Are those wisps of smoke coming from the sauce or the wings?

Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too (Website)

The scent of straight BBQ sauce was the first thing to infiltrate my nose, but I was pleased to find that this $7.95, 7-wing serving offered a meaty wing with home cooked chicken, all covered in a sweet and smoky sauce with a tiny bit of bite.  The tender, juicy meat separates easily from the bone, carrying tiny pieces of fatty, delicious skin.

I wouldn’t return to Miss Mamie’s for the wings alone, but the chicken itself was tasty enough to warrant a return trip to try it fried and the BBQ sauce would be great on ribs.  If that’s not enough, the coconut layer cake and the red velvet cake on the counter looked fresh and delicious.

Harlem Wing & Waffle (Website)

The olfactory sense took over once again, this time the sweet scent of waffles greeted Dave and I as we entered the orange hued storefront.  Unfortunately, the next scent we absorbed was an overabundance of vinegar in the buffalo sauce covering our 6 piece, $5.15 order of  hot wings.  The lone accompaniment, a single container of bleu cheese, wasn’t enough to subdue the offensive miscue.

I’m glad I was motivated to wipe the sauce off with a napkin because beneath it was a meaty and peppery wing that if sauced properly would have impressed.  If I was to return here, I’d make sure to follow the sign and go for wings and waffles; a “snack pack” of 2 wings with waffles is $4.75, the $7.75 “meal” features 4 wings with waffles.

Just Wingin It – Best Wings of the Harlem Tour

17 varieties of homemade sauce would be enough to bring me back to Just Wingin It, but its the “Super Nova” sauce, featuring fresh garlic, habanero pepper, jalapeno pepper, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes that will really ignite my return.

Upon opening each of our $3.49 5-piece orders, the scent of the super novas roared from their container.  As you can see in the close up below, the surface of the wing is volcanic, each bite a treacherous step toward a fiery death for your tongue.  An initially tart flavor is immediately burned away by the flames of the 4-pepper/garlic concoction which unforgivably lingers after you’ve stripped the crispy but small wing.  The lingering heat is the strength of the super nova.  I recommend neutralizing the it with an accompanying celery or carrot stick dipped in the thimble-sized container of bleu cheese.

Five pieces may be the perfect order for wings this fiery, offering you a chance to try some of the other sauces.  You can pass on the manageable and mild “traditional hot” wings below on which the flavors of vinegar and butter outshine the peppery undertones.

Whichever route you choose to navigate Just Wingin It’s 17 sauces, it’s fitting to end with a dessert wing. such as the “sun kissed” wings below, which feature a tangy, sugary sauce with subtle hints of orange.

Just Wingin It’s sauces shine more than the actual wings which leaned toward the dry, over-fried side, particularly among the wingettes as opposed to the meatier drumsticks.  Below is a list of the 17 flavor options but upon returning I plan on trying the sweet and spicy “Cajun” and the “Honey Garlic”, both are recommendations from Jose and Ivan, the helpful guys behind the counter.

Just Wingin It’s 17 Sauce Flavors

1. BBQ
2. Cajun
3. Caribbean Spice
4. Lemon Garlic
5. Honey Garlic
6. Honey Mustard
7. Jerk Mild
8. Jerk Very Hot
9. Mandarin Orange
10. Margarita
11. Smoked Spicy BBQ
12. Sun Kissed
13. Teriyaki
14. Traditional Mild
15. Traditional Hot
16. Traditional Super Nova
17. Zen

Blind Tiger Ale House uses a unique cooking method to ensure a one of a kind wing experience

The Bad

Getting the unworthy wings out of the way to prevent you from making mistakes.

Lansdowne Road

Once upon a time, my favorite wings were at Scruffy Duffy’s on 8th Avenue b/t 46th & 47th. It was a big Steelers bar right off Times Square but all was forgiven because the Buffalo wings rocked. A thin, crispy skin encased meaty wings always covered in a fiery, hot pepper-flake studded sauce. Unfortunately the Disney-ification of Times Square eradicated this Hell’s Kitchen landmark leaving us only with sister bar Lansdowne Road where the Scruffy Duffy name is being tarnished, literally.

Landsdowne Road actually advertises “Scruffy Duffy’s World Famous Wings” on their menu (12 for $7.50, 24 for $12.50). But the similarities end at the name. The sauce was bitter and cakey and the wings were over-fried and brittle. An inedible excuse for the Scruffy Duffy name.

St. Mark’s Ale House

St. Mark’s Ale House is one of the few NYC relics remaining on a street that’s slowly turning into little Tokyo. Fortunately for the Ale House, they’re not staking their repuation on their wings. A tangy, slightly spicy sauce covers tiny low quality wings devoid of any crispy skin. Forget the fact that a dozen is under $10, these wings should be given away. Stick to the beer at St. Mark’s Ale House and if you’re hungry, go get a falafel.

SideWalk Bar & Restaurant

Food Served Until 4AM Sun – Wed, 24 Hours Fri – Sat.

