Much Ado About Wings

originally published November 1, 2006

Electric: That’s a fair word to describe the new WOW Café and Wingery that’s opened up in the fancy building next-door to Hodgson's in Five Points (1260 S. Milledge Ave., 706-543-5510), though it’s less because of the extreme hotness of the wings and more because of the amount of juice the place seems to consume. Every booth (of which there are around 20) has its own approximately 12-inch flat-screen TV, fully tunable and volume-adjustable, preempting the need to talk to one’s dining partner at all. But that’s not all. The room is also encircled with larger plasma TVs, set to ESPN, music stations and the like, providing over-stimulation for all.

With all that distraction, the food doesn’t have to be good, and yet it manages to impress, as does the young waitstaff, despite the fact that the place hasn’t been open long. The wings (doubly emphasized in the name of the place - WOW stands for World of Wings) are among the best in town, not soaked in sauce or resting in a bath of it, and the sauce is thick enough to adhere rather than drip. They also avoid the peril of the too-tender wing, which can make you feel as though you’re not even eating chicken, and the size is right in the middle of the appropriate range. Even a flavor like Thai, easily prone to sweetness or excessive peanut taste, has a nice little nip to it, and the classic Buffalo (available in several different varieties) keeps it simple.

The idea of a burger served on Texas toast makes one’s eyes grow wide; can it really be done? Um, sort of. The butter-soaked pieces of bread, grilled on one side, give up the ghost about halfway through, so make sure you have a fork to finish off the sandwich. For a franchise hamburger, it’s above average, with a grill flavor that may or may not come in a bottle but is decently pleasing. The Cajun corn, one of several sides you can pick with a sandwich or wrap, isn’t especially spicy, as one would expect, and the bleu cheese and celery must be ordered separately from the wings.

Which brings me to one potential problem with the place: it comes off a little pricey. If you order wings, perhaps you should get something for free on the side, whether it be a couple of pieces of celery and a cup of salad dressing or a few French fries piled on the edge of the plate. It’s not that they’re so expensive to purchase separately, but the diner also knows that they don’t cost the restaurant much and feels a little squeezed. WOW Café and Wingery does have plenty of parking, both front and rear entrances and beer both on tap and in the bottle. Take-out is speedy, and the restaurant smells astonishingly like almost nothing, which will no doubt be a relief to other residents of the building.

Palabok: What a month it’s been. One day, no Filipino food in Athens. The next, two options for it: Orange Farmers Market Etc. on Baxter and the new The Woods at the J&J Flea Market (Hwy. 441 N, near all the signs that tell you to turn). The building itself is toward the back, large, red and full of taxidermied animals staring at you as you eat. Two counters inside serve different items: the right dishes up barbecue (acceptable but not noteworthy), while the left serves pizza (don’t order it unless your children make you) and “Philippine Cuisine.” Yes, they also have hot dogs, if you just want something to fuel your shopping, but you can also get three Filipino dishes on a plate for $5.50. Chicken adobo (wings in this case, cooked in garlic and soy sauce) is pretty tender, but not garlicky enough.

Pancit and palabok are both shrimp-flavored noodle dishes served with plenty of sliced green onions; I opted for the latter, which was simply dressed and pleasingly greasy. It might say “egg rolls” on the sign, but it means lumpia, which reside more in the territory between an egg roll and a taquito, containing far fewer vegetables than the former in this case (mostly spiced ground meat) and shaped more like the latter; they come with a sweet and sour sauce that’s not exactly a sweet-and-sour sauce and has a touch of spice to it at the end. The family behind the counter is happy to explain what’s what to anyone seeming vaguely interested. On the whole, it’s possible it’s the equivalent of mall Chinese food, but expanded options are always a lovely thing. The Woods is open the same days as the flea market.

What Up?: Sons of Italy plans on moving into the new shopping center that’s going up on South Milledge, near the Perimeter, on the plot of land that once contained Chonell’s Plus Bar & Grill. Effie’s Club Follies burlesque group is having a chili cook-off titled "Hooters, Shooters and Tooters" on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at Little Kings. Although the entry deadline has passed, the public is welcome to come in and sample chilis in meat, veggie and “miscellaneous” categories. Entertainment figures to be a big part of the evening.

Hillary Brown

What am I missing? food@flagpole.com