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Are you team flat or team drumstick?
Nothing beats some tasty wings on Super Bowl Sunday, when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
And let's face it, no matter which team wins the big game, chicken wings are always a winner.
Whether you’re Team Flats or Team Drumsticks and rooting for Blue cheese or Ranch, we all have our favorites. And don't forget! Alexandria Restaurant Week continues through Super Bowl Sunday. Here's a look at some of our wings research, from our archives, that still holds true today!
What makes for a ‘good wing?’
We talked to Executive Chef Mark Reyburn from Alexandria’s Union Street Public House for his take on what diners should look for in a “good” wing.
“It has to be the sauce,” Reyburn said. “You have to have hot sauce, butter and there’s normally a secret ingredient to give it a little kick.”
If you want your wings particularly crispy, you should ask for your sauce on the side, he said, because the longer the sauce is on the wings, the softer they get.
“Just like French fries or deep-fried fish or calamari, it normally has a window — and it’s about 30 seconds — so as chefs, as soon as something comes out of the fryer, we’re saying, ‘Get that out to the diner, immediately.’”
Union Street Public House offers a variety of wings from Classic Buffalo to naked, Old Bay and more. Reviewers praise Union Street Public House’s wings for being ”tremendously tasty.“
Ranch or Blue Cheese?
A Buffalo, N.Y. native said most restaurants in Buffalo serve blue cheese with wings, but it’s often house-made blue cheese, not something out of a bottle. Ranch dressing on wings, he said, is “sacrilege” where he’s from.
Reyburn said most of his customers order Ranch dressing with their wings, and that’s particularly true with people who are from the South.
The results of a non-scientific poll we posted on Alexandria Living Magazine’s Facebook page showed a definite preference for Blue Cheese over Ranch. One person wrote, “Growing up there, you will be chased out of Buffalo if you ask for ranch. Just saying.”
Taste Test
We gathered a group of seven taste testers from a variety of backgrounds — including a native of Buffalo, New York and a few people who say they always order wings as an appetizer. We ordered two sets of wings from several restaurants based on recommendations from friends and family (and a few complete strangers).
In addition to these below, we also received very high recommendations from people for the wings from Union Street Public House, T.J. Stone’s and Glory Days Grill (particularly for the variety and customization options available there). Check each restaurant's website for food delivery and pickup options.
Union Street Public House offers wings grilled or fried, Buffalo, BBQ, Old Bay.
Glory Days Grill offers traditional, dry rubbed, fire grilled and boneless with 10 different sauces.
T.J. Stones offers “triple dipped wings,” chicken wings seasoned, baked then smoked, finished in the fryer and tossed in our Buffalo sauce, Texas BBQ, Kansas City BBQ, Bourbon glaze, Chipotle BBQ, or Cajun dry rub served with buttermilk blue cheese dressing $15
Here are the wings we tried
Chadwicks — We ordered Buffalo and Old Bay wings from Chadwicks. Both got positive reviews, but the Old Bay won the “order again” vote from our testers. With just the right amount of spice and not too salty, the Old Bay wings had a “nice kick.” The Buffalo wings ran a close second to Mackie’s for our Buffalo native.
Bonchon — We ordered the spicy classic wings (made with a rub, not a sauce) and ginger sesame wings. One of our tasters said the spicy ones should be called “8-second wings” because it’s about 8 seconds after swallowing that your mouth feels the heat. The ginger sesame wings are a good alternative for those who like sweet wings with just a little kick. Bon Chon’s wings were by far the largest wings with thick, crispy batter (too much batter, some noted).
Wing Zone — Honey BBQ and Buffalo wings were our choices from Wing Zone in Del Ray, where options are the name of the game. The honey wings were “crispy, sweet, unexpectedly good!” one of our testers noted. The Buffalo wings were “hot, but not fire-engine hot.”
At Theismann’s, you can order your wings breaded or "naked," with a variety of wing sauces.
Not a wings fan? No worries. There are plenty of other options as Alexandria Restaurant Week continues through Super Bowl Sunday.
