A
Windrift Wing Night explosion
AVALON – You know when you walk into a restaurant for a gimmick like
Wing Night and the first thing you see is a special section set up
specifically for the prepping, cooking, plating and delivery of wings,
you’ve found something special.
A recent visit to the Windrift hotel and restaurant found just that—and
much, much more.
First off, this special section is impressive by itself, and very well
managed. Because the bar has a small kitchen area separate from the
regular hotel dining room, the ability to handle the volume that Wing
Night does is indeed impressive. Consider that the Wing Night during
Fourth of July week, the makeshift kitchen set-up moved more than 80
cases—with each container holding 200 pieces--of wings. That’s 16,000
wings! And also consider that last summer, for Wing Night only, the
Windrift, celebrating its 40th anniversary this summer, served more than
90,000 wings.
Restaurant manager Pete Mustico has five or six waitresses whose lone
responsibility is to deliver wings. They’re the chicken wing chicks, the
runners who deliver your food while the other waitresses handle items
from the bar menu among the mayhem—and mayhem it can be. One week we got
a great table on the second floor deck, which has a terrific view of the
ocean and allows for great ocean breezes while sitting under cover or
out in the sun; the next week (Fourth of July week) we had no luck
finding a table and left after about 45 minutes.
“That week was huge. We were so crowded. And as good at expediting that
we have become, there are just some nights that are so busy that some
people get shut out,” Mustico said. “It wasn’t always like that.”
Like when the idea to start a Wing Night was introduced to give
20-somethings a place to go for a cheap meal with discounted beer.
“That was eight years ago, but that was mostly for the college kids who
were here. Now, the demographic has changed and there are more families
around, so we start it earlier (4 p.m.) and run it all night,” said
Mustico, a Middle Township High School graduate who is in his 16th year
at the Windrift.
It’s a change that businesses around Seven Mile Beach have been adapting
to, as the Princeton did with its new design, restaurant and menu. Owner
Liz Tracy told Cape Cuisine the same thing around Memorial Day in that
the families and older crowd comes in early, and you can almost set your
clock by the changeover; as the adults leave, the younger crowd comes in
for a night of partying.
“Now you can really see the changeover occur. The families come in early
to enjoy the wings, bar menu and entertainment, and around 9 o’clock,
you can see the college kids coming in, so it works very well for
everyone,” Mustico said.
The Windrift’s recent expansion has also played a part in Wing Night’s
success.
“Part of the reason it has gotten so popular was the addition of the
second floor deck three years ago,” he added. “We’re really the only
restaurant on the water with an unobstructed ocean view in the area.
That really helped it take off. Since then, we enlarged the deck, made
the canopy larger and made major renovations to the bar layout and
seating. Fewer people are looking for that traditional sit-down dinner
and more and more families are coming in for a casual meal and the
entertainment.”
The wings, considering the volume they do, are remarkably good. They’re
served hot, crispy and as ordered. There’s only one kind of sauce, but
they can be ordered dry or with sauce on the side for those who like to
regulate the amount of heat they want.
“The wings are higher grade wings, they’re big and meatier, and have
more of a bite than some wings that are sold elsewhere,” Mustico said.
“And wings have become so expensive to buy (from wholesalers) then they
were years ago because of how popular they are, people appreciate a
chance to get them at a discounted price.”
There are also some very popular bar menu items like the Blue Onion
Burger, topped with steak sauce, crispy onion rings and crumbled blue
cheese, Crab Bites, miniature versions of the dining room’s crab cakes,
and Beach Fries, which are the local take on Chickie’s and Pete’s Crab
Fries.
There is, it should be pointed out, a $5 cover charge for adults, but as
Mustico notes, if customers bring back the Miller Lite mugs that are
handed out at the door, they get a discount the next week.
“We’ve been trying to stay consistent with the prices and the quality of
the wings,” he said. “We haven’t gone to cheaper wings, and the beer
special is $1.50 Miller Lite mugs and $7 pitchers. So with the $5 cover,
if you bring your mug back, the cover is $3. There is no cover for
children under age 21 accompanied by an adult up until 8 o’clock.”
The cover goes toward the cost of bringing in live acoustic
entertainment like (from 4 to 8) Vince Schneider and Adam and Johnny
(from 8 p.m. to close), the latter two well known in Cape May for
performing regularly at The Ugly Mug.
 The
Windrift80th Street and the beach Stone Harbor 368-2189 368-5761 Street parking for guests; reserved parking for hotel guests. Wing night is Tuesday beginning at 4 p.m. until closing. There is also a bar menu offered, including Crab Bites ($10.95), Turkey Club Wrap ($7.50), Blue Onion Burger (topped with onion rings and crumbled blue cheese, $7.50), Beach Fries (topped with Old Bay, side of cheese, $2.95), Coconut Shrimp (sesame dipping sauce, $8.95), Caesar Salad ($6.50). Wings come in small order (about 12 wings for $5), medium (about 30 wings for $13 30) and large ($20 for about 55 wings). Cover charge is $5. No cover for children under 21 accompanied by an adult. Cover drops to $3 for those who return with complimentary Miller Lite mug. Miller Lite drafts are $1.50, pitchers are $7. Major credit cards accepted. Live acoustic music from 4 p.m. until closing on the main floor. |
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed
at seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by
calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog