Touchdown! - Ocala Style

TOUCHDOWN!
WHERE TO GET YOUR FLAPPER FIX
BY AMANDA FURRER
What do you get when you combine football; frogs, hamsters
and Clydesdales; and chips and beer in one Sunday afternoon?
An American pastime that wouldn’t be the same without
some sizzling chicken wings!
The Super Bowl is a great reason to get your friends
together to feast on good food. This year’s game takes place
on February 2, and unless you’ve got tickets, you’ll likely be
tailgating at home or at your favorite watering hole, so we’ve
compiled a list of the best restaurants where you can watch the
game, order out and even fit in a round of pool or Pac-Man.
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SWEEP BLACK STRIPES ON YOUR CHEEKS AND DON THE OLD SPORTS JERSEY.
HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN GET THE TASTIEST CHICKEN WINGS IN OCALA.
GAME ON AT TONY’S
TONY’S BAR & GRILL
2711 SW 27TH AVE. | (352) 390-8188
Looking for the traditional sports bar scene with a
dart board, pool table and the game playing overhead
as you raise your pint? You thought Tony’s was all
about the sushi, but they’ve got game when it comes to
serving sports fans. Every Sunday you can get 20 wings
and a pitcher of beer for $19.95. Special sauces include
Boom Boom, a popular sweet sauce, and Tony’s Lava.
A REAL ZINGER
MILLER’S ALE HOUSE
305 SE 17TH ST. | (352) 620-8989
MILLERSALEHOUSE.COM
Were chicken fingers your favorite food as a child?
Then it’s time to graduate to the hand-breaded,
boneless chicken zingers Miller’s Ale House is known
for. Besides the jumbo chicken wings, you can also get
an order of zingers tossed in the sauce of your choice
or topped with melted cheese, sour cream and pico de
gallo. But the Zinger Mountain Melt is where it’s at:
medium garlic zingers over fries dripping with melted
Jack and cheddar cheeses, bacon bits and scallions. It’s
the Everest of finger food platters.
NOTHING TO BEEF ABOUT
BEEF’O’BRADY’S
3434 E SILVER SPRINGS BLVD. | (352) 622-4200
BEEFOBRADYS.COM
Beef ’OBrady’s proves chicken can be more than a meal
starter. Get your hands messy by ordering a basket of
boneless or signature traditional chicken wings with
fries, coleslaw and bleu cheese dressing. Kickin’ Bayou
BBQ, Sweet Jalapeño and Beef ’s Signature Buffalo
Sauce are among the standouts in Beef ’s selection of
sauces. You could have a beer, but the Bloody’OBrady
cocktail is highly recommended.
WING AND BARE IT
KER’S WINGHOUSE OF OCALA
2145 E SILVER SPRINGS BLVD. | (352) 671-7880
WINGHOUSE.COM
Shakespeare wrote a rose is a rose, and when a restaurant calls itself WingHouse, you can bet behind its
doors is chicken wing-goodness. From original (breaded) to buffalo, Ker’s WingHouse provides orders
of five, 50 and in between, plus a “naked”
option: marinated drumettes. Specialty
sauces include Dallas honey
BBQ, garlic parmesan
and blackened. Immerse
yourself in the game
as you watch it on the
110-inch screen—you
won’t be able to miss
a moment as you get in
the zone being glued to
this feast for the eyes. But pry
yourself away from the big screen
DON’T go overboard with
the cooking. You want to
enjoy the game, too! “The one
thing I’ve done many times
and regret is signing myself
up for so much cooking that
I can’t watch the game or
hang out with my friends,”
Robyn says.
DO prepare in advance.
DON’T forget the chips
and dip—and pretzels and
salsa and peanuts. There’s
no doubt you’ll be with a
hungry crowd.
DO serve a crudités platter.
DON’T skimp on
napkins—or cleaning wipes!
DO offer a range of
beverages. If in doubt, tell
your guests BYOB.
And DO use your DVR if
you DON’T want to miss
anything! “Record, record,
record,” Grace says. “We don’t
want to miss those top-rate
commercials!”
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TOUCHDOWN!
to meet the WingHouse Girls who are the company’s
cheerleaders. These girls next door are your hosts
for the evening, serving tables and bartending. The
beautiful and polite WingHouse ambassadors create a
new definition for the word “team.”
JUST YOUR FRIENDLY
NEIGHBORHOOD
SPORTS BAR
REAGAN’S SPORTS PUB & GRILLE
5195 E SILVER SPRINGS BLVD. | (352) 547-5030
REAGANSPUBGRILLEOCALA.COM
Opened in April 2013, the not quite 1-year-old
Reagan’s is a family- and sports fan-friendly venue
with a full menu of burgers and wings. Besides food,
Reagan’s also offers karaoke, bingo and all sports
packages. Pool tables, Pac-Man and pinball can
be played by those who can’t sit still
in their seats. Manager Diana
Bellomo, who
co-owns Reagan’s
with her father,
promises patrons
will have a good
time on football’s
most important
day of the year—and
dares fans with the
heartiest of appetites to take
Reagan’s chicken wing challenge.
