Buffalo chicken wing RESULTS

Two contenders, both near Halsted Street, in fair Chicago where we lay our scene. From buffalo chicken wing biases break to new arguments, where spicy buffalo sauce makes hands unclean.

Seriously. These wings were both finger-licking good, even if they hailed from two very different families... er, I mean, restaurants. Buffalo Wild Wings is known around the country, whereas DeLux wings can only be tasted in Chicago.

So, which came out on top and won the first buffalo chicken wing food fight?



DeLux beat out Buffalo Wild Wings in the biggest food fight landside yet. Every single category! I don't think this gives enough credit to Buffalo Wild Wings, because the wings weren't bad... they just weren't as good, especially in regards to the quality of the meat.

Do you agree with the results? Will you check out DeLux restaurant now that they've won?

If these two wings don't top your buffalo chicken wings list, what does?

Buffalo Wings Contender #2

DELUX BAR & GRILL
669 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
Ph.: 312-850-4008


DeLux Bar & Grill falls at the complete other end of the spectrum when compared to BWW. It may serve bar food, but it is decidedly a bar, with it's dark atmosphere, pool table, and a drink menu that is just about the same size as the one for food.

When we got to the bar at 8:45pm on Saturday, DeLux wasn't too busy, and it was clear most people were there for drinks. But not us! There was no discussing what level of spiciness to get at this place. There was one option and one option only--we just had to decide how many baskets of 12 to get. (We went with 2).

These wings were spicier than the medium ones over at BWW, which was good for some and not for others. The size of the wings varied drastically from one to the next. Huge drummettes dwarfed the double bones. But the quality of the meat and sauce? Divine. Every wing tasted like the next, so there was no surprise when we took a bite. If there were any negatives, the meat was a tad dry, but for most, that was better than grease.

As we polished off all our wings, the bar filled up. Next time, I come to DeLux, I'm coming on a Tuesday, when wings are only 25 cents.

Did Delux serve up enough heat and meat to beat Contender #1?

Check back tomorrow to find out.

Buffalo Wings Contender #1

BUFFALO WILD WINGS
2464 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
Ph.: 773-868-9453

Originally started in 1982 in Ohio as a college sports bar, Buffalo Wild Wings has grown into a casual dining restaurant franchise that includes more 200 locations across the U.S. In Illinois, Buffalo Wild Wings is typically considered a suburban restaurant, but there is one location in Chicago near DePaul University.

Yet, stepping into this Windy City-locale, you might forget for a moment that you're in Chicago. Not only does it look like any other Buffalo Wild Wings--full of TVs and local sports memorabilia, the low cost of beers resembles suburban prices rather than city ones.

As for the food, there's plenty to choose from. From various sauces on the chicken wings, including buffalo of course, to slammers and sandwiches, the menu is huge and definitely a testament to the awesomeness of buffalo sauce and wings.

We ordered a basket of traditional buffalo wings, all of medium heat. Most of the food fight participants hadn't gone into Buffalo Wild Wings expecting much, thinking that it was the other flavors at BWW that deserved the glory. Those with low expectations were pleasantly surprised. The medium heat was enjoyed by most, as was the amount of meat on the bone. But the quality of meat? Most of it tasted and looked greasy, which doesn't necessarily make a good wing.

Nonetheless, every last wing was polished off, and we even ordered a few of the other flavors to try, even if they didn't count toward our final vote.

But there was one last surprise: the bill. While the wings were decently priced for the city, and comparable to the second contender, imagine our surprise when we realize we were charged for the celery and the bleu & ranch dressings. That's just a huge no-no in our books and would have probably affected the voting more had there been a category on price.

Overall, the restaurant beat expectations--but is that good enough to beat contender #2?

Buffalo Chicken Wings Food Fight

The buffalo chicken wing may originally hail from New York, but that doesn't disqualify Chicago from having a plethora of chicken wing options. One just has to check out Chicago's annual Wingfest, this year held on Sunday February 28th, to see all the places that offer up a piece of chicken slathered in a spicy buffalo sauce.

Or, if paying $24 for the Wingfest doesn't float your boat, you just have to throw a food fight, like my friends and I did this past weekend.

Where the wing comes from
As the name of this hot appetizer implies, the chicken wing has its roots at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York back in 1964. Legend has it that the restaurant's owner wanted to make a late time snack for her son and his friends, and she had some leftover chicken wings from the restaurant. After dunking the wings in the fryer and in hot sauce, she added some celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing to the plate so as to temper the hot flavors of the meat. And that, folks, is how buffalo chicken wings were born.

As the recipe made its way into other restaurants, the chicken wing evolved. Some restaurants, like Hooter's, started using different levels of 'heat' or 'spiciness'. Bars and restaurants alike added it to their appetizer menu and started using both drummettes and double bone chicken wings. Even restaurants devoted solely to the chicken wing began to spring up. With all these restaurants, how is one to find the best Buffalo chicken wing the city of Chicago has to offer?

THE FOOD FIGHT

Suzanne & Maggie start digging in at contender #1

Other buffalo chicken wing competitors are sure to follow this food fight, since there are just so many places to grab a basket of wings in Chicago.

With this first fight, we went with two contenders. The food fight crowd was a bit smaller than usual, but, not surprisingly, that didn't stop anyone from having a strong opinion. With a group of six, we ordered baskets of wings and split them up. The only rule: we were voting on BUFFALO chicken wings, not any other flavor, and we agreed not to order any boneless. (We'll save other flavors for another food fight... but boneless? It's not a chicken wing if you don't have to work for it).

The two contenders were as different as could be. One is a chain restaurant that prides itself on serving all kinds of chicken wing dishes. The other is a bar/restaurant that only gave us one option: the beloved buffalo chicken wing appetizer.

So, which contender won this fight? Tune in tomorrow to find out.