So as I ease my way back into the World Wide Web of Wings, let me get you up-to-speed on what has occurred since my last posting…I’ve been out to California, enjoyed some In-N-Out burger, got to see Neverland Ranch, didn’t sleep for a couple of weeks due to our Annual meeting for work, lost 8 pounds…down to something like 7.5% body fat (my trainer kicks ass!(link)…I don’t think she’s knows about this blog either, wink, wink), been working on some great new music with some awesome writing partners, DJ’d a couple shows, started training for some 100 mile Bike Centuries, AND have been accepted to NYU Masters Program in Music Business (go me, go me!). Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, I do own the domain name for wingsandthecity.com, have been working on a complete re-design of everything, and will be launching WATC 2.0 this summer. So I apologize to all of you for being such a slacker and hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

So here’s the review.  Go to The Still…order the wings, skip the BBQ (I just didn’t care for the sauce) but get the hot, they actually pack a little heat AND, make sure you order Buffalo Chicken Fingers…yes I said it, order the Chicken Fingers! They’re delicious…not your typical compressed piece of chicken with too much breading and so poorly deep-fried they’re completely dry…nope, not at all.  On the contrary, I liked them a lot. Juicy, decent-sized pieces with a different texture/flavor for the breading…it was almost like I was eating a chicken-flavored breakfast treat that was coated with crumbled up flakes of corn (cough).  Overall the wings were just good…not amazing, but pretty good, and I would say give ‘em a shot.

Let’s see what our guests had to say:

Jay: Sorry for being late. (yes Jay, you were pretty late) but the wings were hot, good texture, though I like more meat. Overall Score: 6 and may return

Blair: For a “hot” wing it could use some more fire, but it’s still pretty tasty. I’d most likely order these when I return. Mild did nothing for me. Take it off the menu (ed note: I agree, there is no use for a ‘mild’ wing). If you don’t like hot wings, order these instead of hot. However, for BBQ, it could use a few more flavor in the sauce. Chicken Strips – Awesome. Unique twist to chicken strips, I like these a lot. Overall Score: 7 and would return.

Chris: Wings have an ‘off’ flavor, like they are almost spoiled. Hot sauce tastes straight from a bottle – undoctored. BBQ not worth ordering again. Medium are Mild and innocuous. No substance and minimal flavor to blue cheese. Overall Score: 4.3 and may return.

Geoff: Good-sized wing, a little chicken flavor, maybe left in the fryer a bit too long as the meat was slightly stringy and chewy. Below average, thin blue cheese dressing. Overall Score: 5 and may return.

Mike O: Perfect crispy factor – Not very hot for hot wings. Meatiness was definitely right in the middle for wings. Sauciness was perfect, Overall, a good wing. Overall Score: 6 and may return

Still’s Famous Buffalo Wings – $8.99 for 10. Mild, Hot, or BBQ.
Chicken Fingers – $8.99

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 3/5
Amt. of Meat: 2.5/5
Heat Index: 2.5/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall Experience: 6/10 (it would have been a 6.5, but I always deduct .5 pts from anyplace claiming “World Famous” wings)

Would we return?: For sports and general hanging out while enjoying wings, I’d swing through.

The Still
192 3rd Ave(between 17th St & 18th St)
New York, NY 10003
212.471.9807
www.stillnyc.com

]]> http://wingsandthecity.wordpress.com/2010/05/24/the-still/feed/ 2 wingsandthecity http://wingsandthecity.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/reservoir/ http://wingsandthecity.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/reservoir/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:37:31 +0000 wingsandthecity http://wingsandthecity.wordpress.com/?p=1159 ]]> ***There’s a comment section on each post, we’d love to hear what you have to say! Also, if you take a look down the right column, you can subscribe to our feed and search other reviews and locations.***

Comme ci Comme ca. After my previous Saturday night of Beers and Bowling, then attempting to speak Spanish, in French, to the guys in the Taco truck…I’ve decided to stick to Francais parlant.

