This place should get their own trophy!

Sometimes I find wings when I'm looking for something completely different...

Since the Publix ate my Albertsons, I have found myself sans a dry cleaner. And since my husband and I both live in uniforms, well, you get the picture.

So we took a drive around Palmetto and Parrish, looking for a new dry cleaners. Our adventures always take us someplace interesting; years ago when we first moved to Manatee County, we got VERY lost looking for the mall but found a good place for margaritas instead.

My husband found a little family dry cleaners off US 301 near Taco Bell. Of course, they were closed because we night folks do everything after dark. But the place next door, Trophy's Sports Pub and Wings, was serving up a storm.

"Wings!" I yelled. (And my husband was more than ready for a beer.)

Deceiving from the outside, this place had two pool tables, room for a band and lots of seating. They also had booths for families to sit down and eat - a practical thing since Trophy's boasts a full menu. I almost stole a bite of my husband's cheeseburger because it smelled soooo good with all the big slices of fresh onion and real cheddar melting down ... but alas, my recent quest for the area's Best Hotwings has already forced me to spend more time at the gym. I didn't want to push it.

Their wings are more than a meal, anyway! I love a good wingsauce that has flavor, not just heat! (and I didn't ask, but I swear their bleu cheese dressing is home-made.) And so crispy, without being dry. So they earn themselves a place on my Best Hotwing's list.

The ambiance is good, too. Kind of like walking into someone's personal sports memorabilia collection that got too big for its britches. Lots to look at here.

Trophy's Sports Pub and Wings, 1035 Hasko Road in Palmetto. Full bar, full menu, nonsmoking, live music on Fridays and Saturdays, karaoke on Thursdays and GREAT hotwings. (941) 981-3803.