright lights and obvious fame I would gain by becoming a professional. I eat wings for the love of the game and sweet sweet chicken meat.

How can they deny me?!

What is the National Buffalo Wing Festival?

Some of you might be wondering what exactly is the “Buffalo Wing Festival” that we are attending Labor Day weekend.  Well let me tell you a little bit about it.  I hope you are sitting down because it is full of awesomeness! 

The National Buffalo Wing Festival is held in Buffalo, New York (naturally) on Labor Day weekend. The festival has been going on since 2002, and apparently is a must do event for chicken wing lovers!  So, we are headed that way!

Here are some interesting stats about the festival:

-          407,000 people

-          2.4 million wings consumed

-          137 tons of wings in weight

-          191 restaurants participated

-          $125,000 in charitable contributions

-          1 wedding….nope it wasn’t ours (unfortunately)

Check out this awesome chicken wing festival promo video…it shows you a little bit of how cool it will be!

You can also check out their website!  It’s awesome….So, are you ready to come with us?

Schafer's in Sumner

Jason's Wing Experience

What did I tell you? What did I tell you?

We are taking this wing blog to a whole new level!

The wife and I were not in the mood to cook so we decided to try a new place. To be completely honest we were looking for a bar with a Taco Wednesday. Turns out you can only sell tasty tacos at a crazy low price on Tuesdays or Thursdays. (It's in the Geneva Convention) Short story short, we ended up at Schafer's in Sumner.

I'm usually not one for bars in old strip malls, however Schafer's was better than expected. The clientele is exactly what you would expect for Sumner on a Wednesday evening. That's not a bad thing. It's a dark, but clean, bar with plenty of TV's and a couple pool tables. The liquor selection appeared to be ample. I did spot some Root Beer Schnapps that peaked my interest, but that is for another time. They have a sufficient amount of beers on tap. I was a little saddened that their only IPA was tapped. Oh well. I asked the fella behind the bar what was good as he handed me a menu and he did not hesitate to say "Everything dude, for real" and nudged me toward the steak special. Though I usually defer to the experts on such matters, my wife had spotted a peanut butter-bacon-cheeseburger. Then I knew my choice had been made for me. I strongly recommend you open your mind and give this a whirl if you head down to Schafer's. Also i ordered the wings, of course.

We ordered the chicken wings extra saucy. So, I was surprised when a plate of dry wings came out. I immediately asked about getting some hot sauce to dip with my ranch. The cook, who was really a nice guy, urged us to try them without the sauce first. He insisted that they already had a little "zip". In order to give you our millions of readers the perspective you expect from this blog, I obliged the gentlemen. As you all probably know I am a saucy wing man. Dry wings, to me, are just tiny fried chicken. Schafer's chicken wings fit this bill and then some, in the best possible way. The wings were larger than your normal bar wings, there were some drummies mixed in as well. They appeared to be coated with hot sauce and THEN breaded. As far as dry wings go they were excellent. Some of the best I have ever had. Very crispy but great flavor and they were fresh from the fryer so they were quite hot.

Jen and I were impressed with the service and the food. We will definitely be back to Schafer's to sample more of their wares. We were not impressed with the "cool" guy who sat next to us at the bar who sucked down three shots of Fireball Whiskey and two Bud Lights in less than a quarter of playoff basketball. He was a self proclaimed big tipper but since the bar tender wasn't super friendly (which he actually was) he was missing out. He wasn't the only loud mouth in there, but it's a bar that's the risk you take. Having my appetite and thirst for craft beer thoroughly sated we headed on down the road.

Jen's wing experience

For dry chicken wings, they were bomb.com!

Chicken wings at our wedding

Here is a picture of me eating chicken wings at our wedding. We couldn't miss out on having the best food on the best day of our life's!