Reservoir Bar is another one of those typical bar/restaurants lending itself to sports viewing, and due to the location, a bevy of NYU students looking for relief from classes in the bottom of a glass. Nothing unique about this ‘watering hole’ (Ha. I made a pun) and nothing good nor bad to report. The jukebox has all your favorite artists, yet only 2 or 3 outdated songs by them..I really did want to hear Katie Perry’s “Hot and Cold” but alas they only had “I Kissed a Girl”. The lighting isn’t bright enough to liven up the joint, nor dark enough to be intimate. You can expect the staff to deliver your order, but don’t expect a smile, and try not to ask too many questions, and definitely don’t try sarcasm. Christian learned that the hard way. Okay, I’ll tell you the story since it’ll probably be the most interesting piece of this post. Upon receiving the bill, which we needed to flag down the waitress sitting at the bar, he took the check (which was not a lot by any means) and exclaimed, in an overtly sarcastic tone, “OH MY GOD…WOW” which caused the waitress to turn back around combined with giving the stink-eye said, “Oh pleeeease”. I don’t know Christian, I think she was flirting with you…”csb”.

The wings. I’ve had a couple readers inform me the wings were decent here, hence our adventure. Your choices are Mild, Medium, Hot, Teriyaki, BBQ, and Honey Garlic. So that’s what we ordered, minus the mild…do I really need to reiterate the non-necessity of Mild Wings?

Anyway, the wings arrived, I took a picture, we ate. Medium were that, Hot was hotter. Teriyaki were kinda good. BBQ, oh yeah we passed on the BBQ this time, and Honey Garlic…they were crispy and ok. Comme ci, comme ca…just like this post.

I’m gonna pass it off to some other people that took the opportunity to put their thoughts on paper to help benefit you, the reader.

Andrea wrote, The Honey Garlic was too inconsistent to be good. I loved the Teriyaki, which surprised me because I normally don’t. Overall I enjoyed the wings. Hot had a really nice kick and the heat was good and not overwhelming. I would come back again however the service was subpar. Overall Score 8 and would return.

PJay stated the Hot and Medium = meh, just ok, have had better, “very average”. Teriyaki too “goopy”, tasted like har sauce. Honey Garlic = inconsistent with honey, very crispy, crispiest of all by far. The password is average. Overall Score 7 and may return.

Basket of Wings Served with Blue Cheese Dip, Celery, & Carrots. Buffalo: ‘mild’, ‘medium’, ‘hot’ — Teriyaki, Bbq, Honey Garlic (10) 6.50 (20) 8.5

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 2.5/5
Amt. of Meat: 2.5/5
Heat Index: 2.5/5
Quality: 2.5/5
Overall Experience: 5/10

Would we return?: Maybe after mid-terms.

Ever wonder what it would be like to travel back in time to the days of yore?

Ok well maybe not that far back, but we did attempt to get all H.G. Wells up in this piece and hit Old Town Bar, located on the cusp of the Union Square, Flatiron, Gramercy trinity.

Old Town bar was founded in 1892, and if you haven’t been, you have probably seen it in music videos and television programs, it’s also a place that many writers have ventured to quench their thirst. (a whole bunch of other historic facts can be found on their web site).

Since the 55-foot bar downstairs was packed, we journeyed upstairs to the once labeled “Ladies & Gentleman’s Dining Room. While there are no frills about this place, it’s warm and inviting and really puts you in the drinking spirit. I’m sure some of the original décor exists and one thing you do notice is the smaller entrance-ways and notably the bathroom sink is around your kneecaps. While I was humoring myself about this it dawned on me, the plumbing was probably originally that low…remember this was built in 1892 and the average height of a person was around 5ft 6. Which is quite a few inches less than today’s standards.

Old Town only serves one type of Buffalo Wing, and some chicken fingers. So we ordered up a large plateful of them. There really wasn’t a choice, small or large. BUT what we didn’t realize is that while the portions come in two different sizes, the actual wings come in Xtra-small. I kid you not, these we’re the smallest wings I have ever seen…were these possibly Quail wings? Or is it the fact that in 1892 chickens were much smaller too and we really have travelled back in time. Coincidentally, I finally got around to watching Food Inc. and they did have a demographic on how chickens were a few pounds less in the 50′s than the genetically mutated ‘birds’ we have today. Perhaps we have followed in Wells’ footsteps.