(See “Earn Your Wings”
for more info.)
WHEN GATORS FLY
GATOR’S DOCKSIDE
3920 SW 42ND ST., SUITE 101 | (352) 433-2441
GATORDOCKSIDE.COM
“Gators with wings” sounds like a really bad, low-budget
monster movie. Have no fear—the wings we’re referring
to are Gator’s delectable chicken wings, which can be
grilled, buffalo, breaded or boneless. With over a dozen
amazing sauces to choose from, including Thai Peanut,
Slap Shot and 3 Pepper Suicide, you better come to the
Dockside with a monster appetite.
ROADSIDE SPECIAL
CODY’S ORIGINAL ROADHOUSE
2505 SW COLLEGE RD. | (352) 237-8182
CODYSAMERICAN.COM
At a restaurant where you can get anything and everything—a good burger, crock of French onion soup, rotisserie chicken—overlooking Cody’s jumbo chicken wings
would be understandable but a downright shame. Known
for their big portions, Cody’s Famous Chicken Wings
is a generous helping of the starter any way you want it.
Buffalo, BBQ or garlic, the familiarity of these flavored
sauces makes these wings the perfect comfort food—and
isn’t that the definition of all sports bar snacks?
WINGS TO GO
CRUNCHIES & MUNCHIES
1431 NE 25TH AVE. | (352) 622-2963
This takeout-only eatery has been around for 28 years, and
we strongly suggest calling ahead for game-day orders. All
sauces are from original recipes, with the medium garlic
sauce being a definite customer favorite. Crunchies also
has daily lunch specials. The $30.99 50-piece, pint slaw and
large fries afternoon super special is a dream come true.
The Afternoon Super Special is valid Monday through
Thursday until 5:30pm. Also popular is the 50-piece
Weekender, which will set you back $38.29. Both specials
come with slaw and fries. Store Manager Gerri Faw says the
eatery’s largest order of wings was a whopping 1,200. If you
want to match that number, best call in early. “The sooner,
the better,” Gerri says.
WINNER OF ARC MARION FOUNDATION’S KING OF THE WING HOTTEST
WINGS AWARD for the past three years, you have to sign a waiver before sinking your teeth into Mojo
Grill’s chicken wings, which are marinated with Ronnie’s Fire Juice.
Reagan’s Fiery Inferno chicken wings are also known to have a flaming tongue effect. Eating 10 breaded
wings in five minutes doesn’t sound too challenging, but 15 people (and counting!) were unable to endure the
“mouth on fire” platter. Manager Diana Bellomo says the feat is possible and your bravery will be rewarded.
But just who truly has the hottest chicken wings in Ocala? We’ll leave our most daring readers to discover
for themselves. Should you take on such a challenge, here’s a list for reference. Diana’s recovery tips? “Just
drink plenty of milk and eat Tums afterward and you’re fine.” She makes it sound so easy.
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BEEF’O’BRADY’S:
CRUNCHIES & MUNCHIES:
GATOR’S DOCKSIDE:
THE MOJO GRILL & CATERING CO.:
NUCLEAR
THERMAL MELTDOWN
3 PEPPER SUICIDE
RONNIE’S FIRE JUICE
WING KING
THE MOJO GRILL & CATERING CO.
2015 SW 17TH ST. | (352) 369-6656
MOJOGRILLANDCATERING.COM
Winner of several ARC Marion Foundation awards,
including 2013’s King of the Wing title, Mojo’s offers
15 signature sauces. Rondo’s Style, a spicy and citrusy
sauce, is a sweet favorite, but the real test is Mojo’s
hottest sauce, Ronnie’s Fire Juice. Watch the Super
Bowl on one of 17 television screens with a nice
brew—Sweetwater 420 is a popular choice—as you
chow down. Takeout is also available. If you can’t get
enough of Mojo’s chicken wings, Mondays are an allyou-can-eat wing night from 5pm until closing.
INSPIRED
BY IRELAND
TILTED KILT PUB & EATERY
3155 E SILVER SPRINGS BLVD. (352) 351-5458
TILTEDKILT.COM
“It’s going to be a super tailgate party,” says Kitchen
Manager Huston Abbott, referring to Super Bowl
Sunday at The Kilt, and he’s not kidding. The restaurant
will broadcast the game on its 28 TVs and offer food
and drink specials all day. The eatery serves their wings
by the pound, boneless, traditional or grilled. Sweet
and spicy pub-made sauces can be mixed and matched
to create an original chicken wing flavor. One of the
best combos is Garlic Parmesan with Tilted Sauce.
