This week is Winged Animal Week here on Gothamist, and what better way to celebrate than by eating some of those delicious, delicious wings. To that end we've put together a list of some of our favorite spots in town to go and do just that.
Now, if all you are looking for in your wings is some poultry appendages fried up, slathered with some sort of sauce and paired with a cheese dip then, well, you can find that pretty much anywhere from your neighborhood pub to one of the many Atomic Wings that litter the city. But for something a little more start here:
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: People love this Harlem 'cue joint for many reasons, but ours is definitely their jumbo-sized, smoked wings. You want options? They've got five thick sauces for you to choose from, ranging from the mild Honey BBQ to the hot Devil's Duel (served with blue cheese, naturally). You can just order three for $3.95 but why would you when 13 will cost you $13.95? And another reason to love the Dino? For those who hate shlepping, they'll be opening a Park Slope outpost soon enough.
700 West 125th Street // 212-694-1777
Bon Chon: We've been fans of this Korean fried chicken chain's wings for ages now, and the allure doesn't seem to fade. Something about those notably light pieces of fried goodness is incredibly addictive (seriously, how do they make fried taste so light?). We like to get some of the spicy and some of the garlic wings at the same time to keep things interesting, however, as otherwise the intense flavors can be a touch overpowering.
Pok Pok Wing: Buzzy Portland chef Andy Ricker recently opened his Thai restaurant Pok Pok in Brooklyn to the delight of many a food blogger, but before he did that he gave the city a tease of what to expect when he opened Pok Pok Wing in the LES. And man did the tease work! It is absurdly hard to stop eating those twice-fried fish sauced chicken wings (just trust us, okay?). You know how Pommes Frites fries taste best because they've been fried twice? Same general concept.
137 Rivington Street // 212-744-1299
Blue Smoke: Despite its fancy trappings, Danny Meyer's jazz joint is also a seriously quality barbecue spot, as is evidenced by its lip smacking chipotle chicken wings. Come for the smokey applewood flavor, stay for the meat that almost falls off the bone it is so tender. Leave jazzed. (Aside: Having not been, we can't speak for the wings at the non-original Blue Smokes around town).
116 East 27th Street // 212-447-7733
The Wing Bar When it comes to straight up wings in a bar there are lots of favorites out there, often depending on where you live (we've heard a couple votes for everything from Blondie's on 79th to Croxley Ales in Alphabet City) but lately our go-to has been this Smith Street spot in Carroll Gardens. The spicy, crispy wings there just seem to have more oomph than we've found elsewhere. They aren't always the hottest, but they make up for it in fried goodness.
275 Smith Street // 718-237-2728
So. Those are our five favorites of the moment. But the thing about opinions on wings is that, like noses, pretty much everyone has one. For example, we know people who swear by the skimpy (but flavorful!) wings at ramen-heaven Ippudo. Where are your favorite wings in town? Drop 'em in the comments!