So how did they taste? Pretty good actually. The meat was well-cooked, has a bit of crunch to them and the sauce (though not very HOT) was right on spot! The blue cheese dip was alright, and we ended up ordering another round…well we sorta had to.

Bottom line, these were really good, yet small, bar wings so I guess when it comes to wings…size doesn’t matter.

So what did our guests say?

Wendy: I liked the first wing the best – it was crunchy, hot, and vinegary. I liked that you could get to the meaty bits in the middle of the two bones and that the meat fell off the bones. The wings seemed a bit on the small side, which we all had a good laugh about. The “large plate of small wings”, but what you got was good quality. Old Town Tavern does have a nice ambiance and it reeks of history – from the high ceilings to the ancient waitresses. The sauce didn’t really taste like Blue Cheese – non-descript. A few of the wings had the taste that you come across at a Chinese restaurant sometimes, where you wonder if it’s chicken…but the sauce was tasty. Overall Score: 7 and may return.

Kim said “Little wing for a little person” – If I set out to order a large plate of small wings, I’d be golden. Wondering if the small order contains large wings? Wings were tiny, quail-sized bites of Buffalo. Flavor was adequate, but not hot. Overall Score: 6 and would return.

Buffalo Wings – Sm $7.50, Lg $11.25

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 3/5
Amt. of Meat: 1/5
Heat Index: 2/5
Quality: 4/5
Overall Experience: 5/10

Would we return?: If I was consuming beverages here, I’d definitely order up a plate or 3. I just wish they were bigger.

I leave you with an hommage…(link)

When it comes to Irish pubs, I generally don’t think of Buffalo Wings as the prized food, yet they are a quintessential staple. To me the Irish cuisine consists of potatoes, cabbage, stew, and Guinness. Yes, in Ireland, Guinness is considered a full meal and is listed on the top of the food pyramid. Being a ginger-face myself, it is hard for me not to pass by and salivate over a well-poured pint of the wonderful stout. But I digress…this is a blog about wings after-all.

Since our first venue of choice ended up having some sort of private event, I scoped out a few nearby locales and upon noticing one of the options for wings was volcanic, my choice was made for me.

Clancy’s is what you expect from an Irish pub, and a bit more. It’s very warm and welcoming, and the back dining room has not one, but two fireplaces to warm your spirits. As our motley crew sat down we quickly ordered up a sampling of BBQ, Buffalo, and Volcanic…all large orders, for the record.

Moments later, large platefuls of meaty-goodness-on-a-bone were dropped off on our table. I started off with the well-saturated BBQ wings…unexpectedly, I was astonished how good these were. Juicy, crispy, and the BBQ sauce was excellent! Am I allowed to say Finger-licking Good without being sued? Eh, who cares…that’s what they were! Next was the Buffalo. Nothing spectacular yet nothing to complain about. Not very spicy, but had nice flavor and were meaty and cooked well. As for the Volcanic, I was preparing myself for the worst…they were pretty much the same as the Buffalo but with the addition of a coating of gooey spices. I would say the texture was akin to a pesto sauce (I’m guessing that’s the lava), it did add heat but was inconsistent (some had more coating than others). Once again I can’t say they were bad, but I wouldn’t say I loved them. Overall the BBQ was some of the best I’ve had in the city (we all ordered up another large of them) and would recommend any of the wings to accompany a pint of liquid barley. Oh and a side note…no carrots, but you do get celery, blue-cheese, and a mini salad…which was a nice addition.

Lets see what the rest of the crew had to say.

Aja said the wings were crispy and enjoyable. I liked the blue cheese and celery. Of the three types I preferred the BBQ. Overall Score: 7 and possibly would return.

Chandra (birthday girl) said they were not overly breaded and not too saucy. The Buffalo had a good spice without overpowering. The BBQ was my favorite…Mmm-Meaty…Tastes like chicken . I might come back with friends but wouldn’t be all oooh, we gotta come here for the wings Thanks Pete! (aww, you’re welcome Chandra) Overall Score: 8 and would return.

Jamieson said uneven sauce, very low initial heat, some lingering heat. Nice environment but slow- to- lacking service. BBQ wings and Buffalo wings were most notably sweet. The hottest wings were soggy with a salsa-esque coating that made the wings soggy. Overall Score: 6 and may return.

