Kowloon (Saugus)

The 1200-seat premier Asian dining complex known as the Kowloon Restaurant on Rt. 1 in Saugus is one of the largest, highest grossing Asian restaurants in the United States. Since opening in 1959, the Wong family has built their empire from a 24 seat Chinese restaurant into the kitschy, extravagant landmark that it is today.

The walls are lined with decades’ worth of autographed photos of visiting celebrities and the menu reads like a phone book, with page after page of Polynesian, Thai, Japanese, Szechuan and Cantonese fare from which to choose.

But there’s one item on the menu that interested us most, an item that pays homage to the town where Kowloon has called home for over 50 years: the Kowloon Special Saugus Wing.

Saugus Wings are known far and wide as being some of the most delicious Asian-style wings available today- so naturally we had to stop by to see for ourselves.

Flavor: Kowloon’s Saugus Wings are very liberally doused in a dark, thick, sweet, soy based sauce with large chunks of garlic visible on each wing. Forget that slogan from KFC – the Saugus Wings are the original finger lickin’ good wings – as they effortlessly blend sweet and savory flavors into each blissful bite.

Size/Texture: The wings were medium to large in size, and were cooked perfectly. They had a delicious crispy skin on the outside and tender, juicy meat on the inside.

Value: An order of Saugus Wings costs a paltry $8.75 for 10 deliciously addictive wings. We think this is a great deal considering their flavor, quality, and overall eatability factor. You really cannot find a better wing at this price point.

Overall: We very much recommend Saugus Wings for anyone who loves sweet, Asian style chicken wings. The garlic-packed sticky sauce truly turns these wings into a flavor heaven that you must experience. As far as Asian chicken wings go, these are some of the best we’ve ever had.

Final Score: 9/10

-JC

Biddy Early’s (Financial District)

Let’s get one thing out of the way. I really like dive bars. You know, a hole in the wall type place where the beer is dirt cheap, the bartenders are friendly, there’s no dress code, no cover charge, and using the bathroom calls for a disease scare or two.

But there’s something about the collective atmosphere of a place where people of all different walks of life can come together for a game of darts or to awkwardly dance to throwback jams that really gets my juices flowing.

A place like this does exist in our fair city of Boston, and it’s called Biddy Early’s. Located on Pearl Street just off of Purchase Street in the Financial District, Biddy’s is unassuming in the fact that its exterior is neither inviting nor dismissive, yet once inside you immediately feel like you’re at your best friend’s house.

On the menu are two choices of wings – BBQ and Buffalo, both cost $6.95 and are served 10 to a plate. You might love going over your best friend’s house, but can your best friend make you chicken wings fit for the Men of Wings? Let’s find out.

Flavor:  Biddy’s wings came coated in a thick but tangy BBQ sauce with traces of smoke and minimal spice. I believe the phrase “finger lickin’ sweet” was tossed around as we tried not to eat our own fingers while gorging. They were not the most flavorful wings we’ve ever had, but the sauce was good and there was little if any gristle.

Size/Texture:  The wings were medium sized and cooked appropriately, providing for tender, juicy mouthfuls of delicious dark meat in each bite.

Value: $6.95 for 10 wings is a decent deal, though we wonder if the wings come precooked to the bar and then are heated for service. Quality was standard, but not out of this world.

Overall: We liked the wings at Biddy Early’s, though they fell short of being great. We can’t fault a dive bar for not having the best wings in the world, and to be honest, it would be weird if a dive bar did. We wholeheartedly recommend stopping in to Biddy Early’s for a pint of your favorite brew, and after knocking back few of them, dive into a plate of wings. You won’t be disappointed.

Score: 7/10

-JC

Dunn-Gaherin’s Food and Spirits (Newton)

West of Boston, just barely inside the I95 bubble lies a pub famous with the locals for its good eats, friendly staff and stellar selection of draft beers. Dunn-Gaherin’s Food and Spirits, located at 344 Elliot Street in Newton, MA; is the kind of place that serves salty popcorn at the bar, has meatloaf on the menu that triggers memories of Grandma, and serves other staples such as rosemary and thyme lamb tips and old fashioned fish and chips.

Getting here can be difficult unless you know where you’re going, and the smallest parking lot known to man runs along the side of the building, but if you’re lucky enough to find a golden ticket and snag a spot, be sure to back into the space, otherwise you’re never getting out.

