Pluck U (New York, NY)

Alright so it's about 100°F today, and I'm craving something spicy. Wings will do the job nicely. Quickly checking what's in the area, I pick Pluck U, a Greenwich Village staple that I've not been to in at least fifteen years. Since it's so damn hot out, I'm not thinking clearly, so I order ten wings tossed in their Death sauce. Actually, i did inquire as to just how hot the Death sauce was, and i was given a spoonful of the sauce to try. It had a kick, but wasn't ridiculously hot, so I went ahead with it. In my stupor, I also forget to take pictures of musings, so forgive the lack of pictures with this post.

I take a seat near the door, and the guy behind the cashier offers to redirect the fan toward me, in anticipation of my potential immolation. The wings come out steaming hot, slathered in a thick, dark red sauce. Now, I usually complain when there's not enough sauce on my wings, but today, the opposite was the case. It was pretty messy, and a good cleanup was in order afterwards.

So how were the wings? Better than I remembered them from long ago. The Buffalo-style sauce was strongly flavored, with a lot of hot pepper flavoring, not excessively vinegary, nor bitter like many other super-hot sauces. The outside was crispy, every piece delightfully crunchy. The meat, while juicy, was just a touch overdone, but still very edible. There weren't any noticeable spices used other than the sauce. As I proceeded to plow through the wings, the heat built up, leaving my lips tingling and my brow sweating. I think I wiped away a few tears as well. Not a fan of blue cheese, I was relieved there were a few sticks of celery, taking the edge off as needed.

The decor of this place is, um, yellow, and there's only a few tables. Most of their business, I assume, is take-out or delivery, so don't go expecting much by the way of ambiance. Still, these are pretty serviceable wings, and pretty much following the standard recipe. So, if you are craving no-nonsense Buffalo-style wings, and you're in the area, these might be a good choice for you.

Pluck U
230 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 505-2468

Boka, featuring Bon Chon Chicken (New York, NY)

Your average Korean-style fried wing.

St. Marks Place has restaurants galore, many of them Asian, over it's one block stretch. Boka's attraction, apparently, is that they serve Bon Chon chicken. There are a quite a number of establishments serving Korean-style fried chicken, including a few under Bon Chon's own banner. How does Boka stand out from the rest?

Boka's menu is varied. In addition to their chicken section (we ordered a combination of wings and drumsticks), they also feature bi bim bop. kim bop, and numerous items to share. In addition to our chicken (ordered spicy), we ordered octopus and udon in a spicy sauce.

The first thing we noticed was the food came out FAST. It seemed as if they brought it before we finished ordering, but the reality was that it could not have taken more than three or four minutes at worst. I am not sure if these times are typical at all hours (we came at a very busy dinnertime), but I'm pretty sure that these items were already prepared en masse in anticipation of the crowds. In all the haste to serve us, our server never brought the customary pickled radishes, which would have been very useful later in the meal.

The octopus, was indeed, very spicy. The dish included scallions, some peppers, and a disappointing few udon noodles. Aside from the few udon that graced the plate, the dish was delicious and opened up our sinuses nicely. The octopus might have been a little overcooked, but we let that go.

While we ordered a combination of wings and drums, I kept firmly to the wings. Already tingling from the previous dish's spiciness, the wings took it further. I ended up not feeling my lips for a short while, and I think I might have broken a sweat for a bit. I'm pretty sure this was the result of the sustained barrage of heat maintained through both dishes, as the wings alone wouldn't have taken me quite that far. The sauce was also fairly sticky. There was a bit of bitterness, and they weren't as sweet as I expected. The wings were a respectable medium-size. If you've had other Korean fried wings, you may find these to be "average", compared to some of the competition. Mind you, these aren't bad wings. They're satisfying, just not particularly special.


Boka
9 St. Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-2887
bokanyc.com

The Meat Hook @ Brooklyn Flea Smorgasbord

For those unfamiliar, the Williamsburg waterfront plays host to the Brooklyn Flea's Smorgasbord. Each Saturday in the warmer months, many local food vendors and eateries gather, rain or shine, to offer an eclectic assortment of culinary delights. Upon this particular visit, I came across The Meat Hook, a Brooklyn-based butcher, who, at the Smorgasbord, had hot wings on their menu.

An unexpected, but great find!

My order was freshly tossed in their hot sauce, which was delicious and pleasantly spicy. I detected no bitterness, which is often the result of added oils. The chicken itself was grilled, cooked properly throughout, yet maintained a bit of crunch on the outside along with a very flavorful, juicy meat inside. My only complaint was that they only served the forearm sections; I would have liked it evenly split with the upper arm/drums. The sauce has more vinegar notes than usual, but fans of Buffalo sauces won't mind at all. While those who are heat-averse might find this a bit much, the heat level is fine for those used to hot; just spicy enough to wake up your mouth, but not enough to cause discomfort.