Greg said great taste and texture to the BBQ. Those babies melt in yo mouth! I want the recipe. All the wings were meaty and flavorful. I expected the Volcanic to be bubbing with more lava, but they had a spicy aftertaste…kinda like having Indian curry. I need some water. Overall quality wings…Where’s the next order? Score: 9 and would return.

Wings; BBQ, Buffalo, or Volcanic – Sm (10) $7, Med (15) $9, Lg (20) $11

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 3/5
Amt. of Meat: 4/5
Heat Index: 3/5
Quality: 4/5
Overall Experience: 7/10

Would we return?: Defintely for a beer and the BBQ wings!

Clancy’s Bar
978 2nd Avenue (btwn 51^st and 52^nd)
New York, NY 10022-6355
(212) 755-8383
www.clancysnyc.com

This week on (Top) Wings and the City, we head out to visit Craftbar in the Flatiron District of New York City to sample a new culinary twist on the Classic wing. How do these birds taste? Be sure to stick around and find out.

<WATC opening credits>

Hi, we’re here at Craftbar, the sister-restaurant of Craft, owned by world-renown Chef Tom Colicchio. Besides being well-known for his culinary expertise, he is probably more recognized in the role as host on some ‘unknown’ television program where he gets to sample dishes, prepared by contestants vying for the title of “Top Chef”, then gets to critique them at will…Well Tom, I may not have a television show, but I do have a blog…which makes me way cooler than you…So we decided we’re going to do our own version of Top Chef – Wings and the City Edition…we’ll be back after the commercial break.

And we’re back…that was quick, considering I don’t have any advertising on the site…yet.

Walking into Craftbar I immediately noticed a very casual and comforting room. No pretentiousness or trying to hard…just a welcoming upscale environment. The hostesses greeted me kindly. Even when I informed them some of my party was running late for our reservations, once they arrived, they were right on top of us getting a table. So far everything was great, our personable waitress ran through the specials and we ordered up.

An interesting tidbit about the wings is the portions are based on weight instead of quantity, but you do get about a handful per plate, or bowl, as they are served in.

Upon gazing at the exquisite golden crisp we did notice there are no bones, nor any celery or carrots…we’re not in Buffalo anymore are we. Instead of the normal garnishing, they were accompanied by crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, and luscious pickled ‘something’. So good I had to query our waitress to what they were, which she informed us they were pickled onions and celery (oh so there WAS celery). I could eat a plate of just that.

The wings themselves are…crispy, juicy, well cooked, and very tasty. You do get a little dish of Sriracha aioli to dip them in, yet it wasn’t very spicy. Despite the lack of heat, they were delicious…as the rest of the meal was too. In regards to the whole experience, I have one word for you Tom…Bravo!

Let’s see what the rest of our judges had to say.

Chantal said Craftbar is a lovely restaurant but not for wings. Although it is an item on the menu, I’m an American girl who takes her meat very seriously. Come here for the entrée because they have no hot sauce and serve it with mayo ‘nough said? I think so . Overall score: 6 and maybe would return.

Mike (aka Sleepy) said, Dainty, tasty wings – almost more nuggets than wings. Obviously quality chicken, was very tasty and juicy but not much there to really gnaw on. The presentation was great, loved the cheese and pickled veggies, but really the wings are not the main event here. Overall score: 7 and would return.

Begoña (aka Boo) said she loved the place! Everything was delicious, and the wings were prepared very well. Oysters were outstanding and I though the sauce was not too spicy- right in the middle. Overall score: 9 and would return.

You may have noticed some nicknames there…Sleepy & Boo, that’s their DJ names, and host a party every Saturday night @ Sullivan Room, so if you want to check out some hot dance music, check out www.basicnyc.com <\end blatant promotion>

Confit Chicken Wings, Gorgonzola, Sriracha  – $9.

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 1/5
Amt. of Meat: 2.5/5
Heat Index: 2/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Experience: 7/10

Would we return?: I wouldn’t say this is somewhere to go for a wing night out, though if you plan on enjoying a delectable meal, I do recommend adding these to your order.

Thanks for watching and we’ll see you again next week on Wings and the City.

