King of wings

By Ainsley Maloney

Philly EDGE Correspondent

Bill Simmons is a supremely-qualified chicken wing expert.

He knows how to buy them ("jumbo – not pigeon sized"), make them (crispy and covered in his own special sauce) and eat them (he once stripped 162 wings clean in 30 minutes).

Soon, he'll be serving them.

Simmons, known best to Philly sports fans as "El Wingador," the five-time Wing Bowl champ, is soon opening a new restaurant on the corner of 4th St. and Girard Ave. in the Northern Liberties section of the city: The Original El Wingador To-Go, a future-hot spot for wings, American foods and Latin cuisine.

Simmons, who is partially of Puerto Rican descent, is partnering with Alicia and Pete Rodriguez, his aunt and uncle, to bring the unique flavors of his family's home cooking to Philadelphia.

"The food here is basically the food that I grew up on," Simmons said. "It's Puerto Rican food - not Mexican food; they're different. This has flavor. It's seasoned, but not spicy."

El Wingador To-Go will have a little bit of everything for everybody, Simmons said, adding that nothing will be prepackaged or re-heated. The menu will feature Alicia's home-made recipes of Spanish rice dishes, soups and beans seasoned with flavors like sofrito, cilantro, oregano and parsley. Simmons’ cousin, Alicia Colon, and Pete's sister, Mirta Borgas, will sauté the dishes in skillets over the stove.

Cheesesteaks and burgers will be grilled on the flat-tops while rotisserie chicken and pork shoulders roast in the ovens. There will also be a deli counter where visitors can purchase freshly made hoagies and sandwiches.

"It's going to be home cooking, fresh; nothing commercial here," he said. "We take pride in our cooking. Believe me; I'm not a fairy, but I love to cook."

And, of course, there will be the wings, which Simmons claimed will be the best in town. He'll make them the way he does at home; flourless, seasoned and fried ‘til crispy and covered in his special El Wingador sauce, which consists of a vegetable puree, honey and spices.

What's "El Wingador" about the place?

Everything: Simmons’ love for family, cooking and a decor that celebrates eating; lots of eating.

"Everything I'm about is pretty much here. We'll be serving large quantities; that's what I like…. Give me more so you don't have to come back," says the guy who once ate 22 California cheeseburgers, or 14 lbs. of food, in 30 minutes.

"I'm a glutton for food. My tail's wagging when I walk into a supermarket," he said. "I hope (visitors) come in here and get the best meal of their lives. I like to see people happy when they're eating food."

For now, El Wingador To-Go is going to be take-out only, but Simmons said he plans to open more in the coming years. The 1,430 sq. foot building, with its newly-painted green roof and beige sides, has only enough room for a kitchen, counter and a take-out line. While waiting, visitors can read the framed newspaper accounts of El Wingador's Wing Bowl wins, which are hung on the wall of the business. Simmons, who has since retired from competitive eating, looks nothing like the eater he once was.

"It took a toll on my body, all the shit I ate," he said. "It's true you are what you eat."

At 6'5” and 315 pounds, Simmons is a monster of a guy, who has to duck in his own restaurant to walk from the counter to the kitchen. But lifting weights three times a week has made him look more like a retired pro-wrestler than retired pro-eater.

"I used to go to the Wing Bowl in boxing trunks and a boxing robe. To me, it's a battle," he said. "I'm the same weight as I was then, but it's all in the right place."

Simmons isn't naïve, he knows his name will get the restaurant only so far.

"My name will bring people in, but the food will bring them back," he said "Wait until you taste it. It's gonna be bangin,' believe me. It's phenomenal, very flavorful."

El Wingador To-Go’s grand opening is set for – when else? The weekend of Wing Bowl XV in February, when future Wing Bowl wannabes should know: Simmons will be scouting.

"I'm still looking for the next champion from Philly that can win this thing," he said. "If you can eat 50 of my wings in five minutes, you're the next champ."

Simmons, who has been on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Montel Williams and is a radio personality on WIP 610 (AM) Sports Radio all because of his wing-eating abilities, takes his celebrity-status with a grain of salt.

"Ya know, I'm a slob, and I know it," he said. "It's kind of funny, for having an eating disorder, I get all this attention."