Despite being open 24 hours on Friday & Saturday, there’s only one day worth going to SideWalk for wings: Wednesday. That’s because Wednesday (6PM – 4AM) features 25 cent buffalo style wings. I haven’t tried them, but for that price, how bad can they be? Every other day of the week the wings are called “Alitas de Diablo” (seen below) and they’re not very good. Grilled wings in a honey glazed ginger sauce arrived undercooked and lacking flavor, a surprise considering the unique sauce. After another trip through the fire, the wings returned with a smokey char but the flavor remained underwhelming. SideWalks’ main draw is their ever changing menu of live music acts featured in the back room. Check their website, listen to some music, drink a $3 PBR and order the sweet potatoe fries, which are actually quite good.

The Decent

Don’t run, don’t flock, these wings are good but not great.

One and One

Food Served Until 1AM

These wings were so close to being great. Thin, crispy skin encased high quality chicken and the largest wings featuered in this post. But bigger wings demand more sauce, more spice and more flavor, something these lacked in all three areas. Big wings also mean smaller portions. $7 gets you 7 wings. 20 Cent Wing Madness is Monday nights from 7pm to 1AM; you can order 10 wings at a time with a $4 drink minimum for every 20 wings (no doggie bags). The wings are complemented by a quality bleu cheese dressing and a healthy serving of carrot and celery sticks.

One and One features two other quality food specials: Sundays from 7PM to 1AM is 2-for-1 Fish & Chips, which also features the $4 drink minimum. Tuesdays from 7PM to 1AM is $1 Mini Burgers. Orders are placed in multiples of 3 and it’s a $4 drink minimum for every 2 orders.

RUB BBQ

Food Served Until 11PM Mon – Thurs, 12AM Fri – Sat, 10PM Sun.

All ready home to the best brisket chili cheese fries I’ve ever had, I couldn’t imagine the wings would fall far behind. And they didn’t, but they didn’t really impress either. These are BBQ style wings; seasoned with the same rub as the ribs, smoked and then fried. For $7.50 the result is a dozen good sized, lean and quality wings which are smokey and sweet with a residual spiciness which lingers after you finish eating. They can be served with bleu cheese, which brought out the sweetness, or the better suited buttermilk ranch. Neither truly enhanced the eating experience. Next time I’m at RUB, I’m passing on the wings and sticking with my go to $40 for 2 BBQ feast.

Pete’s Tavern

Food Served Until 12AM Sun – Tues, 12:45AM Wed – Sat.

129 East 18th Street at Irving Pl

Opened in 1864, Pete’s is New York’s oldest bar and it’s also the birthplace of the O. Henry story “The Gift of the Magi”, supposedly penned in a front booth. And as history changes time, time can change the deliciousness of Pete’s wings. If they’re brought to you immediately, you’re in for a sweet, smokey, mildly spicy, crispy-battered wing feast. But if the wings arrive after their prime, you’re left with a sticky mess of slighlty crispy, mainly oversauced wings. It’s a fine line, but when done right, they’re worth the $7.95 price tag. The heavily battered wings are small and drowned in the smokey, sweet, slightly spicy sauce. The bleu cheese is watery and uncesssary. The rest of the menu features Italian food and standard continental fare. If the overcooked burger is any sign, I’d steer clear of the menu and grab an 1864 Original House Ale and take my chance with the wings.

The Old Reliable

Getting it done every time without knocking your socks off.

Croxley Ales

Food Served Until 1AM

Croxley Ales is the place that’s right around the corner that isn’t amazing but is so consistent, it’s hard for you to break away and risk disappointment with something new. They’ve got the blocking and tackling down, thin-skinned crispy wings covered in a Buffalo-style hot sauce that’s actually hot. At $8.95 for a dozen, they’re not the best because the sauce, although studded with hot pepper flakes, is a little too buttery, not really sticking to the wings and the chicken is middle of the line in quality and size. Great deals abound, however, reinforcing why you really can’t go wrong at Croxley’s. 10 cent wings on Monday & Wednesday from 5PM to 1AM plus free wings at the bar from 5PM to 7PM on Fridays.

The Best of This Bunch

Blind Tiger Ale House

Food served until 2AM

The best wings I’ve had in the city are at Dinosaur BBQ. Why? Because they’re tender, spicy, uniquely sauced, and grilled. Blind Tiger Ale House delivers the same four qualities without making us trek up to Harlem. The main differences between Blind Tiger and Dinosaur are size and sauce. Dinosaur’s wings are full size and doused in spicy, sweet BBQ sauce. Blind Tiger’s wings are smaller and doused in a spicy and tangy Buffalo style sauce with strong peppery undertones. What they lack in size, they make up for in fall off the bone tenderness, the result of a baked then grilled cooking process. They taste even better with the delicious homemade bleu cheese dressing. The rest of Blind Tiger’s menu is nothing to scoff at: Cheese plates from Murray’s, a monster-sized chicken quesadilla, three types of grilled cheese sandwiches, and a revolving menu of mini sandwiches featuring a Vietnames Bahn Mi and a roast pork Cuban. And did I mention cask ales and 28 varieties of high quality draught beer? What are you waiting for?