Happy New Year everyone! I trust everyone is keeping to their resolutions and the new decade is starting off well. For me, I have started the New Year by signing up for a group boot camp with an amazing trainer, Terri Walsh. I would highly recommend checking her out if you’re looking to get whipped into shape http://online-personaltraining-nyc.com. So with that in mind, I’m working on my healthy eating habits which means I will be cutting down my Wing consumption for the month. Even though the Atkins Diet allows for wings (link, see day 7) I’m still taking a little break. But don’t fret my fellow wingers, I have a few reviews left over from last year to keep you informed.

Back in October I attended a going-away party for a friend that was headed off to the left coast to pursue her dreams. Stumbling in from Union Square I ventured down the stairs into the Belmont Lounge.

Belmont Lounge is a cozy and modern speakeasy with sex appeal…just check out the wall art. The main bar has a warm vibe (perhaps the fireplace helps) and the back room is spacious with booths and couches to enhance your comfort level while DJ’s offer aural sensations…the extra bonus is an outdoor garden…personally, I love this place.

As I walked into the back room to join the party, I first noticed Jordan Luckett was turning out some good tunes from the DJ booth (click to check out some of his mixes) and was quickly informed they have Buffalo Wings here. I guess that is the new greeting for me…instead of a hello, it’s been replaced by whether or not the venue has wings…not complaining.

So of course, I was obliged to order a round of wings…again, not complaining. What was presented is a crispy deep-fried presentation along with baby carrots, celery, blue cheese, a little bowl of hot sauce for your dipping pleasure. I took the first drumstick, submerged it into the hot sauce and took a big bite…they were good!

There was a slight crunch, similar to biting into a potato chip, and the sauce was straight-up Buffalo-style (medium heat). These were good wings, not spectacular, and slightly small, yet enjoyable for the situation. The blue cheese was exceptional and I was pleasantly surprised with this slight variation of a Buffalo wing. I would definitely order them again if I was patronizing Belmont Lounge (which I plan on doing).

Chicken Wings – 1 dozen – $10

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: you dip your own
Amt. of Meat: 2.5/5
Heat Index: 2.5/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall Experience: 6.5/10

Would we return?: Belmont Lounge is a one of my favorite watering holes, so I’m biased, but I would suggest ordering the wings along with your favorite drink.

As I stated last week, subjective is a term that can be used greatly when it comes to how people perceive something, especially when it comes to food. So here were are once again going up against one of the more common terms when it comes to gloating about an establishment’s product. We’ve all seen New York’s best <insert food product> or “Original Ray’s Pizza” (yet true New Yorkers all know the original is on Prince St…or is it the one on 6th Ave?). What Lansdowne Road boldly proclaims is, “Scruffy Duffy’s World Famous Wings”.

Well first to understand the naming convention here is that years ago there was a wonderful bar in the Times Square area conveniently named “Scruffy Duffy’s” that had amazing wings. Since it’s closing the buffalos have migrated west to SD’s sister bar, Lansdowne Road (named after both a road in Dublin and of the rugby stadium that is located there). So myself and a crackpot crew of ‘wingers’ set out to go report on this claim of “World Famous Wings”…what follows is our ‘subjective’ story.

As usual, we ordered up a platter of each the mild, medium, and hot “buffalo wings”.
I put that in quotes because buffalo wings are suppose to be prepared in a nice buttery hot sauce (preferably Franks) but to my surprise, these were, how can I say, NOT (I really did check the thesaurus to see if I could come up with a better word) like that at all. The sauce was a thicker-based-something, and was not completely covering the wings, which may I add, were over-cooked and just plain out dry.
The sauce was on the hot & spicy side except for the mild, which really didn’t have any sauce on it at all. Overall the flavor was good, which was a disappointment, since the wings were so poorly cooked. “World Famous?” maybe in a third-world country.

Typically when I embark on a wing adventure I do take time out to research what other people have said, and I’m rather glad that I’m not alone in this ‘subjective’ opinion. I stumbled across NYC Food Guy’s blog where he lays out his ‘subjective’ opinions on some wing places around the city (link) and since he has his taste buds on the pulse of NYC cuisine, I defer to his soapbox offerings.

