2011 Wing Tournament: Tipperary Hill Results

Following the Northside / Eastwood and Downtown 2011 wing tournament results, is the much anticipated Tipperary Hill bracket featuring Blarney Stone vs. Rosie's Sports Bar & Grill and Nibsy's Pub taking on Patsy's Pizza. To see a list of qualifying teams, how each neighborhood bracket looks, and tournament rules, click here for the initial post. Let's get rockin'!

Tipperary Hill Opening Round: Game 1
(1) Blarney Stone's "Hot" wings: 2
(4) Rosie's Sports Bar & Grill's "Hot" wings: 1

Kicking off the highly competitive Tipp Hill Bracket, is Blarney Stone's hot wings (pictured left) vs. Rosie's hot wings (pictured right). This was a tight race as both sports bars featured well-above average wings. Rosie's deserves credit for outstanding wings with great meat, great skin, and a slight hint of garlic, but more so were highlighted by an intense heat and some of the hottest wings in the tournament. I also liked the fact that a few wings still had the tips on them, which was a welcomed surprise and leads to the possibility that they cut the 3-joint wings themselves, but some of the drumettes suffered as a result and were boney, small, and in some cases indiscernible. While most categories were a draw (hence the low score), Blarney Stone was able to come up solid in just about each category and pulled out a 2-1 victory over Rosie's wings that had great, slightly crispy and chewy skins, above average meat, great heat level, and delicious wings covered in plenty of flavorful Buffalo sauce.

Winner: Blarney Stone

***

Tipperary Hill Opening Round: Game 2
(3) Nibsy's Pub's "Hot" wings: 5
(2) Patsy's Pizza's "Hot" wings: 0

The next Tipp Hill match-up featured Nibsy's hot wings (pictured left) ushering in the first shutout of the tournament in a 5-0 victory over Patsy's Pizza (pictured right). Patsy's was only able to muster up a fight in the heat department, with wings soaked in plenty of tasty hot sauce that had a great Buffalo flavor, albeit vinegery. Aside from that, uninspiring chicken meat, small wings, dry skins, and a flavorless blue cheese with no celery made it easy susceptible to a defeat by the opposition. Nibsy's wings, served in a wooden basket lined with tin foil and in a pool of mouth-watering hot sauce, easily took the match-up and were by far some of the best wings in the entire tournament. Though its wings had hints of fattier meat and an exterior skin that was slightly thin, Nibsy's were otherwise flawless. Its tasty, jumbo-style wings were coated in a perfectly balanced hot sauce that made them, in my opinion, the definition of classic Buffalo wings that contained just the right amount of heat.

Winner: Nibsy's Pub

***

Tipperary Hill Second Round: Championship Game
(3) Nibsy's Pub's "Hot" wings: 2
(1) Blarney Stone's "Hot" wings: 1

The championship round of the Tipperary Hill bracket featured Nibsy's and Blarney Stone in a fierce battle for the 3rd spot in the Final Four. Blarney's hot wings are truly excellent and admittedly, will always be my biased wing of choice when on Tipp Hill. With a perfect amount of heat, outstanding skins, and tasty and chunky blue cheese, it's hard not to pick them, but the "oldest tavern in Syracuse" barely edged them out. While Blarney's had an excellent amount of sauce that made getting fingers messy enjoyable, Nibsy's overwhelmingly better flavored sauce was the deciding factor and helped by its jumbo-style wings that put Blarney's to shame. A battle royale going down on Tipp Hill between Nibsy's, Rosie's, and Blarney made it difficult on this wing judge, but Nibsy's was able to come up the victor over them all with outstanding Buffalo wings and deservedly earns the title of best wings on Tipp Hill.

Winner and champion of the Tipperary Hill bracket: Nibsy's Pub

***

One division remains and the three teams in the Final Four, Change of Pace, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and Nibsy's Pub, await the winner of the Southside / University Hill bracket which will be revealed within the next several days. Pulled Into Syracuse's 2011 Wing Tournament Champion will be crowned within the next week so stay tuned!

