'A Wing Away Kitchen' Closes Doors In Calverton, Heads To Islip Terrace For New Beginning

CALVERTON, NY — Calverton's loss is a big win for Islip Terrace.

Chef Anthony Marengo and his wife and business partner Stefanie Marengo announced on social media Tuesday that they had closed the doors of their business in Calverton, "A Wing Away Kitchen," moving the popular eatery to Islip Terrace.

But Calverton will always hold a special place in his heart, he said.

"In a world where there was so much uncertainty in 2020, my wife and I had a dream that became true. It was called "A Wing Away Kitchen,'" he said. "We took a leap of faith, depleted our bank account, and spent countless hours driving back and forth to Calverton."

He added: "When we first took over the restaurant, the landlord told us the restaurant was turnkey ready and that the last tenants had left two months prior, boy, were we in shock. When we turned the gas and electric on, half the equipment was broken and we were in a town where nobody knew us! We had no money to our name, and now we had build a reputation to generate some income since we had to prove to the community that our food was good."

But hard work paid off, Marengo said. "After six months we thankfully built a name for ourselves," he said. "Unfortunately within the last year, the financial stress, missing out on tons of 'life events' and not being able to give that 'A Wing Away experience' that our customers grew to love, has left us no choice but to close our Calverton location."

The move came after much soul-searching, he said. "This has been a very difficult and gut-wrenching decision. We have stayed up countless nights trying to figure out a way to make it work, but financially, we can't. We thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts who has helped build A Wing Away Kitchen in Calverton. Please show some love to us in our Islip Terrace location."

The new spot is located at 38 Lowell Avenue in Islip Terrace.

The menu at "A Wing Away Kitchen", focuses on a mouthwatering array of wings.

Marengo told Patch that when he and his wife first opened the business in Calverton in 2023, their goal was to bring quality American comfort foods to Long Island.

The business is a family affair, with the couple's children Ryder and Ayden loving the experience.

At the time Marengo told Patch he'd been a chef for almost 20 years. "When the pandemic hit, I lost my job."

During the pandemic, he and his wife donated more than 150 meals to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip to front line workers, he said.

"People kept asking who made the food and reached out to us for more," he said. "One night, my wife and I watched a movie called 'Chef,' and she said we needed to do the same, open a food truck."

At first, Marengo said he was hesitant. "There have been so many trucks and foods that have been done before," he said. "But my wife said I make the best wings, and we should do a wing truck."

And so, a dream was born. "We started the first wing truck on Long Island," Marengo said. "Within six months won the LI Wing Hunt for 'Best Wings on Long island,'" he said.

Since first opening in Calverton and now, Islip Terrace, customers have been raving about the menu at A Wing Away Kitchen, with favorite selections including the Sesame Thai Chili, Not Spicys, Everything But The Bagel, And Dry Rub, just to name a few, Marengo said.

All of his wing sauces have a unique twist, Marengo said. "As far as family recipes, the House Chicken And Rice with our green, white and Chipotle sauces is by far the best family recipe we have. It's a perfect balance of flavors, with each sauce or sauces mixed together."

Aside from the wings, customers are lining up for sandwich offerings including the Limp Brizket, the Marshal Clucker Sand, a crisp battered chicken sandwich with bacon and melted cheese, topped with house-made Cajun remoulade, as well as sandwich specials of the week.

Other sandwiches include a Scarface McReuben, a Cuban and a Reuben "married" together; and a Lobstah BLT, for seafood lovers.

And on the menu for fall, a mouthwatering Crispy Golden Caramel Apple.

Marengo said new customers should stop in to the new spot.

"We would like to invite anyone down to give us a try just one time and see if we can help bring our creations to more homes," he said.

Wings, he said, help to make memories.

"Wings bring people together — it's a social food. Whether you are watching a game, a movie or just spending time with friends and family, you are sharing something together."

He added: "The best part of our company is that we make everyone feel like family — and our atmosphere is very warm and inviting."