Overall, this was a surprisingly refreshing find in my travels, and it's great to find a local business that, in turn, supports local suppliers. Their main shop is located nearby in North Williamsburg and demands a follow-up visit. Hopefully, I can get more of their wings there!


The Meat Hook
100 Frost St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 349-5033
www.the-meathook.com/

Smorgasbord - The Brooklyn Flea
East River Waterfront (btw. North 6 + 7 St.)
www.brooklynflea.com/

Tropix Bar & Lounge (Rego Park, NY)

Looking for good, cheap wings in Queens? Let me introduce you to Tropix. If you're willing to venture out on a Monday night, fight for parking (it's not far from the subway, though), and put up with a noisy, crowded bar environment, you'll be treated to some very tasty wings at an excellent price.

Ginger Scallion: Sweet and savory
at the same time.

Tropix Bar & Lounge runs Monday Buffalo Wing Night, where you can get all the wings you need to fill your belly and soul at 25¢ each. The rules are that there's a two-drink minimum and each order must be at least ten wings. The menu currently boasts twenty-four different flavors, including the spectrum of Buffalo sauces. A friend recommended I try the other flavors (she found the Buffalo sauce too sweet), so we placed an order for Ginger Scallion and for Chipotle Rub.

The wings come out piping hot and very, very fresh. Unlike some bars that prepare inordinate numbers of wings in advance to meet the demands of their wing nights, Tropix's wings are cooked to-order. We were pleased with the size of the wings, a respectable medium-size, cooked properly, with a crunchy outside and a juicy inside.

The Ginger Scallion wings were coated in a sweet, sticky glaze that you'll be licking your fingers from. In addition to being sweet, they also had strong savory notes of soy sauce, however the ginger undertone was subtle, and the scallion was very subtle. This wasn't really a detraction from the flavor, as they were still quite delicious, and I would easily choose them again. The flavor is a little reminiscent to some of the Korean fried wings I've had.

Chipotle Rub: This is where
a dry wing is a good thing.

In stark contrast to sweet and sticky, the Chipotle Rub wings were covered with, as the name implies, a dry rub. Normally I would complain when Buffalo wings are served too dry, but a dry rub is an exception. Not too spicy, chipotle imparts a strong smokey flavor that lingers. The juicy meat inside mixes with the dry rub nicely. It's a bit of a salty rub, so make sure your drink is relatively full. I found that going back and forth between the two sauces was an excellent balance of the sweet to the salty.

I look forward to coming back and trying more of their sauces. For your Monday night wing crave, I highly recommend this place, especially if you like to try a variety of sauces.


Tropix Bar & Lounge
9532 Queens Blvd
Rego Park, NY 11374
(718) 275-0024
tropixny.com

Pizza Como (Pennsburg, PA)

Make sure to add the sauce!

You're sure to find decent wings in almost any area of the country, if you know where to look. Tucked away in a Pennsburg, PA shopping center is unassuming sports bar and Italian restaurant Pizza Como. A dozen wings fit the bill for an appetizer to share. Talk about variety, their menu listed TWENTY different sauces (look at their menu online), but, being it was my first visit, I would gauge their wings according to the standard Buffalo. A brief consultation with our server revealed that the Hot is pretty hot for most people, and that, in fact, they were out of the Suicide sauce.

The wings were brought out piping hot, but rather dry, with little sauce to be seen. Upon closer inspection there was indeed a coating of sauce, but I was in the mood for them a littler drippier. We were provided extra sauce, which made all the difference (the photo shows the wings with the extra sauce added). The wings were a proper medium-size, crunchy (but not overly so) on the outside, and properly cooked on the inside. Their Hot was actually a proper hot. If you like your sauce hot, you'd find these are accurate in their description. I regret not being able to test how hot the Suicide sauce was, but that will have to wait until a future visit.

Definitely recommended.


Pizza Como and PC Pub
500 Pottstown Ave
Pennsburg, PA 18073
(215) 679-4900
www.pizzacomopcpub.com

KyoChon (Flushing, NY)

Presentation is everything.

Hailing from South Korea, KyoChon's specialty is twice-fried chicken. They are fairly recent arrivals here in the US, yet they have an extensive presence back home. In a market where there is a lot of competition, KyoChon needs to bring something unique to the wing party to stand out.

