Mac Mini HDD failure, no CD/DVD drive...How do I boot?

My hard drive failed on my Mac Mini 2011. I don't have a CD/DVD drive on it. How do I boot to the disk utility ore restore utility?
I downloaded and installed the mac remote boot on a thumb drive, using my wifes mac. I've tried rebooting my mac with the thumb drive in and nothing but grey screen. I tried by holding down the Command button, nothing but grey screen. I tried by holding down the Command+S, nothing but grey screen. I tried by holding down the Command+R, nothing but grey screen.
The hard drive is making a bunch of loud clicking noises.
If I buy a new drive and install it, how do I get the OS onto it and get it up and running, if the Command, Command+R do not work?

Once your hard drive crashes there is nothing you can really do. The recovery partition is on your hard drive do the Command keys will not find the recovery partition. It will also check your usb, dvd, and firewire ports. If there is nothing there, then it is just a grey screen. So....
1st Option bring you Mac Mini, after you replace your hard drive, to an Apple Store and have them reinstall the OS. They will not charge you for this or least they did not for me when my hard drive crashed. The only fall back is that they will only put the OS that the computer came with. So, if it came with Lion, Apple will only install Lion.
2nd Option is to find a friend with a Mac (any mac) and have him/her create a usb boot drive that has the OS. If you google "OS X Boot Drive" you will find a bunch of how to sites. You will need atleast 8GB usb drive.
3rd Option is to buy the Apple branded Lion USB drive. Not my most favorite but it is an option.

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[USB and FireWire Quick Assist|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1151]
[Common fixes for USB device issues (unrecognized, etc.)|http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20070824012114701]
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Mac Mini HDD failure, no CD/DVD drive...How do I boot?

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