Another popular creation, which may sound a bit on
the strange side, is honey mustard, BBQ and the Tilted
Sauce. The concoction is a sweet and thicker sauce that
“actually works,” says Huston. See for yourself—or try
making your own.
JUST WING IT
Score a touchdown at your Super Bowl party
by making your own batch of chicken wings.
We enlisted the help of three bloggers from all
across the country to share their favorite wings
recipes for you to tackle.
GRILL BOSS
Fellow Floridian Robyn Medlin
Lindars is GRILL GRRRL , a blogger who
holds Quarterly Grilling Clinics and
broadcasts webisodes on grilling
how-tos and recipes. A trained FBA
(that’s Florida BBQ Association)
Judge, she has also participated
in former Miami Dolphins player
John Offerdahl’s Gridiron Grill-Off,
which benefits charity.
For Robyn, grilling is a quick,
easy and healthy way to make food,
which is a message she wants to
share with women who may feel too
intimidated to give grilling a college
try. Here, she shares her grilling tips
and favorite wing recipes.
THREE’S COMPANY
“The Chipotle Sriracha Wings are a
three-heat combo including chipotle
peppers in adobo, Sriracha, and
Franks Buffalo Sauce,” says Robyn.
The accompanying blue cheese dip is
her husband Scott’s own recipe.
CHIPOTLE SRIRACHA WINGS WITH
FRANK’S HOT SAUCE Serves 6-8
3
pounds chicken drumettes (defrost
if frozen)
least 30 minutesCook chicken on a
medium-hot grill, about 10 minutes
on each side or until done. Baste
with sauce while chicken cooks.
¼ cup Sriracha
SCOTT’S BLUE CHEESE DIP Makes 1 cup
4
chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
12 ounces sour cream
2
heaping tablespoons minced garlic
4
ounces blue cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
to taste
Throw all ingredients (sans the
chicken) into a gallon Ziploc bag,
seal and shake. Add chicken wings.
Let chicken marinate in fridge for at
2
tablespoons minced garlic
1
tablespoon dry mustard
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Mix ingredients in bowl, and serve
for dipping.
REAGAN’S SPORTS PUB & GRILLE:
TILTED KILT PUB & EATERY:
TONY’S BAR & GRILL:
WINGHOUSE:
FIERY INFERNO
KILT BURNER SAUCE
TONY’S LAVA
EXXTREME
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TOUCHDOWN!
GRRRL’S GRILLING TIPS
Oil your grill grates before putting food on the grill; it won’t stick, and your presentation will be better.
Create direct and indirect cooking zones so you can use your grill as both a grill and an oven.
Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature; you’ll save yourself from serving over/undercooked meat.
WINGS OF THE
CARIBBEAN
“The West Indies Wings recipe
makes extra sauce that is great
for dipping, in addition to being
versatile for other dishes,” says
Robyn. The recipe was a major hit
last year. “People were pouring the
wing sauce on everything at my
Super Bowl party.”
WEST INDIES WINGS Serves 4-6
15-20 chicken wings
8
ounces coconut milk
1 ½
tablespoon curry seasoning
1⁄₃or 2⁄₃ cup (depending on hot
preference) Caribbean-style hot
sauce (habanero base)
1
tablespoon ginger
Combine sauce ingredients, and stir
well. Reserve 1/3 cup for basting and
1/3 cup to be served with the wings
as a dipping sauce. Marinate the wings
in remaining sauce for a minimum of
30 minutes. Heat grill to mediumhigh heat at 350°F, and create a direct
and indirect cooking zone. Oil the
COOKING COMFORTS
Grace Clerc and her husband founded THE COOKING APPRENTICE, LLC in 2010.
This cooking couple holds basic cooking classes for children as well as
private lessons in Brentwood, California. They share their recipe portfolio
online to inspire new and experienced cooks with their favorite dishes.
Grace grew up in the Bay Area, which makes her a loyal 49er. On
Super Bowl Sunday, she keeps this simple tradition: “Break out the snacks
before even thinking about sitting down to watch!”
“WHAT’S A FOOTBALL GAME WITHOUT A
‘HEARTY SNACK’, RIGHT?”
“This recipe definitely had me
excited about watching football!”
says Grace. As for a drink pairing,
Grace says, “If we’re talking buffalo
wings with dipping sauce we’re
definitely pairing with an icy cold
glass of apple ale or any type of
fruity ale for a well-balanced sweet,
spicy and savory meal!”
grates of the grill so the wings do not
stick. Grill the wings on indirect heat
for 7 to 8 minutes
each side. Finish
the wings on direct
heat to get nice char
marks, basting with
sauce on each side.
Once the internal
temperature reaches
170°F, pull them off.
Tent under foil for 10
minutes, and serve
with additional sauce.