Tonight’s theme was couple’s night so now I bring you our special guests Mike & Jessi, and Manay & Samantha.

• Mike said: I’m not a fan of overly spicy wings. This being said, I felt the medium to be perfectly spiced for my taste. The mild seemed to be mild because they were lacking sauce. The spicy wings had a very deceptive spicy finish that was not immediately evident. The wings had a nice crisp texture, but were a bit dry inside. This was easily compensated for me by using copious amounts of the surprisingly chunk-free blue cheese dressing. Lansdowne road has a nice atmosphere, with multiple TV’s available, as well as a pool table and a dartboard. It would make a great destination for Saturday/Sunday football. Overall score: 8.5 and would return for the medium wings.
• Jessi said: I felt the outside skin was crispy but the meat was a bit too dry. I also wanted chunkier blue cheese. Definitely not bad but I’m only after perfection. The French fries could have been tastier. Overall score: 7 and would maybe make a return visit.
• Manay penned (which ran out of ink) The Medium wings were quite good as far as bar wings go generally. Felt that some might have been over-fried but still meaty, not over sauced. Maybe a bit mild for my taste but that’s why we also ordered the hot wings. If I were to rate them, I would go hot-med-mild. Hot wings had the right amount of heat to kick up body temperature on a cold winter day (and now I understand why the bar keeps the heat on low – had to wipe my forehead!). Very interested in coming back during football (American) or World Cup to see how the place handles a crowd. Good setup with TV set high and unobstructed for viewing sports. The blue cheese – not the real thing. I don’t like the real thing  – favor ranch – but wouldn’t have minded some more stank; just a little. The celery – good and crisp. Soggy celery makes me want to leave any bar serving wings. Can still take a lesson from places including organic celery. It’s not that much more costly but enhances the overall experience…Back to the wings…Would I come back? Yes (especially after work, which is nearby) Where do I rank the joint? Not in the top 5, but still solid and consistent across the 3 different flavors. I sense Franks; but my tongue is wasted. Will I remember the wings? I’ll tell you tomorrow. Overall score: 7.
• Samantha said: This place is solid; good food, good beers on tap, great TV/décor, equal opportunity sports teams and game. I did not enjoy the medium as much as I enjoyed the mild for it’s crispiness and hot for my biased love for heat. The mild had a smokiness and spice I couldn’t place, I also didn’t enjoy the tanginess and found the sauciness not evenly distributed, which is annoying when some are too much and some are not enough. Blue cheese sauce could also use more flavor although the celery sticks tasted organic and had a nice crunch. All in all, a thumbs up. (Bare in mind I come from a very low standard based on poor selection in my neighborhood). Overall score 9 and would return.

You may recognize Christian and Dale from our previous adventure for another “Famous Wings” establishment (link)

Scruffy Duffy’s World Famous Buffalo Wings (Hot, Med, Mild)
12 – $7.50, 24 – $12.50, 50 – $23.95

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 2.5/5
Amt. of Meat: 3/5
Heat Index: 4/5
Quality: 2/5
Overall Experience: 5/10

Would we return?: Even though my guests all pretty much said they would return, I would pass on going just for the wings…beers, yes though!

Subjective:
1. Thinking and writing that include personal feelings, attitudes, and opinions.
2. Judgment based on individual personal impressions and feelings and opinions rather than external facts

One of the needs in life is for people to have their own voice…to be heard…to have something to say…and for someone to listen. Perhaps this is the reason for over 217,012,482 blogs in the world.  For me, I just enjoy telling boring, long-winded stories, because I like the sound of my own voice…especially the way I say Massapequa. So when I was told on numerous occasions that Croxley’s Ale House has the best wings, as subjective as it may be, I still felt the need to listen up.

Croxley’s is situated down in Alphabet City, where just 10-15 years ago you wouldn’t be headed in that area for wings, yet possibly for a rendezvous with Scott Weiland, but I digress. When you step inside Croxley’s you are struck by two amazing feelings…the first being the lovely scent of buffalo sauce and the other being that feeling you get after seeing a giant banner that says 10 CENT WINGS! Our entourage took over the back booth and ordered up 100 wings…that’s 10 dollars or 890 Yen…either way this is an amazing deal.

