Buffalo Wing Smackdown!

 WTF do I have to do, jet to New York every time I get the hankerin' for a  decent wing?! It's 2009 for chrissakes!! Anyhoo, if you picked up on my subtle frustration above, I have a passion for buffalo wings. No, not just any chicken wing that's been breaded, deep-fried then dredged through some bottled hot sauce. No siree. We're talkin' Buffalo wings, made in the old school east coast tradition. Know what that means, punk? Read on.

I hear the first Buffalo wings were made at a place called the Anchor Bar in...you guessed it you genius...Buffalo, NY. Well, enough history for today. And who the hell wants to go to Buffalo, anyway?

Anyhoo, we have devoted much of our New Year's weekend to just that, my kittens. Clogging our arteries for the good of all, to discover the best Buffalo wings in the city. And we narrowed it down to two for...drum roll please...the Buffalo Wing Smackdown 2009!

So our friend Nikki told us about this place in the Marina called Original Buffalo Wings.  Dunno about you, but it seemed pretty promising to my optimistic little self. I mean, that's just about as specialized-sounding as In-n-Out Burger. And they deliver a damn tasty burger.

So I was kinda worried when I walked in and they offer every type of buffalo-fried food you can imagine! Buffalo shrooms, anyone? But hey, whatdya expect from a place in the Marina, anyway? This is a kinda shabby, shack-type diner that looked like it might deliver. And once again, you have to respect anyone that names their restaurant after a dish. So we ordered up a plate of wings, as well as a plate of fingers just cuz. The wings go for about a buck a pop. The fingers go for about a buck and a half each. Small order is 6, or you can super-size it and get 50 wings for $50 (nope, no volume discount). They also offer 'California white wine' for $2.95 a glass! We opted for Corona to wash the wings down.

They served 'em up pretty fast, and first impression is of course a visual. And that impression? How the hell did they find chicken wings smaller than what our friend Spencer serves?! P-u-n-y. They should serve tweezers with these things. Maybe they should call this place 'Ethiopian Buffalo Wings'.

OK, I think you get the gist. Or am I too subtle? So let's move on to the taste test. J&J look for a crisp skin, enough tender meat to get a good mouthful, and a peppery spice. Not too sloppy on the sauce, either!

Hey the wings deliver pretty well on the taste test. Puny? Yes. The meat was a little dry ('cuz they're so small! Arrgghh. OK I will stop ranting). A tad dry, but good sauce, a little gooey but tasty. But they are true Buffalo wings, not some f'd up Cali version of a classic. I give 'em a 7/10. Prolly an 8 if it's after a long night of hittin' the bottle.

OK, now for the next and final contender: another friend Kate Facebooked us (yes that is a legitimate verb in my book) about Giordano's on Columbus. This place is straight outta Pittsburgh. Steelers pennants everywhere, Pittsburgh memorabilia, etc. Cute little spot, with lots of TVs. And the people working it are really cool, lotsa fun. And a good beer and decent wine list. We'll definitely check it out for the upcoming Steelers playoff game. Now, Giordano's is best known for their 'All-in-One Sandwiches'. Nope I didn't know WTF that meant either. The All-in-one is a sando with your choice of meat & provolone cheese, put on the grill, then on thick white bread. But wait! Before they close it up, they put a pile of fries and oil & vinegar slaw on it! Woo Hoo!! We love you Giordano's! They looked so good we ordered a couple and took them to our friend Spencer at Paragon and Paul, Thomas and Tony at Pete's Tavern.

But back to the topic at hand. What was it? Oh yeah, Buffalo Wings. So we order up 10 wings for $7.50, spicy. Holy crap! These wings ROCK! First they are f'ing ginormous. I mean, at least 4-5 bites each. Second, they served up 5 'guy' wings and 5 'chick' wings (guy wings are the drumsticks). Third, the skin was crisp, and the meat was uber-tender. I just drooled. And last and most important, the sauce is out of this world kick-ass. Yes, it was a bit gooey, we're used to Buffalo wings that are less so. But the sauce was so damn good when we were done with the wings we grabbed spoons and slurped up the rest of it.

I am tempted to rate these wings a perfect 10. Hmmmm. The pressure. What a VinDivine rating can do for a business!;). Nope, sorry Giordano's, as awesome as these wings are, and as much as we love your place I can only go up to a 9/10. Why? I dunno why. It just is. Maybe it's a little early in '09 to bestow a 10 on anything.

Bottom line: Girodano's kicks OBW's scrawny ass. But if you're in the Marina and want a decent order, give 'em a go.

Giordano's
303 Columbus (@ B'way)
San Francisco, CA
415-397-BROS

Comments

[Neerav Mistry]

Speaking of Columbus and Buffalo wings, I have found Roosters to be the best for wings in the country. They actually let me purchase 20 jars of their Donkey grade (level of hotness) wing sauce back to the Cali which is best sauce I have EVER had. And they ship them in mason jars, seriously, that is awesome. The wings are breaded but you can also get them naked which I prefer, but both are ridiculous. No skimpiness on the size of wings, consistent size drums and wings, my mouth is watering just typing this right now. It's a tailgate winner every time.