In Alabama, Bob Baumhower has become synonymous with buffalo wings and Alabama football, but that could change when Baumhower opens his newest restaurant, Wings U, on Nov. 15 in Midtown Village.
“We were the first to serve wings in the state,” Baumhower said. “Why not be the first to have coal-fired pizza?”
The new Baumhower establishment, Wings U, features a coal-fired oven, which burns anthracite at over 800 degrees and requires constant attention for the pizza to cook properly.
“The most fun and the most challenging is the pizza oven,” said Executive Chef Steve Zucker, a student of legendary Louisiana chef John Folse. “Coal is totally different cooking with.”
“This cooks it quick; everything stays real fresh,” Zucker said.
According to Richie Gambino, Baumhower’s “pizza expert,” a coal-fired oven’s high temperature requires a specific recipe for its pizza. To deal with that high temperature, the oven is made out of a mixture of granite and marble, and is similar to the materials used to protect the space shuttles from high temperatures.
“It’s like mother nature’s microwave,” Gambino said. “It keeps the ingredients fresher and crispier. There are no thermostats, just you and the coal.”
To complete the collegiate theme, Baumhower will offer a history lesson on some of the menu items. He got the idea from Zucker’s mentor, Folse, who was known for giving the history behind the foods he was making.
Along with the pizza oven, Wings U will serve traditional foods like hamburgers, seafood and the wings Baumhower became famous for. Baumhower said the restaurant is aimed at a younger crowd, and though the menu has seen some additions, most of the changes were to the prices, with several items priced less than $5.
“We want to offer people a value-oriented menu,” said Director of Marketing Harry Long. “There’s a lot of history here. People will invite their family and friends to reminisce.”
The interior of the restaurant will seem familiar to those who have been to a Baumhower’s Restaurant. The eatery’s interior, which was designed by Deborah Roy of Interior Design Professionals, features an array of flat screen televisions and is a reflection of Baumhower himself, through UA, Miami Dolphins and Elvis memorabilia.
Some of the dishes also reflect the theme. Baumhower described “The Elvis” as a “peanut butter, banana and sometimes bacon” sandwich made famous by the music legend.
Bob Baumhower’s Wings U will open for business Monday in the Midtown Village shopping center at the corner of 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard.
“We all take a lot of pride in being the first and the best, first in buffalo wings, first in coal ovens,” Baumhower said. “I get a huge kick watching people enjoy what we do.”
