Editorial
Front Page - Friday, July 16, 2010
River City Roundabout
Choose to groove
Erica Tuggle
Server Angie and bartender Wendy of “Sing it or Wing it” encourage locals to stop by for lunch, dinner or a drink with hours weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. The menu is packed with cleverly titled dishes of all kinds and signature wing platters in 10, 20 or 30 pieces.
- Erica Tuggle
Chattanooga has played host to its fair share of singer stars like hometown lady Bessie Smith, and the multiple vocal wonders brought in by Riverbend. With a whole year to go before Riverbend returns, the town now has another venue to foster singers who want to showcase their talent or novices who belt out lyrics whether we want them to or not.
The new restaurant and karaoke bar “Sing it or Wing it” will cater to all of the above with lip-smacking dining options, drinks for after work downtowners, or enjoyment for those brave few who step up to the mic.
When we visited for lunch, the restaurant had a few dining couples, but for the most part it was quiet and a nice, cool place to go on a hot summer day. Our waitress, Angie, said that although karaoke is available any time, most of the singing action is done around dinnertime and late night. On this information we decided to save “singing it” for another day, and instead “wing it.”
The menu is a novelty in itself with items in the categories of opening act (appetizers), show tunes (salads), classic hits (lunch), main stage (dinner), main act (wings) and grand finale (desert).
Within each of these courses there are a plethora of choices that follow the pattern of clever naming with items like Skynyrd Pretzels, Aretha Fried Okra, The Fleetwood and the Chesney Chop.
The décor of “Sing it or Wing it” follows music industry homage with larger than life posters, from floor to ceiling, of legendary vocalists like Bob Dylan, Madonna, Tina Turner and John Lennon. The bathrooms were denoted as male and female with Rolling Stone magazine covers: Dave Matthews for the men’s room and Sheryl Crow for the women’s.
The bathrooms in themselves were something to take note of with modern glass bowl sinks, similar red and black themes to coincide with the dining area and more large prints of singers. (Prince was in the women’s restroom.)
The “Sing it or Wing it” dining area features high black cross stitched chairs, stainless steel tables and a clean and comfortable feel with little wait time for service. We ordered an appetizer of “Pickler Pickles,” cut into slices and served with chipolte mayonnaise, just like I like them.
Word of caution about picking a main course, as things can get messy. Both the “Trashy Toby” super-burger and the “Hurts so good” wings were not for prim and proper diners, and may not be a wise choice for impressing someone on a first date. Though if you have none of these qualms, dig in.
The signature wings come in portions of 10, 20 or 30 and range from “Mild Thing” to “Bring on the Pain,” all served with carrots, celery and a side of ranch or blue cheese. Although boneless wings are becoming a popular wing choice, this location keeps their bones and you will have to gnaw your way through these meat morsels in a very saucy fashion.
The “Trashy Toby” burger was piled with fresh tomato and lettuce, Applewood bacon strips, chili and cheese in a half-pound Angus burger that left me feeling full days later. This also came with a choice of Cajun, sweet potato or regular fries. The Cajun fries I had were just enough spice to get my mouth tingling.
My only regret at the end of this meal was that I had not saved room for one of their deserts, such as a New York style cheesecake called “Luscious Lennox” or a soft buttered cinnamon sugar pretzel dubbed “Diamond Deluxe.”
This seems like a great place to go with a group of friends for the entertainment purposes of having a show with dinner while watching others try their hand at karaoke or getting in on the tunes yourself.
The screens all around the karaoke stage allow for singers to see themselves on stage, and have the words for the song they have chosen scroll along another screen so they don’t have to remember the trickier lyric combinations that appear in jewels like Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Afterwards, singers can purchase a CD of their performance. Sing it or Wing it also offers t-shirts for purchase behind their fully stocked bar.
Lunch, dinner and drinks are available at the 412 Market Street location from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends.
They have opted to be a non-smoking bar at all times, although smoking is allowed in their outdoor dining area and the 21 and up rule is enforced after 9 p.m.
This place has something for everyone and the choice is simple: Sing it or Wing it.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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