]]> http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/04/07/dinosaur-bbq-chicken-wing-redux/feed/ 0 http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/02/05/super-bowl-feast-underdog-lounge-wings-giants-win-happy-nyc-food-guy/ http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/02/05/super-bowl-feast-underdog-lounge-wings-giants-win-happy-nyc-food-guy/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:48:20 +0000 The NYC Food Guy http://nyceats.wordpress.com/?p=361 Big Effin Blue. The Giants have done the impossible. Three straight playoff road wins and a NFL record 11 straight road wins overall. It was a total team effort, strong and determined, similar to the display put on by the NYC Food Guy and friends as they feasted, at work, during the game.

Amazing wings, greasy pizza, corn and potato chips, fresh veggies, 2 kinds of dip, salsa, Morton’s steak sandwiches.

I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

A Closer Look After the Break…

First stop were the wings, brought to us by the ever-generous Jim Doherty, from his buddy’s bar Underdog Lounge in Haledon, New Jersey (map).

Jim made two great moves Sunday:

1. He ordered the wings naked, keeping them crispy

2. He brought us 6 flavors of sauce, pretty amazing considering UNDERDOG LOUNGE OFFERS ELEVEN DIFFERENT SAUCES:

We were privy to Bleu Cheese, Hot, Teriyaki, Drunken Wings (similar to dunking your wing in a sweetened shot of Jack), Thai Chili, and Fire Ranch.

Fire Ranch was my favorite.

• It combined the spice of the hot sauce with the creaminess of the ranch, a perfect harmony of wing-flavored deliciouness.

Jim and Mark Lewis loved the Thai Chili which was sweet and spicy with a strong garlic flavor.

Other flavors offered at Underdog Lounge:

• BBQ
• Hot Garlic
• Rajun Cajun
• Spicy Marinara – Olive oil, spicy marinara/pepper sauce, sprinkled with parmesan
• Bloody Mary – “not only can it cure a hangover, it’s great on chicken”
• Wino Wings – white wine, butter, lemon, crushed red pepper

I’m not one for naked wings but honestly, these wings rocked.

They were a little on the small side, but that’s fine, easier to plow through a couple of dozen and get a full gamut of the awesome flavors.

————–

Next Stop was this serious spread of snacks provided by the always thoughtful Gerard Musci:

Without even conferring, Gerard made excellent calls all around, stepping up with a variety of snacks that set the bar high for the remainder of the meal.

• Salt and Vinegar Lays, possibly the best Lays there are, if not for…
• Wavy Lays, perfect for dipping and snacking
• Pretzels, delicious when combined with both types of Lays
• Tostitos dippers
• Club Crackers with Monty Jack, Cheddar, and Pepperoni
• Chopped Veggies with Ranch Dipping Sauce
• French Onion Dip

This spread ended up feeding at least 20 people for a good hour. You can’t argue with results. Special shoutout to Alison Orford for her delicious chocolate chip cookies.

————–

Pizza arrived next from Bella Napoli, quite possibly the best slice joint in Midtown West.

Bella Napoli consistently delivers quality pizza to my office every week.

Their pies are thin and tasty, with more cheese than sauce, and a doughy crust that’s the slice’s biggest weakness. The best way to attack their slices is to take a bite of the front then a bite of the crust and combine. Otherwise you’re stuck with a lot of crust at the end.

My favorite slice at Bella Napoli is a fresh Sicilian. It’s filling and the cheese isn’t like a toupee, sliding off in one piece at first bite. Sorry if I invoked thoughts of Marv Albert.

Want more delicious pizza pics and recommendations? Click here for my New York Pizza Tour.

————–

Last round belonged to Morton’s Steakhouse which took the liberty of donating a bunch of steak sandwiches to our office, free of cost. Free for everyone except Mark Lewis. Our resident Chicken Club Expert paid an emotional toll when the arrival of the sandwiches was in limbo and a monetary toll when he tipped the delivery guy.

Morton’s, however, explained the generosity as a result of their being a “sports steakhouse” and our office is a sports-related place. Either way, I wasn’t asking questions. I was busy digging into the little flank steak sliders, spread on one side with some horseradish sauce.

I’ve never been to Morton’s but I don’t think these little guys are on the menu and it’s a good thing too because all in all, the sandwiches were cold and unimpressive. The rolls were of the backyard BBQ variety and the steak was stringy. But hey, I’m not complaining, it’s free steak from Morton’s.

Click here for more mouth-watering sandwich pics & reviews.

So the Giants win the Super Bowl on the strength of two amazing 4th quarter plays and I eat myself into a near coma. Sounds like a pretty wonderful way to spend Super Sunday.

Let’s hear a little bit about yours…

Underdog Lounge

Bella Napoli

Morton’s Steakhouse