Onto the wings.

There are five wing flavors available: buffalo, teriyaki, barbecue, cajun fire, and peanut satay. All are served with bleu cheese, celery stick and carrots.

Flavor: Going for the traditional buffalo flavor, we were told that there was only one level of heat. Why not? We decided to go with it. The wings were coated nicely in the sauce, but there were dry spots in a few places, and the sauce was so hot that this wing enthusiast’s father was forced to stop and order a glass of milk (come on, Dad, be a man). Overall the sauce was tasty, but a little over-powered by the heat.

Size/Texture:  Similar to recent MoW posts, this plate of wings was sadly drumette-heavy. Only one wingette was present on the plate, and it was small, soggy, and fairly sauce-less. As a major proponent of the wingette, I was fairly sadden by this turn of events, and it certainly played its part in the final score of Dunn-Garherin’s wings. The final nail in the coffin was the low meat-to-gristle ratio. Never acceptable.

Value: An order of 12 wings is $9.99, and for 24 it’s a bargain at $13.99. We thought this would have been fair pricing had the wings been tasty, but because of the disappointment with the wing flavor, texture and presentation, we don’t recommend spending your hard-earned cash on these wings. Spend it on something better, like a dirty martini.

Overall: Dunn-Gaherin’s is definitely not worth the trip for wings. They are the red-headed step-children of the restaurant and you’d do well to steer clear. Choose from one of the other delicious appetizers, sandwiches, entrees or pasta dishes to appease your appetite. And say ‘hey’ to the bartender for me.

Score: 4/10

-Guest blogger AR

Kings (Back Bay)

Hey folks, after a short hiatus, we’re finally back! Sorry for the delay. Anyways, let’s get to it.

It is a well known fact that wings are one of the most versatile foods in the world. You can eat wings for breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, afternoon snack, midnight snack…we could go on. Besides from the fact that you can eat wings anytime and anywhere, wings complement all aspects of life. A few popular wing combinations include: wings and pizza, wings and beer, wings and football. Wings and…karaoke? Hell yeah.

So naturally, we hit up Kings on a Saturday, where for one night, American Idol wannabes can perform in front of random strangers that don’t care if you think you can sing. If singing is not your thing or if your ears start to bleed, Kings also offers bowling and billiards. We decided to stick to the entertainment for the night and of course, ordered honey BBQ wings on the side.

Flavor: Based on appearance, these look phenomenal and after the first few wings, they did not disappoint. The honey BBQ sauce had a great balance between the sweet honey and BBQ flavor with a sticky texture that you wouldn’t mind licking off your fingers.

Size/Texture: These wings were a medium size and felt solid in our hands as we ate them. Kings actually does something quite unique where they will remove the smaller of the two bones of the wingettes and they end up looking very similar to drummettes (look carefully). This was a nice touch as it made it a little bit easier to eat the wings without making a huge mess. Texture-wise, the skin was crispy and the inside was adequately moist and tender.

Value: A small order which contains 8 wings is $9 flat. There is a slight discount for larger orders (negligible). Nonetheless, for the quality of wing that you are getting, this is not a bad deal at all. They even throw in a few carrot sticks and scallions, which are nice touch.

Overall: We highly recommended you enhance your Kings experience by complementing karaoke with these sweet and delicious wings, but maybe not for bowling (who’s fingers have been in those balls? yikes).

Final Score: 8.5/10

- CT

KFC (Hyannis)

Ah yes. Good ‘ole Kentucky Fried Chicken! Part of being responsible wingmen is to try wings whenever the opportunity presents itself. So of course, on our way down to the Cape on a beautiful day, we decided that we had to take on the epitome of fast food fried chicken and check out what Colonel Sanders had to offer. On the menu, there wasn’t much in terms of wings (mostly thighs, drumsticks, & breasts). So we went with the only option available ==> Hot Wings.

Don’t think you can make it down to the Cape? Don’t you worry. Believe it or not, these are not rare breed wings unique to only the Hyannis KFC. You may find these at one of the 17,000 locations worldwide. If you’re lucky, there might even be a Taco Bell attached to it! Heaven does exist.

Flavor: These wings are marinated with chili peppers and spices on the inside before coated with the batter on the outside, giving the wings an innocent, sauceless appearance. When taking a bite out of the wing, it starts off with the generic KFC flavor on the outside and finishes with a spicy kick. Overall, the spicy flavor was not very spicy, but enough to tickle our taste buds.

