New York Buffalo Wings

2940 El Cajon Blvd. (North Park)

619-501-8674

Prices: Salads and appetizers, $2.99 to $9.99; chicken and ribs, $4.90 to $109 for large party orders

By Frank Sabatini Jr. | Restaurant Review

The city of Buffalo, N.Y. is famous for two things. One is white and cold and nobody wants to shovel it. The other is hot and crispy and rarely gets pushed away.

For anyone accustomed to authentic Buffalo chicken wings, the recent arrival of New York Buffalo Wings in North Park might fluff your feathers. As a native Buffalonian who has wrestled with countless rubbery skins served outside of my hometown – finding them slathered oftentimes in harsh vinegary sauces – the “original-style” wings made here are blissful to the bone.

The appendages are deep-fried to an audible crisp and then cloaked accurately with the proper blend of butter and presumably Frank’s Hot Sauce, made just like where they were invented in 1964 at The Anchor Bar on Main Street in Buffalo. Bingo!

Veering off course, however, is the requisite blue cheese dip that quells the sting of the hot sauce and compliments the celery and carrot sticks on the side. Instead, an unidentifiable, tan dressing speckled with black poppy seeds was served with the wings, leaving a friend and me to assume initially that it was a mistake.

“We put just a little bit of blue cheese in the dressing,” said Manager Javier Rosales, adding that one of the company’s founders is from Buffalo.

Not surprising, we were told the mystery dressing isn’t the co-founder’s recipe. And I’m guessing that Ranch dressing as a second option wasn’t his idea either. Buffalonians find that sacrilege. Truly, it’s either blue cheese dip or nothing.

Resembling creamy Italian dressing, the poppy seed stuff found a much better home in a sprightly Buffalo chicken salad that we ordered, which included banana peppers and generous pieces of boneless chicken coated in the electric-orange Buffalo sauce. Substantial-sized Caesar and Greek salads are also available.

Some of the other wing flavors we tried stood fine on their own, requiring no dips at all. The lemon-pepper wings were zesty, with the citrus element presiding modestly in the form of a dried seasoning. Our honey barbecue wings were the sauciest and sweetest, although if you’re hankering for a smokier kick, the chipotle sauce delivers a classic Southwest heat that would give diehard fans of original wings more to think about.

The classic Buffalo sauce can be ordered mild, medium, hot or very hot. The milder you go, the more buttery the flavor since the fat is added in higher proportions to thin out the sauce. As for the wings, you can request them extra-crispy, which guarantees that their skins will turn out as delicately brittle as potato chips. It’s worth the few minutes of extra wait time.

Rosales takes credit for a secret technique used for making the company’s ribs, available in half or full racks. The meat easily flicked off the bones in big, succulent pieces sans any tough gristle.

They’re dry-rubbed and marinated, then baked in some type of wrapping for about 90 minutes. That was all he revealed as we plowed through a half order that seemed to contain a few more ribs than what other places give you.

Appetizers and side dishes such as jalapeno poppers, potato salad and coleslaw are outsourced. So are the onion rings, although their firm crispy batter and tender innards were no less satisfying than house-made versions.

The casual, two-room dining room, painted in red and brown, spotlights New York City rather than Buffalo in various photos hanging on the walls.

The theme is misleading considering that the wings found throughout The Big Apple, or anywhere outside of Buffalo for that matter, are usually off the mark. The name of the eatery, too, is somewhat perplexing. If I had it my way, I’d call it “Buffalo, New York Wings” rather than “New York Buffalo Wings” to give my people the glory they deserve.