Raspberry chicken wings from Chez Wings
Q: I wrote to you awhile ago about a restaurant that had gone out of business, Chez Porky’s, and asked if you could find the recipe for their raspberry chicken wings. A new restaurant has opened in that location, Chez Wings, and they have one of the original chefs. We have been going there and I am getting my hot raspberry wings fix! I have tried every recipe I have found but nothing matches these. You have stated it is very difficult to get a recipe once a restaurant is closed and I understand that. Do you think you could get the recipe now? — Susan Armeli, Pompano Beach
A: It is difficult tracking down chefs and recipes from closed establishments. Another challenge is scaling down restaurants’ large-batch recipes to make them homecook friendly. This is when personal tastes come in to play, and recipes may require adjustments here and there. Taste as you go, it’s not an exact science.
I remember Susan being “heartbroken after 25 years” when Chez Porky’s closed in 2017. Lucky for her and scores of other fans, after a little cajoling, the owners of the new Chez Wings & BBQ Restaurant (105 SW Sixth St., Pompano Beach, 954-586-4431, Facebook.com/ChezWings) were happy to share their love of raspberry chicken wings.
The owners, Mukul and Nasrin Season, were also regulars at Chez Porky’s, which debuted in 1985 and eventually expanded to locations in Coral Springs, Wellington and Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The husband and wife team reopened the iconic culinary landmark in October 2018 after a refreshing remodel and months of jumping through hoops to become code compliant.
The news of the opening of Chez Wings is gradually spreading. On Chez Wings’ Facebook page (Facebook.com/ ChezWings) and Let’s Eat, South Florida (facebook.com/groups/letseatsouthflorida), the South Florida culinary community group moderated by Sun Sentinel dining critic Mike Mayo, devotees are singing praises and giving thanks.
Mukul Season said, “We kept about 90 percent of Chez Porky’s menu, and hired a former Chez Porky’s chef. We still offer 10 different sauces for our wings. People love the lemon-garlic wings but raspberry is definitely our most popular. It’s the sweet and tangy balance of flavors that everyone loves. The raspberry sauce is simple. But we make it fresh every day using high quality ingredients. We don’t add any artificial flavorings or coloring like other restaurants.”
Aside from Chez Wings’ uber popular chicken wings, Season’s Cajun-inspired menu continues to offer other prized favorites, such as the Caribbean coconut soup and Louisiana shrimp over linguine. Please take note, the restaurant is closed on Mondays, and the Seasons don’t have a beer and wine license. But the good news is there is no corkage or service fees for BYOB.
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