As a countdown to the Best of Broward Palm Beach 2010, coming in May, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to [email protected].
No. 100: Chicken wings from Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza
The Fort Lauderdale chain Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, now with locations throughout Florida and in Las Vegas, began a coal-fired revolution in South Florida when it started using anthracite to char its thin-crust pizzas on Federal Highway in 2002. We owe Anthony's a debt of gratitude for taking us beyond the ubitiutous cheese slice, but the chain did more than reformat pizza: it did the same for chicken wings. In orders of 10 or 20, the coal oven-baked spears sidestep the greasy, vinegary Buffalo sauce in favor fresh garlic and piney rosemary, those flavors made bold by a healthy char formed by the heat of the oven. Fatless but moist, topped with a cascade of caramelized onions and graced with a few triangular pieces of seasoned foccacia, Anthony's roasted chicken wings take finger food to another level.
Keep up with Charlie as we run down a new favorite dish each weekday until our Best Of issue debuts in May. Happy eating.