At their Flushing, NY location, I found their restaurant to be spacious and very clean, brightly lit, with a minimalistic, yet tasteful white decor. Then music, however, tended to be a little loud. Not being able to choose between the classic Soy Garlic and the Hot & Sweet wings, I ended up ordering both. I was advised that the Hot & Sweet were, in fact, very hot, but I was not dissuaded from my intent.

After a plate of pickled radish came out, it was just a few minutes before two plates of wings arrived. The wings are just shy of medium-sized, but they make up for this in flavor.

Soy Garlic: A tasty classic.

The Soy Garlic wings were indeed nice and garlicky, but not overpoweringly so. The clear notes of soy in the sauce add a contrasting saltness. Perhaps there's a bit of a smokey or mustard undertone that I detected, rounding out a complex mixture of flavors. As they are twice-fried, these wings were very crispy on the outside. The light batter is perfect for holding onto the sauce (they don't drip messily; the sauce seems to have soaked into the batter), yet it doesn't overpower the wing or interfere with the taste, as said batter itself is not seasoned. Overall, these wings had a satisfying crunch, the chicken itself was moist, tasty, and fresh, and the overall flavor was very enjoyable.

Hot & Sweet: Not too sweet,
but satisfyingly hot.

Next up, the Hot & Sweet wings were a little more on the messy side; you'll be licking your fingers and enjoying every second of it. That said, I found them to also be crispy, much like the Soy Garlic. The flavor comes through as sweet at first with a bit of heat. As it settles in, you detect a slight bitter undertone as the pepper oils kick in, then the heat really shows up. First it hits the back of your throat, then works its way to your tongue before finally settling on the lips with a distinct tingle. These wings aren't for the faint of heart or the heat-averse, but they're not really too hot for the initiated, the chile-heads, and the heat freaks. I was pretty sure I could pick up a little bit of garlic in the flavor, as well. I would probably recommend these as the perfect wings to go with beer, which KyoChon sells by the pint or the pitcher.

I definitely recommend a visit to KyoChon. In addition to their wings, they have many other chicken specialty items to try.

KyoChon Chicken
156-52 Northern Blvd
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 939-9292
kyochon.com

1 Republik (Hoboken, NJ)

If there's anything that Hoboken has plenty of, it's pubs and bars. On a weekend night you will be hard pressed to find one that isn't crowded, and most weeknights aren't much better, especially during the warmer months. I was looking to satisfy a wing craving that night, and this Washington Avenue sports bar caught my attention.

Their menu is rather eclectic, including Irish Pub fare, Italian, ribs, a lengthy burger menu, and of course, wings (which are featured prominently at the top of the menu). They list their sauces as: BBQ, Buffalo, Root Beer BBQ, Jerk, Sweet Chili, Outrageous, Sticky Balsamic, Teriyaki, Garlic Lemon Butter, Bourbon Peppercorn, and Cajun. After consulting with the server, I decide to go with Buffalo style (she felt that was pretty hot on its own), with a side of their "Outrageous" sauce, which I was warned would be too hot for most people. I also tried their pulled pork sandwich, mostly for the intriguing Root Beer BBQ sauce.

Decent wings, just add the heat.

The wings were more or less medium-sized, perhaps a little on the smaller side, but not so small as to be a poor value. They were definitely meaty, properly cooked through, although not crispy on the outside. As for the Buffalo sauce, it was a little spicy, but not so hot that my normally spice-adverse friend couldn't tolerate them herself. I would classify the heat level somewhere between mild and medium. The sauce wasn't overly salty, and had a good flavor. Other than the sauce was a typical Buffalo style.

The Outrageous sauce kicked things up a bit, but they weren't the tongue-burners I was expecting. Although it took up the heat significantly past the Buffalo, I did not find myself in need of relief at all; either my tongue was numb that night or the sauce was should have been a lot hotter. The flavor was distinctly marked by a bit of bitterness, tasting a bit of habanero, and definitely of capsaicin oil. Without the expected matching heat, the sauce's bitterness didn't add anything to the flavor.

The pork sandwich was loaded with the Root Beer BBQ sauce, which I found more sweet than savory. It was palatable in the context of the pulled pork, but definitely on the "too sweet" side for me. With it's overt root beer flavor, I would only recommend this as a wing sauce to those who enjoy very sweet, mild sauces, and even then, order it on the side.'

The wing sauce list is long enough to warrant repeat visits, if only to sample a few more sauces, and their menu is impressively diverse. This place is primarily a sports bar, and if you are looking for a few wings to go with the beers, a couple of orders of Buffalo-sauced wings will do fine. If you are looking for an endorphin-laced thrill, however, these won't impress.

1 Republik
221 Washington St
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 850-1282
1republik.com