Grant Spills the Gravy – The Wing House
It’s been a while since my wife and I went out for a date night. I called her from work and told her she needed to pick a place for supper. I was surprised when she chose a sports bar, but it’s her choice. She mentioned that she had a hard time deciding, but Wing House won the coin toss. I always let her choose, and if she’s ever disappointed, I can play the famous husband card and say, “Well, you picked it.” This is similar to the wife card she plays when she says, “Did the dryer stop?” subtly suggesting that I should retrieve the now-dry laundry.
We arrived at the restaurant 30 minutes after they opened. A young man greeted us and gestured for us to sit anywhere we liked. After selecting a booth, Yousef took our drink orders. He was quiet and polite, with a full head of super curly hair and a great smile. I chose a Coke, and my wife opted for apple juice since she had to work the next day and couldn’t have alcohol. We received our menus from the attentive waiter, and he gave us a few minutes to look them over.
We decided on the “Lovers Deal,” which included 3 pounds of wings with 2 flavors, fries, salad, and 2 dipping sauces. We chose relatively mild sauces: Canadian and Barbeque. I usually like them spicy, but I wanted to ensure I wouldn’t spend the next day complaining about a potential ulcer. The dipping sauces were Ranch and blue cheese. The blue cheese was really good, and the sauces came with sticks of celery and carrots, which we both enjoyed.
While waiting for our food, Yousef checked on us a couple of times. He’s definitely on his way to a successful career in hospitality. As we waited, the place began to fill up. There was a small family with a baby sitting as far away from us as possible. The baby wasn’t too pleased through most of their meal, and the mom had to stand, eat, and hold the baby while rocking it the whole time. She was a good mom and kept the baby quiet. A couple of more families arrived, along with the usual dinner crowd. Then, two men walked in and were seated behind us. One of them looked at Yousef and asked for music to be played; it was clear these guys were here to party.
After taking their rather large drink orders, Yousef hurried off, and they were left to discuss things that seemed important to them. “He was hitting on the shorter lady the whole night. I think she looked somewhat attractive, but I’m not entirely sure because I was pretty inebriated. But I think he took her home.” I couldn’t help but laugh throughout his entire story.
Our food arrived, and my wife and I dug in. I’m not a fan of messy foods, but when in Rome… The Barbecue wings were mild but packed great flavor. The Canadian sauce had a bit more kick and was equally delicious. The wings were perfectly sized—not too big, but not too small. At this point, I needed to use the restroom and left my lovely lady. The restroom was relatively clean, although you could smell them before walking in. Seeing holes punched in the stall walls confirmed why the two rowdy guys were here to party.
The salad was okay, with the dressing being nearly flavorless, but at least they made an effort. Yousef brought us our bill with his big smile. I would rate the Wing House 7 out of 10 gravy boats, with 4 points attributed solely to the fantastic Yousef, 2 more for the food, and one for the conversation about height.
As I shared my thoughts about this experience with Yousef, one of the young gentlemen in the next booth said, “You’re going to be famous!” This made Yousef smile even more. The total came to $80 with the tip.
Next time, I might choose to sit near the crying baby. At least I hope their conversation won’t involve discussions about height.
The Wing House is located at: 1730 Vincent Massey Dr, Cornwall
