Defending the Crown

There are just 24 hours left before the Best Wings in Brooklyn contest.  The competitors are busy putting last minute touches on their recipes.  However, Bromography was lucky enough to snag an interview with the reigning champion, Colette Burnett of SuperWings NY.

Last year SuperWings took home the title of the  Best Wings in Brooklyn, despite the fact you were a new restaurant.  What do you think gave you an edge?

Last year we just wanted it more that anything. Being new, we knew we had to really make an impact both with our flavors and our presence at the event. Five months old, we had nothing to lose and everything to gain, the title would give us legs.  Our team got there early, set up our station beautifully with balloons, flags etc and branded our little area superbly. We took our Ginger Buff flavor last year, which in the five months we’d been open, had become our best seller. We then got to the business of customer service, each member of our team loves people; it’s a requirement to work at Super Wings.   So, they did what they always do, showed the attendees that Super Wings spirit, fed them our most excellent wings, and it WORKED!

Your win in 2010 was the start of a very good year for SuperWings.  As you look back, do you have a favorite moment or experience?

My favorite moment of last year has to be when Iron Chef Bobby Flay appeared in Brooklyn to host a Spicy Chicken Wing Throwdown against us! What a complete surprise and delight to be chosen for that experience. The fact that it happened within the first year of our business’ history is mind-blowing and to have won as we did was like being awake inside your biggest and brightest dream ever!

Last year was the first year of the BWiB competition, so the entire process was an unknown quantity.  This year SuperWings is a veteran and returning champion.  How are you preparing for this year’s competition, and how does that preparation differ from last year?

Lucky for us we believe in the processes we employed last year, so we expect to replicate much of it, we do however have some surprises in store for the attendees.

SuperWings has quite an assortment of Caribbean inspired recipes.  How will you select which recipe to use in the competition?

This is where we call on our fan base to help us choose. We have some of the most loyal and opinionated Super Fans, we just put it to a vote, both in store and online, we let them tell us.

SuperWings appears to have a very enthusiastic fan base.  Your fans are very apparent both online (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.,) and offline.  Do you think that this enthusiasm will help in the 2011 competition?

Oh for SURE!!! Our fan base has been WAITING for this all year! Red Star (the bar/restaurant where the contest is hosted) has the best beer and drinks in the city, and is gunning for the wing win alongside 13 more of the VERY BEST wings spots in NY. To compete at this level with folks like Red Star, Bonnie’s Grill, Kettle Black and so many stellar chefs from all over Brooklyn bringing their best shot at Wing greatness, in one place and for FREE!!! Who would miss it!

Are you still developing new flavors for the restaurant or are you satisfied with your current selection?

We are quite satisfied with our current selection. Each being so uniquely its own flavor and representative of a different Caribbean Island, the spectrum really takes your taste buds on a journey island-hopping. However, I believe cooking to be art and an artist can’t stop creating, so you never know, a new idea or flavor is always around the corner.Try a SuperWings’ Recipe!

Is there anything else that you would like people to know about SuperWings?

Just that we are having a ball serving them every day, that we feel supremely blessed by the journey we’ve had thus far and that we can’t wait to see what happens next…

Best Wings in Brooklyn, 2011…Here we come!

SuperWings has a difficult challenge ahead as there are many great competitors in this year’s competition.  Bromography is going to check out each one.  Look for our future posts on the results.  In the interim, you may check out the competitors listed below.

• Bean Post Pub (Bay Ridge)
• Bonnie’s Grill (Park Slope)
• Buffalo Boss (Downtown)
• Flipsters (Park Slope)
• Keg & Lantern (Greenpoint)
• The Kettle Black Bar (Bay Ridge)
• Life Cafe NINE83 (Bushwick)
• Mulholland’s (Williamsburg)
• Red Star (Greenpoint)
• Rocky’s Sullivan’s (Red Hook)
• Wheeler’s (Sheepshead Bay)
• Yellow Hook Grille (Bay Ridge)
• 773 Lounge (Kensington)

Congratulations! Life Cafe NINE83 has won the 2011 Best Wings in Brooklyn Competition.  Look for Bromography’s upcoming post regarding the event and our interview with the winner!