Chicken wings!!!!! Need I say more? It’s the ultimate go-to appetizer. Breaded, un-breaded, honey BBQ or lemon pepper. There are so many different varieties its hard for anyone to not want to explore them all until you find your fav. Trying a new restaurant for the first time and not sure what the food will be like? No problem, try out their wings and it should be easier to take on the rest of the menu from there. Headed to happy hour after a long day at work? Cool, your co-workers can order a set of wings for the table while you try to find good parking. You guys can argue about sauces when you get inside. Hosting a small shindig for an upcoming sporting event? Sigh, don’t even get me started 😞😞😐. The point is, wings are simple and easy and go with pretty much anything. You can buy them at any restaurant or you can be like me and prefer to cook them yourself. That way you can experiment with your own special mix of rubs and sauces.

Then there is the Bahamian equivalency of chicken wings, fritters. Conch fritters are a local Bahamian appetizer that are always a crowd pleaser. Like any other type of fritter, it is made mostly from flour, seasonings, herbs and obviously conch. Though there are lots of persons who don’t care for conch (such as myself) for whatever reason, there is no need to worry. Nowadays people have gotten creative with this local favourite by substituting the conch with lobster or shrimp. Got a seafood allergy? It must suck to be you 😝. However, more and more restaurants are offering completely meat-free fritters with nothing but deep fried flavour and that awesome dipping sauce 😋. Let’s be real, once most people hear the words ‘deep fried’, the cooks could stuff the dough with sand and people will still attempt to at least taste the crispy exterior lol. However, with this appetizer, the deep fried yumminess only accounts for part of its greatness. Just like with wings, these are quick to prepare and very easy to eat.

Now what to drink?

For both of the above options I would suggest getting a bucket of your favourite beers and just have a good time. I am certainly not a big beer drinker. However, when it comes to these particular finger foods, who wants to be bothered with complicated mixed drinks or getting honey sriracha finger prints all over your wine glass. A cold beer with lower alcohol content can help douse the fire in your mouth when eating your favourite buffalo wing sauce. The point being that the lower alcohol content won’t accentuate the heat from the flavours your tongue is battling.

Additionally, the dough from the fritters can serve as a filler to help cut back the impending bloated feeling that can occur after a few beers. Both of the mentioned food options may be higher in calorie content (due to the breading and sauces) but that issue can easily be balanced with a light beer that can still give you a feel-good buzz with less than 200 calories.

Let me know below what you think about the above mentioned combinations and stay tuned for my next post.