So what about the ‘supposedly’ best wings…I can objectively say, No, they are not the best wings I’ve ever had. Lacking a bit in the meat department and a little over-cooked, yet the sauce was pretty good – adding adequate flavor. I couldn’t stop eating them. The heat was fine, nothing requiring extra napkins to pat my head, but there was a touch of spice. I can say I understand the allure of this place and did thoroughly enjoy them. On top of it, receiving the bill made the whole wing adventure more satisfying.

Let’s hear a whole bunch of other opinions that have no bearing on the matter.

• Dale said they were good.simple.wings. Possibly a bit too ‘vinegary’. The ‘Cry Like a Baby’ wings would be better if they were hotter, but pretty good all-in-all. Overall Score: 7 and he said he would return.
• Roxy said the hot wings were more in the mild side. The cry like a baby did not meet its claim…Although no tears, I would order it again. It was my favorite! Steer clear of the BBQ wings…the sauce was a bit “out of the bottle’. Overall Score: 8 and would return.
• James simply stated, Nice place. Wings are not that hot, but very good. Service was excellent. Score: 8 and would return.
• Joe was decidedly underwhelmed. Not thrilled about having wing sauce all over my back (ed. that’s another story). Wings actually tasted like chicken, which is a big plus. Otherwise didn’t live up to the hype. Overall Score: 6.

Let’s play a game…it’s called “Who’s that strange girl on the right that keeps showing up in every wing outing?” (link)
Recognize any of the other past guest reviewers from (link1) (link2) (link3)

Croxley Ales World Famous Buffalo Wings 8.95  (Hot, Med, Mild or BBQ), and off-menu ‘cry like a baby’
10 cent wings M-W (while promotion lasts)

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 4/5
Amt. of Meat: 2.5/5
Heat Index: 2.5/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall Experience: 7/10

Would we return?: Would definitely return.

• Ulysses S. Grant was President
• New York City annexes The Bronx
• The Young Men’s Hebrew Association in Manhattan (which still operates today as the 92nd Street Y) is founded.
• Harper’s Weekly publishes a cartoon by Thomas Nast considered the first important use of an elephant as a symbol for the Republican Party
• Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets. The price is $13.50 per dozen
• Police on horses break up a demonstration of the unemployed in New York’s Tompkins Square Park, injuring hundreds who came to protest the intense poverty resulting from the depression of the 1870s
• New York’s Madison Square Garden opens under the name Barnum’s Hippodrome
• William Marcy “Boss” Tweed, of Tammany Hall (New York City) convicted of defrauding city of $6M, sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment
• Joseph F. Glidden patents barbed wire
• Samuel J. Tilden elected governor of New York
• Baseball batter’s box is officially adopted
• … and PJ Hanley’s was opened

PJ Hanley’s is ‘self-considered’ to be Brooklyn’s oldest bar. While I am not a ‘self-appointed’ Historian, I will just have to take this as fact. We rolled up, or walked up, some may have even strolled, hopped, or skipped…but since I am also not a ‘self-appointed’ Minister of Silly Walks, I cannot comment exactly how our guests arrived. It is safe to say we all did arrive with one thing in common…The desire for Wings!

Even though PJ Hanley’s sports a decent-sized outdoor seating area, the weather had already turned cold enough to keep us inside. We ordered through all the options; Medium wings, Spicy, BBQ, Honey Glazed, Thai hot & sweet, and the off-menu Crispy.

As the plates arrived, the first bit of confusion set in…which was which? (obviously besides the crispy) They all had the same look, color, and texture…the entire night was filled with, “Is that the BBQ or is that the Spicy?” I want preface by saying these are not ‘Buffalo Wings’ they are simply wings with different flavors. They have a good amount of meat, the texture isn’t as crisp as I prefer, but definitely not soggy. All of the flavors were decent, nothing making me say wow though. Yet I will say the Honey glazed had a robust sweet honey flavor (the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee would be pleased). But on the other hand to my dismay, the spicy was NOT spicy whatsoever, I’d say the crispy wings were the best of the bunch…But my opinion doesn’t really matter, let’s hear what our guests had to say.