For grilling clinic
webisodes and more
recipes, visit Robyn at
grillgrrrl.com.
BUFFALO WINGS Makes 20 chicken wings
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
20 chicken wings
½ cup melted butter
½ cup hot pepper sauce
(Tabasco sauce)
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil,
and lightly grease with cooking spray.
Place flour, cayenne pepper, garlic
powder and salt into re-sealable
plastic bag and shake to mix. Add
chicken wings, seal and toss until well
coated with flour mixture. Place wings
onto prepared baking sheet, and
place into refrigerator. Refrigerate at
least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Whisk together butter and hot sauce
in small bowl. Dip wings into butter
mixture, and place back on baking
sheet. Bake in oven until chicken is no
longer pink in the center and is crispy
on the outside, about 45 minutes.
Turn wings over halfway during
cooking so they cook evenly.
BUTTERMILK RANCH DIPPING SAUCE
Makes 1 cup
2
teaspoons granulated garlic
2
teaspoons dried basil
1
teaspoon dried thyme
1½
teaspoons dried parsley
1
teaspoon sugar
1
teaspoon dried dill
½
teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½
teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or
kosher salt
1⁄₃
cup buttermilk
2⁄₃
cup olive oil mayonnaise
1
tablespoon organic apple
cider vinegar
In small bowl, mix all herbs and
spices together. Pour buttermilk and
mayonnaise into a bowl or a glass
jar with a tight-fitting lid, and whisk
or shake well, making sure there are
no lumps. Add herb-spice mixture.
Whisk or shake until smooth. Let sit
for 15 minutes, and then shake again.
Taste for seasoning, adding vinegar
if you want more tang. If it is too
thick, add a little more buttermilk.
Find more recipes at thecookingapprentice.com.
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SIMPLY SANDRA
A self-described small-town girl with big dreams, Sandra Mi, who hails from
Nashville, Tennessee, blogs at SANDRA’S EASY COOKING . She makes it her goal to
feature easy-to-prepare, budget-friendly meals. Her vivid, gorgeous pictures
make us wish magazines had the technology to produce food from photos.
Many of Sandra’s recipes are Asian influenced; here she shares her
own Sriracha sauce recipe with some honey—and ketchup!—to sweeten
up your chicken wings.
BOWL OVER
TRIVIA
We couldn’t believe some of the numbers
that went into Super Bowl Sunday. Share
these fun factoids during those inevitable
game-lagging moments.
A SWEET AND SPICY SENSATION
CHICKEN WINGS IN HONEY-SRIRACHA SAUCE
1-1½pound chicken wings
(defrost if frozen)
Salt, to taste
1
tablespoon oil
Sauce:
1⁄₃
cup honey
¼
cup Sriracha
1
tablespoon ketchup
1
tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
1
teaspoon fresh lemon or
lime juice
1
teaspoon cooking oil
½
teaspoon garlic powder
½
teaspoon onion powder
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove tips
of wings and discard or save when
making stock. Using a knife, separate
carefully the wings at the joint. Mix
everything for the sauce, adding soy
sauce to taste. Line baking pan with
aluminum foil or parchment paper,
and put wings in baking pan. Season
with salt to taste, and rub oil all over
chicken wings. Bake for 30 to 40
minutes or until they are completely
done and look crunchy. Meanwhile,
simmer sauce in sauce pan until it
thickens, stirring often, approximately
15 minutes. Once wings are done,
take them out of oven and brush on
sauce or put wings in sauce directly
and/or serve it on the side as a dip.
For more affordable and simple recipes,
see Sandra at sandraseasycooking.com.
ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL CHICKEN COUNCIL,
THE FAVORITE BEVERAGE
OF CHOICE, BEER, IS
EQUIVALENT TO
1.23
51.7 BILLION
MILLION
CASES ON GAME DAY.
CHICKEN WINGS WILL BE
EATEN ON SUNDAY—THAT’S 100
MILLION POUNDS!
EVEN IF THERE’S STILL SNOW,
AROUND
NOT INCLUDING MEALS, THE
AVERAGE FAN CONSUMES
OF GRILL OWNERS GRILL OUT.
CALORIES
FROM SNACKS ALONE.
1,200
62%
2 20%
ND
…AND THAT MEANS A
SURELY THANKSGIVING STILL
TRUMPS AS THE DAY CALORIES
ARE MOST CONSUMED. IT DOES.
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY FALLS
ONE PLACE BEHIND IT.
Source: msn.foxsports.com
Sandra calls these her “lick your fingers and grab some more” chicken
wings. “I love the taste! Sweet meets spicy, and it creates an amazing
harmony,” she says. “I am always serving these wings with baked potatoes
and freshly baked bread!”
INCREASE ON ANTACID SALES
THE NEXT MONDAY.
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