After a very successful inaugural Wing Review, we had some trouble scheduling week two and missed it. This led to a the well received decision to double up on week three, so as not to fall behind so early in the review. The Second Wing Review was a strange one, with one restaurant mysteriously out of wings, and the other presenting some curious options that left our bellies wondering what just happened. With a bitter taste lingering in our mouths, you would think that a second review two days later would be somewhat of a mountain to climb. This is one of the great things about wing nights: for some reason beyond understanding, an hour before dinner time you are fiending for wings so ravenously that you would run through a field of flaming Huntsville mosquitos the size of eagles just to get a plate. Ok, maybe not that bad, but seriously, I thought my wing appetite was gone forever after our previous experience, and I was really excited by the time 7pm rolled around. I'm sure I'll be given an intervention by the time this is all said and done.
Anyhow, The Bush Company was hot on our sites last Thursday night and we were excited to give it a whirl. Mixed reviews have crossed my path on this Dwight watering hole, but with a slogan like "Where everybody knows your truck", I knew it couldn't be all bad. The welcome sight of half a dozen trucks and twice as many snowmobiles parked out front only helped to solidify this inkling.
The Bush Company has an interesting atmosphere. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems to me that it should be much more inviting than it is. Maybe it's the open concept floor plan or the dim lighting, but the bar actually has most of the qualities that I love in a small town wobbly shop. For whatever the reason, it misses the mark by a c-hair. Nevertheless, we were greeted by a fantastic smiling face and shown to our table right away. Halley, our server, was amazing all night and really wanted to show us that The Bush Co. is the place to be for Thursday night wing lovers. With The Cookhouse right around the corner offering the same deal on the same night, there was a lot to live up to in proving that point. We were not disappointed.
Greeted quickly to a round of beers and Jager Monkey shots, we were pleased to find out from Halley that wings cost only $.39 each and take home is no problemo. Suddenly a wing demon possessed us all, and what started out as a "low key" wing night turned into orders upwards of 20 each. Honestly, I went into this night thinking "take it easy bud, or you're guts will liquefy and never come back", but the wings had a different plan. To top that off, we were given a real treat with a wing sample platter, each of us able to try every variety of wing one at a time, and it came out fast. This was like an appetite kick-start and got things off on the right foot. Every variety that The Bush Co. puts out is tasty, with flavours like "Fire and Ice", "Caribbean Jerk Sauce" and "Raging Buffalo" standing out. The "Parmesean and Herb" could have been a little more tasty, but would serve well as a cool-down wing with a plate of suicides.
Prompt service from the kitchen impressed us, with the wing orders coming out quickly and AT THE SAME TIME!! I can't believe how many places make one person wait at the table while everyone else mows down. Not here, we were all happily munching away together like the weird little chicken wing eating cult that we are. It didn't take long for us to realize that we had once again stumbled upon something special. Perfect temperature, excellent texture and full flavours graced our lips; soon we were all carrying on about the wings like a bunch of giddy school girls. With our gums flapping and our chins wagging, somehow we managed to not only get our wings down whist giving full praise, we did it in record time. Those wings vanished faster than panties on prom night.
We got Halley to take our picture at the end of the night and she had us say, "Hairy Bush". Corky made note of that.
Final thoughts on the Bush Co. were resoundingly positive. Maybe it was the beer, or the shots, or maybe we inhaled an overdose of sled exhaust on the way in, but we were buzzing with enthusiasm about what we had just eaten. There was some kind of disbelief that you could pig out on wings without getting that "I'm gonna need a shit and a nap" kind of feeling in your guts. It exists! Here's how the votes went: Atmosphere was nice, but somehow lacking. A chilly breeze coming in the door every time sledders arrived definitely didn't help. Oh, and did I mention this place used to be called "The Boiler Room", and there's a giant boiler in the middle of the place. Kinda neat. 3.8/5. Chicken Meatiness was above average, but not "colossal", as it says on the menu. A satisfying 3.9/5. Wing temperature was very good, 4.6/5. Flavour was also great. One of our judges went as far as saying, "If suicide was this good, everyone would be doing it." 4.5/5. Service was superb all night, we really felt like kings and couldn't have asked for more. That girl should get a raise! 5/5. Bonus points weighed in heavy, but with speedy service, impressive variety, carrots and celery that looked like it had just been farmed out back and a great low price, we totalled up a 5.8/6. This brings The Bush Company to... 27.5/25!!!! In the first wing review I noted that The Cookhouse was going to blow out the competition, with a final score of 27.6! Now, technically this puts The Cookhouse out in front, but if we look at it as a percentage, we've got ourselves a tie. This could call for a championship round... if nobody gets a higher mark before the end of this thing.
Next week, Muskoka On The Rocks. Back in the day they were famous for their wings. We'll find out if they can still hack it...
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