• Christian (the pool shark): Wings were not that spicy and that’s saying something coming from a light-weight like me. The BBQ and Honey wings were very saucy. The crispy were really crunchy. Overall score: 5 and would maybe return.
• Sug (poker anyone?) stated, An interesting departure from the traditional crispy, deep-fried-ish wing. This was more on the juicy/fleshy side of things. Definitely “savory’ as opposed to overwhelming and drowned in sauce. The alternate flavors were well distinguished and thoughtful. Overall pretty good. Score: 7 and would return. www.davidzeitlin.com
• Janeen (Sug’s much better half) said GREAT DIET COKE!. The wings were great – could’ve been a little more meat on the bone. The crispy ones were the best – perfect texture and spice. Hot ones didn’t seem so hot immediately but had a crazy aftertaste. Overall Score: 8 and would return.
• Maria (909) said, I really liked them all except the Thai. The crispy wings had the most crisp factor. The rest were soggy. The atomic level of the hot was not hot enough. The crispy had a nice batter and juicy with a nice mild kick. The BBQ were sweet, very mild and juicy. I did not really like the Thai, very soy-ey. The Medium had a nice kick, not too bad, not crispy. And the blue cheese was fair. Overall Score: 6 and would return.

Once again, that strange girl on the left keeps popping up whenever there’s wings to be had (link)

Buffalo Wings – 8 Pc $9/ 16 Pc $16/ 40 Pc $32

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 4/5
Amt. of Meat: 3.5/5
Heat Index: 2/5
Quality: 3/5
Overall Experience: 6/10

Would we return?: I’d pick at some wings after a few beers.

That would be us…and there’s not too many things that go better with football than Beer, Wings, and hot blonds wearing Black & Gold…Yes, Steeler Nation, you know what I’m talking about!
But where in the city can we find this wonderful collection all in one place? We searched out and came across Turtle Bay! Turtle Bay NYC is like a little slice Heaven right here on earth for Steeler Fans…2 floors of beer, babes, bar food, and enough wings to even satisfy Casey Hampton.

As our crew started to roll in for some Monday Night Football, and a quick Wing Fling…I asked our waitress how many wings in an order…she chuckled as she gave me the ‘silly boy’ look and said “as many as you want, they’re 50 cents each” and the order for 50 wings was placed!

The Heavenly platter arrived and we dug right in.
Simply stated…the wings were GOOD…nothing amazing, but they were GOOD. Cooked to the right crispness, decent amount of meat, generous amount of hot sauce keeping with the true buffalo-style (a touch on the buttery side). After a few I did need a Terrible Towel to wipe off my head. The Blue Cheese dare I say was almost too chunky for my liking?…nah…It was thick with real boulders of the wonderful fromage.

I can’t say much except 50 cents that are above par with your typical bar wings makes Happy Pete…Happy.  Not to mention the Steelers won 28-10!

Here’s what the fellow fans had to say:

• Kevin: For typical sports bar wings, not bad. Nothing overwhelming, good or bad. Wings had a good amount of meat, but the taste was just typical of other wings at sports bars. Wouldn’t come back to Turtle Bay just for the wings, but would order them when watching the Steelers kick ass! Overall Score: 7.
• Mike: Good stuff. Very tasty. Just right, not too hot, not too saucy. Overall Score: 7
• Rob: My issue, I ordered the wings plain with sauce on the side, problem was, only 1 sauce available, HOT!!! No BBQ, No Sweet & Sour, No Honey Mustard, only Hot – give me more choices, I’ll be back. Overall Score: 7.
• Shariff summed it up in two words: GO STEELERS! Overall Score: 7.

BTW, if you like “house music”…even if you don’t (which you should!) Go check out Kevin and Mikes site http://downdeepnyc.com Great DJ team and great guys in general. You can download mixes or check out when they’re playing next.

Since we were so wrapped up in the game, we neglected to take a group shot, so I had to digitally recreate the evening using a high-end 3D animation program.

Buffalo Wings – $9
50 cent wings during games.

WATCs Scoring:
Sauciness: 3/5
Amt. of Meat: 3.5/5
Heat Index: 3/5
Quality: 4/5
Overall Experience: 7/10

Would we return?: If I was craving some wings and in the area or wanted to catch some sports, I’d recommend it.