At another time in my life, I loved a good sports bar. I mean, if one TV blasting is good, then 1,237 of them is heaven, right? Candidly, I’ve kinda outgrown the concept. I’m probably too busy complaining about kids on my lawn. However, I’ve found myself enjoying the way Wings Etc. does it.
Yes, it’s a franchise with three locations in Fort Wayne (Dupont, Bluffton, and Maysville roads), plus more in Angola, Bluffton, Columbia City, Decatur, Huntington, Kendallville, Wabash, and Warsaw.
What I like is you can enjoy plenty of action on TV without the sensory explosion of a college block party. Instead of a large study hall with dozens of people, you have smaller clusters. Some tables are outset by well-positioned partitions. The server tells me this is all by design. It feels cozy. Relaxing. Even the volume is controlled. Nothing goes louder, even if you beg. That’s a rule.
I like their pulled pork and burgers. I really like their pretzel bites. For franchise chains, it doesn’t feel like that. To that point, after an assignment in another county, the manager of one of their locations offered to make me an item that wasn’t on the menu.
Seriously, he said, we have some flexibility. He also admitted it was one of his own creations and wanted to show it off.
If Seven-Up is the “uncola,” Wings, Etc., is the unsports bar. There’s not a lot of hype. Not a lot of chest pounding about how cool they are. It’s just an easy visit. So easy, even my teen daughter, who is a tough customer to please, asks for it by name.
Pint & Slice returns after two-week absence
After a two-week timeout, downtown staple 816 Pint & Slice, 816 S. Calhoun St., has reopened.
Call it a break, a reboot, a breather, but whatever you call it, management says it was a chance to regroup, test new recipes, and refocus.
One of the first changes you’ll notice is vegetarian and vegan options. If you followed their updates on Facebook, you got a peek of their test kitchen, cleaning, and were introduced to their new manager Zach Hinton.
On the radar
Wild Crab Cajun Seafood opened at the former spot occupied by Scotty’s Brewhouse, 6282 W. Jefferson Blvd., in May, and it’s all about seafood boil dishes.
When you hear cajun, you think it’s spicy. Not to worry, tastes are individualized, kind of like a thermostat you can crank the heat up or down, just the way you like it for crab, lobster, shrimp, crawfish, clams, calamari, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and fish. They also serve po’boy sandwiches, a kid’s menu, and desserts.
The King and his menu
Changes are in the works for Burger King.
The nation’s third-ranked fast-food chain is pumping $400 million into new branding that includes marketing, improvements, and enhancements at the store level. They’ll also beef up the menu to make it more upscale. The Whopper is getting a makeover, and there will be new Royal Crispy Chicken flavors, while the Ch’King sandwiches are no more.
Recent obsession
After getting over my snooty, pseudo-snob moments of chuckling at people who pronounce King Gyros’ signature food as “guy-ros,” I marvel at all the unique offerings the restaurant has to offer.
Lately, I’ve been fixated on the ribeye sandwiches. It’s a wonderful rut.
King Gyros is independently owned with many of the same menu items, and my “go-to” places are at 814 Goshen Ave. and downtown at 302 W. Jefferson Blvd.
And if you go to the Goshen Avenue location, be sure to ask for A.1. sauce.
Fair food
I would be guilty of gross negligence if I didn’t tip you off to the opportunity to get one of the major components of Hoosier life: The one-of-a-kind grub you get at fairs and festivals.
The DeKalb County Free Fall Fair, running from Sept. 26-Oct. 1, in Auburn could be your last chance at this grub.
