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