Wings All Aflutter

I was all set to delve into a mounting discourse on how Rick Bayless is a veritable culinary Quetzalcoatl among wee cookery men, conquering fine dining, upscale casual, street food, retail, publishing, locavore-minded horticulture, television and the realm of celebrity chefs—really, whatever he sets his mind to—with seemingly effortless, humble, self-directed, meticulous determination, but I was simultaneously beset on all sides by chicken. And when related subjects collide synchronously across my virtual desk, I’ve learned to pay strict attention.

So this chicken walks into a bar and sits down on a stool. “Hey, we don’t serve poultry here!” barks the surly bartender. “That’s OK,” replies the chicken, unfazed. “I just want a drink.”

Enigmatic half-jokes aside, there’s truth in the telling here. More everyday establishments are likely to have a notable absence of chicken wings on the menu in the coming months—unless of course you consider breast meat sliced thin to mimic the wing shape, fried and presented as a boneless “wing” an actual wing. My wife does. I, on the other hand, prefer my wings real: the flavorful, dark, fatty meat and heavy on the hands-on carnivorous artifice—and certainly not short on spice.

But prices for chicken wings are on the rise—and just at a time when wings are really settling into the market full-force (and in the midst of football season, to boot). Everyone has wings now. And the classic Buffalo preparation style, albeit translated into myriad approaches to flavor, is hotter than ever.

So if procurement can deliver the wings within budget this football season, keep them front and center on promotions and menus. And, in the right markets, maybe play around with the spice a little, going for specific American regions here and maybe an Asian approach there (or perhaps Mexican, with nods to Chef Rick?...). Looks like just the right environment for wings to really fly.