Review: Blarney Stone

Name: Blarney Stone
Address: 314 Avery Ave, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Far West-Side (Tipperary Hill)
Website: www.yelp.com/biz/blarney-stone-syracuse
Menu: n/a
Cuisine: Standard Bar Fare, Wings, Burgers
Bar Hours: Monday-Sunday 12 PM to 2 AM
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: No
Alcohol: Full Bar

Blarney Stone is situated on the corner of Avery and Hamilton Streets in the Far West-Side section of Syracuse. It's one of the many neighborhood-style bars in the city's historically Irish district known as Tipperary Hill (or as locals say, Tipp Hill). A green, neon sign highlights the place from the outside and the friendly Gaelic saying of "cead mile failte", or a hundred thousand welcomes, greets you at its front door.

Blarney may not be an Irish pub per se, but it may as well be given the name, location, and Irish-oriented feel of things on the inside. The place is laid out in 3 small sections: a bar area with a few tables, darts, TVs, Golden Tee, and a popcorn machine, a middle area mostly for standing and watching the big game, complete with a pool table, foosball table, and jukebox, and the back area with booths, tables, TVs, and the kitchen. It's hard to believe that all of these things can fit into such a small establishment, but it all works here and comes together seamlessly.

As noted in the Top 5 Places to Watch SU Basketball, Blarney Stone lives up to the hype during basketball season and can get crowded on some occasions (and not just during games, but also on St Pattie's Day!). Some good advice: grab a table early if you can. It wasn't too crowded on this occasion, given it was a Thursday night and there was a wing special on. There were no games being televised, but still enough of a crowd where you had to wait a little while to grab a table. Seating consists of stools at the bar, tables in all three areas, booths in the back by the kitchen, and an outdoor porch (weather permitting).

Ordering food is quasi cafeteria-style: go up to the counter near the back, place your order, go back to your table, wait for your name to be called over the loudspeaker, and then pick up and pay for your order. And it's not at all uncommon to get a good ribbing from the food staff as you're ordering. Obviously, you're not in some high-class place, so don't be surprised if one of the cooks gives you a deadpan look and says "yeah, we're out of wings" just to get a reaction out of you.

The small, yet simple menu offers standard bar food like wings (hot, medium, mild, or barbecue), burgers, and fried foods (mozzarella sticks, chicken, shrimp, etc...). And for the vegetarians, they also serve a veggi burger (which can be spiced up with pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayo on request).

The order...

Pabst Blue Ribbon (Tall Boy): $2
10 Chicken Wings (Hot): $2
Blarney Burger: $3.50
Fries: $1
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $9.50

First off, this is unbelievably cheap food. Secondly, as far as value is concerned, I can't imagine finding a better deal for such tasty bar food.

Pictured above are Blarney's wings served with celery and blue cheese.

The wings were excellent: crispy skins, juicy chicken, and good portion-sized. I thought the actual sauce could have been hotter, but overall, I'd say the wings were well above average.

This may have been the best burger that I've eaten in Syracuse: juicy beef topped with fresh lettuce, onions, tomatoes, mayo and ketchup, all sandwiched between two lightly grilled and airy burger buns. Soooo good and such a good deal for only $3.50.

These fries were amazing: shoestring style, served hot, and perfectly crunchy on the outside with just the right amount of starchy potato on the inside. An excellent accompaniment to a great burger. Some of the best fries I've had in 'cuse.

I was in bar-food heaven. Standard fare, but they were all done so well. One of the best things about eating a great meal is when everything in front of you tastes great, you're never quite sure where to look or what to eat next. I mean yes, it was an extremely unhealthy meal in every aspect of the word, but you only live once and I loved it all. Definitely a meal that I could eat again and again.

Some other things of note...

- There's a 20 cent wing special on Thursday nights (starts around 6 PM) and during SU basketball games. Again, it can get very crowded during the games, so plan accordingly and be prepared. Don't let the crowds deter you though. It's can be a very spacious and laid-back bar on most weekday evenings.

