Nancy! You can't publish things like this! Your experience with chicken wings sucks because you've been eating shitty wings. If you're going to be a food critic who appeals to the masses you have to enjoy this bar food classic -- it's imperative. And I promise, if you find the right ones, you'll see that they can be quite delicious.
I'll ignore your thought that these chickens are dying for their wings alone. The chicken wing surplus stemmed out of a need for more boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It's only in the last 10 years or so that wings have taken on a demand of their own.
Instead, let's focus on how delicious they can be. Here are a few of my favorites.
Ten Bells Tavern (pictured above) Chef Carlos Mancera fries them in oil till they're crispy but still tender, and then sauces them in a combination of ketchup and Frank's Red Hot. I know it sounds a little gross, but trust me, with some beer, brown sugar and other seasonings and some time on the stove, the ingredients distill down into what resembles a tangy, sweet barbecue sauce. The blue cheese dressing is stellar too. Mancera spikes his own buttermilk dressing with funky Point Reyes blue cheese, sprinkling a little extra of the crumbled cheese over the top with some celery as a final garnish.
Malai Thai Vietnamese Kitchen Or how about some super crispy wings at Malai in Uptown. These sweet and spicy appendages were good enough to make my 100 Favorite Dishes list. The could convert even the most enthusiastic wing detractors. Like you.
The Owner's Box These things are massive, and closest to the traditional style of wing you'd get served if you were watching the big game at a sports bar in Upstate New York. Enjoy them with a cold cheap beer. You'll thank me.
Wings at Home One reason you don't like wings might be because they've sat around too long, or were made with bad ingredients. Cook them at home. Get some really good poultry and make your own blue cheese dipper. Fry them in oil held just below the smoke point until they are super crispy and all the fat has rendered from beneath the skin.
You'll see the light. I'm sure of it.