Size/Texture: As you can tell from the picture taken, the wings were lacking in size. However, the size factor did not affect the texture of the chicken, as KFC really knows how to manufacture cooked chicken parts. We don’t often do fried chicken reviews, but we were fans of the how crispy the outside of the wings were. On top of that, we were glad to find that the inside was decently moist.

Value: The price on these bad boys was $3.99 for 5 and a discount for higher quantities. However, we did not feel that the wings were a great value, considering their small size and the ability for mass production. Please note that prices may vary at other KFC locations.

Overall: For quick and convenient, the Colonel’s secret blend of herbs and spices will do just fine for those craving chicken on the go. Nothing special…but did anyone really expect to find the best wings they’ve ever had?

Final Score: 6/10

- CT

Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill Seaport (Seaport District)

Home to popular restaurants, expansive convention centers, luxurious hotels and world class museums, Boston’s Seaport District might be the city’s most exciting new neighborhood yet. So it made perfect sense that the president of Red Sox Nation chose to open a second location of his namesake sports bar here.

Situated along Northern Avenue in the heart of the Seaport District, Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill Seaport offers gorgeous views of the Boston waterfront and a 32 foot wide video wall (reportedly costing $1 million) so you don’t miss a game. With all that money and time spent on the the decor, did Jerry have any dough left to find chefs who could cook chicken wings? Let’s take a look.

Keeping it simple, Remy’s offers only two wing choices: Buffalo or BBQ flavor. We opted for the Buffalo wings, and they came served with carrots and celery and both blue cheese and Ranch dressing for dipping.

Flavor:  The wings were generously slathered in a traditional Buffalo sauce that gave your taste buds a kick in the pants while not overpowering the taste of the meat. The wings were juicy and tender, and we thought the sauce was quite representative of what good Buffalo wings should taste like.

Size/Texture:  Although the wings were deep fried, we  noticed that they had a bit of a soggy texture. While we’re fine with wings that aren’t crispy, we could tell that these were intended to be served as such and had since softened by the time they made their way into our mouths. While it didn’t take away from the flavor, the texture of the wings was definitely compromised.

Value: We visited Remy’s during OpSail Boston 2012 and because of the influx of tourists to the area, the restaurant was running a special event menu. In restaurant speak that means the menu was more limited and markedly more expensive than a normal night. Our 10 chicken wings cost $12, while the same order would cost you $11 any other time of the year.

Overall: Remy’s offers a unique location along the water, impressive service, and cleanliness that really did stand out, and we had no problem shelling out a few extra clams for the experience. We loved the flavor and how tender the wings were, but we found it hard to ignore their soggy texture.

Score: 7/10

-JC

Theodores’ Booze Blues & BBQ (Springfield)

After asking for some good dinner recommendations in the Springfield area, we settled on Theodores’ Booze Blues & BBQ. Theodores’ is known for having some of the best BBQ in the area as well as great blues music on the weekends. Though our main objective was to experience the typical BBQ here, we decided to also put the wings to the test as our appetizer. There was a wide variety of flavors to choose from: buffalo, bourbon BBQ, blackened, jerk, carolina mustard, chipotle BBQ, dry rub, & teriyaki BBQ. We were in a BBQ mood and went with the bourbon BBQ.

Flavor: All of the wings on the menu are slow smoked in tradtional hickory wood and as the wings came out, you could definitely tell from the strong smoky aroma. These wings had a great BBQ flavor that tended to be more smoky than a typical sweet. This was definitely a unique experience as most of the wings we review are deep fried as opposed to slow cooked.

Size/Texture: The wings ranged from small to average sized wings. Due to the slow cook, most of the wings were very tender and came off the bone pretty easily. However, what we found was that some of the smaller wings suffered from being overcooked and were sometimes dry.

Value: For $7.99, you can get 10 wings. The one thing that hinders the value of the wings is the size of some of the wings. Otherwise, this is not a bad deal, considering the extra effort that was put into them. Overall, Theodores’ provides very good and friendly service.

Overall: We would say that although the wings were solid, it is certainly not the restaurant’s strong suit (try the pulled pork or brisket). Though, if you are looking for some smoky deliciousness for your wings, come to Theodores’ and enjoy some blues while you’re there as well.

Final Score: 7/10

- CT