- Half-priced drinks during happy hour and drink specials run just about every night of the week except for Thursdays.

- Ordering at the kitchen is cash only.

- Unless I'm mistaken, I believe the kitchen closes at 10 PM (feel free to leave a comment if you know for sure).

- There is an actual Blarney stone here near the foosball table and bathrooms. Not sure if I would recommend kissing it though.

It's hard to dock the Blarney Stone in any areas. I had zero complaints about anything. Quick and friendly service, a great neighborhood bar, fun atmosphere, cheap and amazing food, good portions, all in a comfortable sports bar. The meal was awesome.

My rating of Blarney Stone:

Top 5 Places for March Madness in Syracuse

The Syracuse University basketball team may have gotten bounced from the Big East Tournament Championship, but that doesn't mean that Orange madness has to stop there. If your ideal place to watch an SU game is a low-key establishment with the sound off, this list is not for you. This is strictly for enjoying a game with good food, plenty of TVs, and and high-fiving really loud Orange fans that you've never met before. The following are some of the best (and loudest) sports bars to eat pub food and enjoy the Big Dance in Syracuse.

And as always, the 'cuse is in the house oh my gawd, oh my gawd.

1) Blarney Stone: 314 Avery Ave, Syracuse, NY
A staple to Tipp Hill and arguably one of the best places in the city for wings, the Blarney Stone has plenty of flat screen TVs for you to enjoy the game. Not to mention $5 burgers that are big, perfectly formed, cooked to order, juicy and delicious. Although it can get very crowded on some occasions, don't miss their 20 cent wing special on Thursday nights and during all SU games. [link] [photo] [map]

2) Rosie's Sports Pub & Grill: 1443 W Genesee St, Syracuse, NY
At the risk of mentioning the Tipperary Hill region once too many times (c'mon, it's March!). Rosie's Sports Pub & Grill, formerly owned by Mayor Matt Driscol and now by the owner of Coleman's, has become a Westside favorite for sports bars in Syracuse. Good wings and plenty of TVs here. They even have a huge TV in the bathroom so you never have to miss a play. [link] [map]

3) Chuck's Cafe: 727 S Crouse Ave Ste 6, Syracuse, NY
You cannot have an SU basketball list without mentioning a place on University Hill. Chuck's may be a bit more rowdy than some of its nearby bars and restaurants, but it's hard to complain when you are in the heart of the Syracuse University social scene enjoying burgers (like the Dr. Praeger's Veggie Burger for $4.50), french bread pizzas, or chicken tenders. Chuck's also boasts $3 pitchers during Happy Hour and $1 drafts and 25 cent wings on Sundays. [link] [map]

4) Change of Pace: 1802 Grand Blvd, Syracuse, NY
"The 1st sports bar in Syracuse" and another contender for the best wings in the city is Change of Pace on the city's Northside. Plenty of seating with 11 TVs to enjoy SU basketball while chowing down on delicious burgers, subs, pizza, and juicy wings. Bonus points: The kitchen is open until midnight! [link] [map]

5) Syracuse Suds Factory: 320 S Clinton St, Syracuse, NY
Located on the corner of Clinton and Walton Streets, Suds Factory has been serving up food and beer to the Armory Square crowd for over 18 years now. Enjoy the game with burgers, chili, factory fries, locally-brewed pitchers of beer, loud TV's, and an energetic crowd. Not a bad way to watch. [link] [map]

Honorable Mention
OC's Fat Boy BBQ: 317 N Salina St, Syracuse, NY
A hidden gem of sorts near the city's Little Italy district. Though it may be a bit more toned down than others on this list, OC's has pool tables, dart boards, dozens of TVs, and a traditional pub and bar-b-que focused menu with items like a 1/2 rack of ribs and two sides for $11.50 and the pulled pork platter and 2 sides for $4.95! [link] [map]