Manny's On Second

Manny's On Second

1770 2nd Avenue

Between 92nd and 93rd

New York, NY 10128

212-410-3300

http://www.mannysonsecond.com/index.php

Map and Directions

Friday night, Manhattan, a bit of a spring chill in the air, but an otherwise gorgeous May evening. New York City is a mecca that The Wingmen have yet to truly explore, but to truly explore this plethora of dining locations would take a lifetime. There seems to be an infinite number of bars, restaurants, diners, pubs, take-out joints and sidewalk carts to satisfy any craving one may have, including those of you hankering for wings.

Jody and I were on a mini-mission to hit at least two places that serve wings that night. It didn't seem right doing a real big NYC review sans Jeremy. We need a full crew to not do this amazing island dirty. As you read earlier this week, we hit 1849 in the Village first and then took off with BJ and Dina to Manny's on the Upper East Side.

In our younger days, BJ and I would hang out in this area a lot (BJ still does... me, not so much). We would frequent Blondie's (which is now Manny's) and the Big Easy (which is now out of business and vacant... and also where Jeremy obtained the best wing stain ever! Ask him about it). I was a little sad when I saw how desolate the place looked when we got there. Manny's has a temporary sign on the front, the Big Easy was boarded up and the street seems to be under some major construction... hence no picture of the front of Manny's. I just couldn't get a good shot of the place and their website does not have one either, it seems that they had the same issue. It is not the prettiest part of Manhattan right now, but I assure you, this area can be a lot of fun.

Manny's On Second's wings are really good. Just look at that picture on top of this post! We ordered the buffalo wings, hot. They are coated in hot sauce, the aroma as they waft by your nose can be felt in your throat and they were big wings. Not the biggest we have had, but big. The sauce was buttery and spicy and all those things you would expect from really good hot wings. They were so sauced up that you were a mess when you finished them, but they tasted so good, you really didn't mind.

As for value, well, you are in Manhattan, so it is hard to measure value, but they are still under a buck a wing, so that can be considered a win. 10 wings for $9.95, 20 wings for $17.95, 50 wings (up to 2 sauces) for $39.95 and 100 wings (up to 4 sauces) for $69.95. You can choose from Honey BBQ or Buffalo. The Buffalo sauce come in Mild, Medium, Hot or Scorchin. They come with bleu cheese, celery and carrot sticks.

I suggest trying Manny's On Second. They have a good beer selection, usually a really cool crowd hanging out there, better than solid wings and Beer Pong tables upstairs. Yes, Beer Pong Tables in the bar! It seems they picked up where The Big Easy left off and kept Beer Pong on the Upper East Side. They supply the cups and balls, you just have to buy the pitchers. So order up some wings, buy some pitchers and challenge some friends (or strangers) to a good ol' game of Beer Pong!

Canz Restaurant & Bar

Canz Restaurant & Bar

1610 Old Country Road

Westbury, NY 11590

http://www.canzusa.com/

Map and Directions

Canz Roadhouse or Canz Restaurant & Bar is a localized version of Hooters in Nassau County, NY. The place has, you guessed it, empty cans all over the place but I think they mean something completely different when they say "I (heart) Canz" or "Do you have a Crush on my Canz" on the back of the waitresses' shirts. I may be wrong, but I am sure I am right. It is a sports bar with a lot of TV's playing just about any sport event airing that particular evening and hires attractive waitresses that wear skimpy uniforms... like Hooters. Another one is opening soon in Astoria, Queens.

Jody and I were there for a team dinner with our baseball team and the guys had already ordered hot wings and they arrived at the tables just after we grabbed our seats. Great timing on our part, if I do say so myself.

The hot wings were really good. They were the traditional butter, hot sauce and cayenne pepper hot wing recipe, but they were made perfectly. They were of decent size, coated well with sauce, and had a little kick to them, but not too much. They seemed to be fried first and then baked/broiled to make the inside juicy and outside crispy. If that is not their method, then whatever it is, they need keep it up because it's working! For traditional hot wings, these were some of the best I have had.

Since that was just the appetizer, some of the team ordered dinner, but Jody and I happened to notice that hot wings were not the only wings on the menu. Upon further review, we saw that there was Plain, Mild, Medium, Hot, BBQ, Honey BBQ, Asian, Teriyaki and Dirty Canz. Dirty Canz has a note that says "Extremely Hot" next to it. Jody went with teriyaki, being a big fan of teriyaki flavored wings, it was an easy decision. I, on the other hand, went with the Dirty Canz wings. I mean, "Extremely Hot" is a relative phrase... what is hot to one person is mild to another, so how bad could it be?

As I ordered, the less than polite waitress told me that they were "inedibly hot" and asked if I was sure. Of Course I Was Sure! Damn it, I'm A Wingman! I politely said yes, I am sure and she kind of shook her head and walked away. The team, upon hearing that I ordered the Dirty Canz, proceeded to rib the crap out of me. Now, this was nothing new, I had already been taking abuse for ordering a Blue Moon beer which happens to come with a slice of orange. I heard such clever things as "You don't fruit the beer!" and "What size skirt do you wear, Sally 'Fruit-in-the-Beer'?" I don't care, Blue Moon is good and the orange is a nice addition. Why am I explaining myself to a computer screen? Whatever, back to the review.

