I like pizza. I really like pizza. I'm accustomed to American-style pizza and therefore when traveling outside the US I'm typically disappointed in either the crust or toppings available when I travel abroad. Don't get me wrong - I know that restaurateurs must cater to their market but I know what I like and a corn, pineapple, ham pea and mushroom pizza - as I was offered in Taiwan not long ago - isn't appealing.
I found Little Wing while wandering around Bangor my first night in town and mentally noted to come back before I headed back to the States. When my fiancée arrived a few days later, I suggested we try it.
We arrived around 1930 on a Friday night and the place was already fairly crowded, but we were seated in the small-ish and tightly tabled place quickly. Our server quickly brought us menus and took our drink order and then hustled back with them. The wood burning oven near us filled the room with amazing aromas while we waited for a bowl of minestrone soup and an order of cheese garlic bread as our starters, which both arrived fairly quickly.
The cheese garlic bread was basically a nearly oval-shaped thin crust pizza - delivered to the table uncut but with a pizza cutter as a utensil so we could cut pieces to whatever size we wanted - with no sauce but with a nice mix of cheese and garlic seasoning. I'm not a fan of minestrone but my fiancée insisted I try it and I was blown away by how good it was. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful and was served hot.
By now the place was completely full with a wait for a table several parties deep - arrive early if you have after-dinner plans and are on a schedule.
The pizza itself arrived in about 15 minutes which I felt was reasonable given the crowd and the number of "takeaway" orders we saw being collected, including several 24" pizzas in giant boxes.
Like the garlic bread, the pizza was delivered to the table uncut but with pizza cutter. We watched it come out of the oven and placed on a flat piece of wood - a nice touch - and brought to our table. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful and the pizza tasted amazing.
Everything about the place exceeded our expectations and we resolved to return and explore the menu a bit more on a return visit yet this trip. I've added this small local chain - 4 or 5 Belfast-area locations - to my favorites places list on my visits to Northern Ireland. Well done! read more