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Business & Tech

Abilene Brings Bonnie's Wings and Juicy Lucy To Carroll Gardens

New chef says he's excited to add the Park Slope favorite to his menu.

Abilene, the comfy, neighborhood dive located at 442 Court Street between 2nd and 3rd Place, has long attracted weekend diners with its hangover-curing brunch specials like biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros, scrambles and Bloody Marys. But a new chef hopes to make the bar an equally attractive dinnertime destination with a slew of upgrades and changes to the menu.

"Abilene is a bar, first and foremost," said head chef Paul Hamill, who is also a part owner of Lowlands in Gowanus, with two of the co-owners of Abilene. "So the menu was ok, basically what you would expect: pub food. But my idea was to have such a good burger that people would come here for the burger instead of just to get drunk."

He also decided to partner with another longtime employer, Bonnie's Grill in Park Slope, to bring over their popular Buffalo wings to the Abilene space.

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"I realize this may not seem like earth-shattering news," he said. "But Bonnie's has gained quite a reputation for their wings and I thought the good people of Caroll Gardens might like to know that they are now available right down the street!"

Since introducing the new menu last month, Hamill said he has already noticed an uptick in the frequency of orders. "We’re selling a lot more wings and burgers since the change," he told the Patch, adding, "and we’re competing in the Best Wings in Brooklyn competition in a few weeks. So that should help to get the word out some more."

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When asked to describe what makes Bonnie's wings so addictive, Hamill said he's not sure why there aren't better options for wings around Brooklyn.

"It really comes down to three ingredients: Frank's red hot, good chicken, and good hot oil," he said. "It’s the combination of using those quality ingredients… but for some reason a lot of places don't get it right and you can taste the difference."

Another difference patrons will notice on the menu is the addition of the "Juicy Lucy," a cheese-stuffed burger popular in Midwest, particularly Minneapolis.

"It goes along with our upgraded bar-comfort menu," said Hamill. "The cheese melts on the inside and you get this kind of gooey, meaty deliciousness. We top our with pickles, onions and a special sauce. So it sort of has all the flavors of a Big Mac—but better!"

Lest healthy types be turned off by those two gamechangers, Hamill also pointed out that he has increased the number of lighter options on offer. "A lot of [the food] before was deep-fried—even the veggie burger," Hamill admitted. "So I’ve tried to add some healthier things like a Portabello Mushroom Sandwich and a Goat Cheese Croquette salad.

"Technically the croquettes are fried," he said, laughing, "but I promise there are a lot more greens."

 

 

 

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