Published: January 30, 2008 04:05 pm            

DINING: Wing it on Super Bowl Sunday

Talk about a weighty assignment.

Most locals who have not already started are about to begin making their Super Bowl plans. Chief among those preparations is food, with an estimated 156 billion calories to be consumed during Sunday’s game nationwide, according to PR Newswire.

Many of those will come in the form of chicken wings, the Buffalo-born delicacy that’s destroyed many a diet.

For those who are taking a one-day sabbatical on healthy eating, the options are plentiful across Western New York for where to wing it. Corner shops will pick up their fair share of business, but some people want more.

That’s where Night and Day comes in. We’ve done the work for you, sampling the wing offerings are several local shops. Following is a brief comparison of those shops (in alphabetical order), with all chicken wings having been ordered medium and served with a meatless side for any party-goers who might not feel like chicken tonight.

Party planners should place their order, regardless of where they shop, as soon as possible to ensure not being squeezed out come game time.

Anchor Bar

The birthplace of the chicken wing still offers a solid snack. The wings ordered here were the crispiest of any of the sampled shops, with each of them being meaty and full of flavor. Plenty of celery and bleu cheese accompanied the meal.

The meatless side sampled here was seasoned Anchor Chips ($3), a decent-sized order of potato wedges with a crunchy coating on them. The wedges were quite good as is but better when dipped in bleu cheese or ketchup.

Anchor Bar wings are the priciest ($10 for a single order and $30 for 50 wings), but they’re not a rip-off both due to size and taste. The trip to Buffalo to pick them up before the game might be cumbersome, but it’d be worth it.

Brio Pizzeria and Restaurant

Villagers in Lewiston have this among their numerous options for wings without ascending up the hill.

Brio’s wings had good flavor but were quite mild for having ordered medium (those who like a more buttery taste would enjoy these). Perhaps because of the extra butter, these wings lacked the crispiness of their counterparts, but they were so soggy as to be displeasing.

The price ($6.25 for a single order, $21.25 for 50) is appealing, with these wings being of average size. Also average was the meatless side (garlic bread with cheese, $3.24), which came in a generous portion but was butter-heavy while lacking in garlic flavor; the crust, though, was toasted to perfection.

Duff’s

This reviewer made his first trip for this story to Duff’s, Western New York’s option 1B for wings to the Anchor Bar being 1A.

A diner can’t go wrong either way. The wings at Duff’s were the biggest I’d ever seen, with a copious quantity of bleu cheese made available to satisfy even the messiest dippers. Medium wings come hot (and an authentic hot at that), which was great for me but might want to be avoided by those who don’t like their wings to bite back.

Jalapeno poppers ($5.79 for six) were a bit pricey but are tasty, especially if given 15-20 minutes to cool so that the cheddar cheese doesn’t ooze out. The wings were also a bit on the expensive side ($7.99 for 10, $28.99 for 50), but for the enjoyment they provide make them a great investment.

Franco’s Pizza

For those who don’t feel like making the drive, Franco’s three locations throughout the Tonawandas would make a decent destination.

While a bit on the small side, these wings were very crispy and had a medium flavor that leaned a bit on the spicy side. At $7.29 for 10 and $23.99 for 50, they’re also on the cheaper side of the scale.

The meatless side (spicy Buffalo wedges, $3.45) featured milder sauce and were excellent for the first four or five, but one person could not possibly eat a whole order due to a combination of size and the greasiness of the wedges. The wedges did, however, come with their own order of bleu cheese and would make a decent option for a large party that could share them.

Stevie V’s Pizzeria

The Union-Sun & Journal newsroom recommended this shop among Lockport’s offerings, and with good reason.

The spiciness came up just short, but the size was decent and the wings had an enjoyable flavor and crunchiness. Their price — $6.99 for 10, $20.99 for 50 — also made them attractive.

The garlic knots ($3.99 for five) would in themselves make a meal, and a fantastic one at that. These enormous bread knots had exceptional garlic and parmesan flavor, with the only downfall (for some people, at least) being a bit too much butter. When the food offerings are taken in tandem, Stevie V’s might be the best value in the bunch.

Contact reporter Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.



Anchor Bar

• LOCATION: 1047 Main St., Buffalo (884-4083)

• SIZE: A-

• CRISPNESS: A

• FLAVOR: A-

• SPICE: B+

• PRICE: C-

• MEAT-FREE SIDE: B+

Brio Pizzeria and Restaurant

• LOCATION: 440 Center St., Lewiston (754-2707)

• SIZE: B

• CRISPNESS: C+

• FLAVOR: B+

• SPICE: B-

• PRICE: B+

• MEAT-FREE SIDE: C

Duff’s

• LOCATION: 3651 Sheridan Drive, Amherst (834-6234)

• SIZE: A

• CRISPNESS: A-

• FLAVOR: A

• SPICE: A

• PRICE: C

• MEAT-FREE SIDE: B

Franco’s Pizza

• LOCATIONS: 817 Payne Ave., North Tonawanda (692-8181); 1153 Kenmore Ave., Kenmore (877-2720); 2308 Niagara Falls Blvd., Town of Tonawanda (692-3322)

• SIZE: B

• CRISPNESS: A-

n• FLAVOR: B+

• SPICE: B

• PRICE: B-

• MEAT-FREE SIDE: B-

Stevie V’s Pizzeria

• LOCATION: 6318 Robinson Road, Lockport (438-0645)

• SIZE: B

• CRISPNESS: A-

• FLAVOR: B+

• SPICE: B

• PRICE: B+

• MEAT-FREE SIDE: A-

        

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