An Unexpected Redskins Joint In Baltimore
Posted by Matt Terl on August 13, 2009 – 3:33 pm
I used to live in Baltimore, so I know that — contrary to popular belief — there’s actually a fairly vibrant community of Redskins fans up here. But the only time I would ever see those people was at the Sly Fox Pub, the local unofficial Redskins bar in Federal Hill. You don’t see a lot of Redskins fans just walking the streets, especially not on a Ravens gameday when everyone seems to be wearing purple camouflage.
Which is what made Bruce Lee’s Chicken WIngs so surprising.
I got to town earlier than I expected today, in time to grab some lunch, so I headed to one of my old favorite guilty pleasures, the teppanyaki joint at Cross Street Market where a big plate of stir-fried noodles is cheap and filling. Cross Street doesn’t have the reputation or the vibrant crowded lunacy of Lexington Market, and there weren’t all that many people there post-lunch-rush, pre-happy-hour. So I was a little surprised when I was waiting in line for my noodles and someone started yelling my name.
Turned out it was Bruce, the eponymous owner of Bruce Lee’s Chicken Wings, and he had recognized me from my appearances on Redskins Nation. He was wearing a Redskins hat and shirt and stirring chicken wings in an enormous wok of boiling oil for a line of customers.
Most of the customers were wearing Ravens gear, but didn’t seem to have noticed either the cook’s Redskins ensemble or the sign behind the counter proclaiming this area Redskins Country. At least not until I brought it up and asked him how on earth he’d become a fan.
“Twenty years I’ve been a Redskins fan,” he said. “Hogs, all those.”
And you’ve lived here the whole time?
He smiled and nodded. “I take a lot of [crap],” he said, “but I don’t care.”
“Yeah,” said one of the guys in line, pointing at his Ravens hat, “you about to get jumped.”
“We’ll see tonight, right?” Lee said, still smiling, and the guy laughed.
Then he handed me a styrofoam container of some genuinely unusual and fantastic chicken wings — salty, sweet, and spicy, hot enough to nearly melt the styrofoam and sticky as fresh caramel corn — told me to give some to Larry Michael (I didn’t), and turned his attention back to his regular customers.
I had never heard of Bruce Lee’s Wings until today, but it turns out that just after I left, they won a little award from the Baltimore City Paper. Which means that the best chicken wings in Baltimore are made by a Redskins fan, and served in Redskins country.
Tags: at the Ravens, AtTheRavens, Fans, food, nfl preseason week 1, NflPreseasonWeek1
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