Well, I ate my words with the Dirty Canz wings. When they came out, I did not get the smell of something really hot and spicy... you know, when you nostrils burn before you even taste them... they just did not have that kind of smell. They looked good and they were the hottest wings I have ever eaten in my life. I mean these were eyes tearing, nose running, lips burning, forehead sweating, mouth smoldering, hiccup inducing hot. These wings need to be served with bread or milk because water and beer just do nothing to combat that kind of heat. After the first wing, everyone was laughing at me, and I would have been laughing at me too if I was not looking for a fire extinguisher to put our the fire in my mouth. That level of heat is nothing I have ever tasted before and most likely will never do again. Of the 12 ordered, I only could eat 4, Jody had 2, and the rest were eaten by other members of the team. They all agreed that they were HOT wings.

I don't want to ignore the Teriyaki wings in this review, but honestly, I cannot tell you what they tasted like. The Dirty Canz burned my mouth so bad that I couldn't taste a damn thing. They were also cooked well and had smoked sesame seeds sprinkled on them. I was using the sweetness of the teriyaki sauce to cut the burning from the Dirty Canz. Jody will have to comment on the teriyaki sauce since I only saw what they looked like and remember a hint of ginger in the recipe.

Canz is nothing more than a sports bar with a similar gimmick to Hooters. It seems to be working for them and their food is pretty good. The wings are worth the trip, but they are expensive... $26.95 for 30 wings or, almost $1 per wing! They do have Monday Wing Night special, $19 for all you can eat/drink wings/draft beer. That is worth the trip. They have a bunch of other nightly specials, check out their website for more. The Wingmen would, and probably will, go back... maybe we'll hit up the Astoria one when it opens.

One last note. I am going on record and saying that I will most likely never eat the hottest wings on the menu again. I mean, normal hot wings are ok, but if they come with a warning label, make you sign a waiver or have to prepare them with a Hazmat suit on, I will shy away. I'm in this for the taste, not to prove anything. Does that make me less of a man? Probably.

Rookie's Sports Club

70 Gerard St.

Huntington, NY 11743

http://www.rookiesny.com/

On a recommendation, a bunch of us hit Rookie's Sports Club in Huntington. It's a pretty cool sports bar with all kinds of nightly specials. We went a little earlier in the day so we missed out on their $16 all you can eat wing night (9-11 PM Mondays and Wednesdays), but we did not miss out on their "Rookie's Wing Sampler". What?! Sampler? 3 wings x 8 flavors?! Honey Thai, Chipotle BBQ, Honey Thai Hot, Buffalo, Jamaican Jerk, Parmesan Garlic, Pan Asian and Hell Fire all one ONE PLATE?! Holy shit. I was a little flustered. Anyone who's been out to eat with me knows that I get overly excited for anything with the words "sampler" or "combo platter" in it. It was obvious what we were going to order. The only question? How many? There were four of us, so if we divide the number of flavors x 3 by the amount of...screw it. We each got our own. Bring it on.

We were all a little shocked when they came out. These were not your average size wings. Hell, they weren't even large wings. These were mini drumsticks. All of a sudden, the all-you-can-eat option looked like the worst deal in town.

So, variety - check. Size - DOUBLE check. But how did they taste? Um, they were ok. We all pretty much agreed that the Pan Asian was the best, followed by the Parmesan Garlic and Hell Fire (yeah, surprisingly something called "Hell Fire" actually had some of the best flavor). The Honey flavors were by far the worst. The reason I say they were just ok is that we all felt like the flavors weren't bold enough. They just lacked a little bit. There was so much potential with the variety and size that I'd love to give them another chance, but judging solely on flavor these were middle-of-the-road type wings.

Since Rookie's was recommended to us, it can't just be dismissed. And don't get me wrong, they weren't bad. We just thought they would be better. Maybe it was an off night. I know just the mention of the word "sampler" would be enough to get me to give them another try. Have you been there? What do you think?

Station Square, Pittsburgh

Buckhead Saloon
Station Square, Pennsylvannia

Buckhead Saloon is a typical 'Sports bar' located in the middle of Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA. The area itself is mostly bars that cater to audiences from 21 to 35 during the night time scene. Some 'Sports bars' turned into mini-clubs and attracted all the locals from the neighboring areas. Some bars, like this one, got packed.

I had the opportunity to check Buckhead's out during lunch time. They offered a variety of wings including: BBQ, Teriyaki, Mild and Hot. The hot wings lived up to their name. They were 'freakin' hot. After about 4, you broke into a sweat and your lips were burning. It was awesome. They offered four quantities: 10 pc., 20 pc., 50 pc., and 100 pc. The meat on the bone was abundant and the price was fair (7.95 for 10). The wings had a crisp to them with a moist center. Absolutely a 5 on a 1 to 5 scale. No flaws in these hot wings with the exception of the after-math. In addition, the scene was perfect for a lunch outing. Nice and quiet with just enough people around you. T.V.s all over the place with an extremely friendly staff. If you are one for more people, wait until dinner time and the place jams up. And if you don't mind trying to mingle with wingsauce on your face, wait until club hours and dance with a wing in your hand. I'm sure the locals love it.