(Credit: Steve Thurston, 2022)
Phil Hollis celebrates his win at the inaugural "Infernal Wing Eating Contest," during the Glens Falls Wing Festival, Saturday April 30, 2022.
Gourmet Cafe took home the judges’ prize, Bullpen Tavern won the people’s choice prize and Phil Hollis won the inaugural “infernal wing eating contest” at Glens Falls’ Wingfest 2022. Honors for best rookie wing went to Radici restaurant. Juicin’ Jar won for best meatless option, and Koko Chariot, a food truck that parked on Maple Street, won for best visiting wing.
“We never win anything, so I’m excited,” Gourmet Cafe’s Tracy Willis said after the win. She owns the restaurant with her husband-and-chef Francis Willis, but they do not serve wings in the restaurant. They made batches special for the event. He developed the homemade wing sauce for a chicken finger item that they serve. She gave all credit to her staff.
“They were in the back, hand-dipping chicken and putting it in the fryer with two baskets. The restaurant was still open, serving people, dropping fries [in the fryer] between” batches of wings, Tracy Willis said. “I want to give all the credit to the team in the kitchen.”
Phil Hollis winner of the “infernal wing eating contest,” gave a nod to Glens Falls resident Mike “DeeJay” DuBray. DuBray was known for his love of hot, hot food, his love of the Glens Falls area and its people. A number of his family and friends participated in the event.
“Rock out!” Phil Hollis yelled just after his first-ever win, as the hot sauce still burned his mouth and made his eyes water. “All the best! Mike DuBray! I’m going to come back and win it next year!”
The inaugural challenge pitted 12 contestants in a race to eat nine very, very hot wings and another three at 6 million “scoville heat units,” which, suffice it to say, is super hot.
It was a day that saw bright skies and a huge turnout in downtown.
However, long lines marred the day for some visitors. Some people demanded that tickets be bought back, others just waited or walked away.
The organizer of the event, the Glens Falls Collaborative, has gotten a mix of comments on its Facebook page, including accusations of overselling tickets.
Nancy Turner, the co-chair of the event said no one was ready for the size of the crowd.
The end of the pandemic, the beautiful day, the zealous coverage in the media from many people who knew Mike DuBray, lent to the size of the crowd.
“We did not have those expectations,” she said. "It was a great event. We had growing pains. We'll get through this."
Only 13 restaurants participated in the downtown corridor along Maple, Glen and Ridge streets, and about 30,000 tickets were sold. Most restaurants ran out of wings before patrons were gone.
Bullpen Tavern said it will honor tickets for patrons who stop in this week.
Davidson Brother’s brewery will do the same. Both are on Glen Street in Glens Falls.
Davidson’s Brewpub and Bullpen stayed open past the 3 p.m. end time to handle as many people as they could.
Rick Davidson, a co-owner for the brewpub with his brother, said he wants people to feel like they got what they needed, so his restaurant will honor the tickets Thursday through Saturday this week. The brewpub is only open on the weekends, and Sunday, Mother’s Day, is a special event day, he said.
He said that by about 3 p.m., they ran out of wings, though they kept serving until the wings were gone.
“I think it was 400 pounds” that were purchased, he said. That matched the 380 pounds that Bullpen Tavern said they bought.
“It was crazy. We had a lot of fun,” Davidson said. His one caveat for purchases this weekend: “Get at least six [wings] because it’s very hard to make one wing.”
The 30,000 tickets for 10 restaurants this year was up from about 19,000 tickets and 20 restaurants from 2019. That year, officials said, was a cloudy, chilly day, the last time the event was held.
Turner said that she hopes the success of this year will bring the restaurants back into the contest next year as that should shorten the lines.
Editor's Note: FoothillsBusinessDaily.com is a member of the Glens Falls Collaborative which put on this event, and Steve Thurston was a member of the Wingfest committee.