To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2014 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me.
While there are a few more to come, this is the first reader recommendation that really grabbed me, likely because it was a chicken wing (I ate 435,000 of them in college, and twice that after), and also because it's served at my favorite neighborhood sushi restaurant. There isn't a lot that comes off the charcoal grill at Teppo that isn't delicious.
You'll see a lot of chicken meatballs shuttled around the dinning room, and they're certainly worth eating, but these chicken wings accomplish something I've not often seen from poultry appendages. They're actually kind of amazing.
Before they're threaded on a skewer the cook breaks apart the bones, so they sit more flatly over the searing hot coals. The process gives the wings more surface area, which helps maximize the crispiness of their skin and also allows them to cook more quickly. Which is, good because you'll likely place a second order.
When your wings arrive, the bones easily pull apart, so you can scrape each one clean with your teeth, but not before a dip in your choice of spicy mustard or spice powder, or maybe even both. The meat is plump, and has a snappy and juicy characteristic you won't find in the deep fried wings at the sports bars.
In fact, I'd be inclined to stop in on a Sunday and snag a seat in front of the TV during a football game this fall. I'd place 10 orders and drink cold Sapporo till I popped. I might even bring in a small tub of blue cheese dressing or ranch if I didn't think it was such heresy. No. 100: Pastrami Egg Rolls at Blind Butcher No. 99: Chicken-fried Steak at Tom's Burgers and Grill No. 98: Pasta with Uni Butter at Nonna No. 97: Camarón en Agua Chile at La Palapas No. 96: The Wings at Lakewood Landing No. 94: Chicken Kebab at Afrah No. 93: Trompo Tacos at Bachman Lake No. 92: Fish and Chips at 20 Feet No. 91: Canelés at Village Baking Co. No. 90: Banh Mi from La Me No. 88: The Burgers at Off-Site Kitchen No. 87: The White Album at Spoon No. 86: Ramen at Tei An No. 85: Tacos at Revolver Taco No. 84: Stuffed Chicken Wings at Sakhuu No. 83: Korean Fried Chicken at Bonchon No. 82: Grilled Branzino at Tei Tei Robata No. 81: The Toddfather at Cattleack Barbecue No. 80: The Biryanis at Chennai No. 79: Shish Tawook at Qariah No. 78: Arepes at Zaguan No. 77: Goat Momo at Everest Restaurant No. 76: Steak Tartar at Gemma No. 75: Escabeche at Joyce and Gigi's No. 74: Spicy Fish in Oil at Royal Sichuan No. 73: Pupusas at La Pasadita No. 72: The Kathi Roll at Simply Dosa
