Photo credit: placbo | Flickr
Legend has it that the chicken wing, or Buffalo wing if you prefer, was conceived one winter night in 1964 in Buffalo, New York. Until then, wings were thought of as scraps – used for stock or just th...
Photo credit: placbo | Flickr
Legend has it that the chicken wing, or Buffalo wing if you prefer, was conceived one winter night in 1964 in Buffalo, New York. Until then, wings were thought of as scraps – used for stock or just thrown out. Then Teressa Bellissimo, owner of the humble Anchor Bar, came up with the idea of deep frying the puny little things and tossing them in cayenne sauce. A bar classic was born.
Of course, Vancouver’s no slouch either in the wings’ department. Pub food aficionados know that there are hundreds of places across the city to get a decent helping, from traditional hot wings to crazy variations incorporating everything from pineapple to curry.
This month, many of those delicious wings are being put to the test as part of the inaugural Vancouver Chicken Wings Challenge. Dozens of restaurants across Metro Vancouver are facing off to take home the title of the city’s best wings, from May 14-June 9. And – in the democratic spirit of chicken wings – winners are picked not by professional judges but by everyday wing enthusiasts across the city like you.
Here’s how it works.
Stop into as many of the 14 participating restaurants as you can before June 9 and dig into an order of their wings. Then log onto contest organizer Vancouver Foodster and vote for your favourites. According to contest rules, wings should be judged on “originality, creativity, uniqueness, traditional, non-traditional, price, value and most importantly taste.”
Here are just a few of this year’s entries to whet your appetite:
Kimchi Chicken Wings: The classic Korean condiment inspires this creation at downtown’s Rogue Kitchen: Wings are glazed in a kimchi puree reduced with honey, orange and wheat ale, then served with sliced cucumber and herb salad. $12.99, Rogue Kitchen and Wet Bar, 601 W. Cordova St.
Confit Chicken Wings: Downtown’s Kingston Taphouse offers an upscale take on the original: Locally sourced Fraser Valley wing confit is fried in duck fat, then tossed with orange cardamom salt and pepper and drizzled with sherry chervil creme fraiche. $7, Kingston Taphouse and Grille, 755 Richards St.
Gramercy Grill’s Chicken Wings: The West Side restaurant puts a pan-Asian spin on the classic recipe: Wings are marinated in pineapple, then dusted with roasted garlic and bell pepper and served over crispy vermicelli and red curry veggies. $12, Gramercy Grill, 2685 Arbutus St.
Grilled Harissa Drumettes: Harissa, the Tunisian hot chile sauce, makes this dish pop at Denman Street’s Sol Sun Belt. Wings are served with mango salsa and house-made harissa and drizzled with argan oil. $10-$14, Sol Sun Belt Cookery, 550 Denman St.
See the full list of participating restaurants here.
Got your own favourite spot for wings? Let us know below.
For more updates on Vancouver and beyond, follow me on Twitter @RemyScalza.