Enjoying a finger-food feast at The Cosmos

Sometimes, when ordering food to pick up directly after a strenuous gym session, I have the tendency to bite off more than I can chew. This was the case last weekend, but with a good friend by my side, a fire lit in my belly and hope in my heart, I persevered.

The Cosmos, attached to and operating in tandem with Zoobie’s Old Town Tavern, has long been a go-to when I want an al fresco dining experience. Recently, though, it’s secured a spot in my takeout rotation. The reason? It upped its chicken wing game. 

I often get takeout with the same friend, and most of the time, all we’re looking for is good wings, a good Caesar salad and some fries, which are pretty much always good. In the past, the wings at The Cosmos have left me underwhelmed, but when I recently gave them another try, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them. 

While we didn’t order fries in addition to our wings and salad this time, we did get — starving as we were — both the stuffed corn fritters and the three-cheese garlic bread. 

The eight-piece wings, which were tossed in a hot-honey glaze, topped with a sprinkling of fresh green onions and served with some much-appreciated sticks of celery, were crispy and golden brown on the outside, with subtly smoky, tender meat inside. We forgot to get a side of blue cheese, but the delicious, house-made ranch we did remember more than made up for it. 

Other notable dipping sauces were the spicy roasted-jalapeno aioli and the sweet and savory tomato jam that accompanied the corn fritters, which were roasty and toasty, stuffed with cream cheese. The Caesar salad was standard but satisfying, with delicious, tangy dressing and big, crispy crostini in place of croutons. Finally, the garlic bread had a satisfyingly charred bottom, contrasting nicely with the melty cheese on top. It was drizzled with a little balsamic glaze and served with a tasty red sauce. 

Given our ravenous state, we managed to eat our way through all of this, save for a few breadsticks. Much to the dismay of our dogs who were looking on longingly, they received not a scrap. If that’s not a glowing recommendation, I don’t know what is.