Atlanta, September 27, 2007
By ROSALIND BENTLEY, JOHN KESSLER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WE CLOGGED our arteries just for you. In the face of a recession we scoffed and logged almost 200 miles on the car in the pursuit of good, golden, greasy chicken wings. From Lawrenceville to Austell to Cascade, we journeyed with empty stomachs and wet naps. We found plenty: big and small, in strip malls and street-corner joints, some of them delicious, others downright awful.

We watched how you ate them and learned your technique, because there really is technique involved in eating a wing. Hot wings, buffalo, barbecue, garlic and, of course, lemon-pepper — we sampled them all. And we consumed more than our share of bad blue cheese and ranch dressings. This, folks, is about as close to American street food as it comes. So here are a few stops and lessons learned on our tour.
Joey Ivansco/ajc staff (pic) Crisp lemon-pepper flavor at Da Bomb
Joey Ivansco/ajc staff (pic) 'Cinnamon Love' at Da Bomb on Auburn Avenue.

Where do you go for good chicken wings? WINGED VICTORY: OUR TOP 5 Our first stop on the quest for good wings was, in the end, one of our favorites. Rick's Hot Wings — in an unassuming, downright plain Kennesaw strip mall — does the standards right. And by standards we mean lemon-pepper and hot. What elevates them is their preparation. The skin is not battered or floured, it's dropped naked into the grease, so when it comes out it crackles. The pepper sauce doesn't race down your fingers and the lemon pepper is dusted rather than compacted on the surface. Some wings cry for a tall beer. The fine specimens at the Harlem Bar beckon for a martini. Large, super-fresh, fried to a crisp and then painted in barbecue sauce, these wings perfectly embody the cocktail-hour mood of this Edgewood Avenue hideaway.

Regulars know to ask for "plain" wings — not listed on the menu, but they qualify as some of the best fried chicken around. Da Bomb Wings & Seafood, just around the corner from Harlem Bar, is more of a classic wing joint with limited seating and a serious takeout/delivery business. The wings are all we could hope for — fresh tasting, fried to such an impermeable crisp that even the glossy sauces can't penetrate and free of gushy fat. The crisp lemon-pepper is definitive, while the "Cinnamon Love" wings drip with an appealing honey sauce.

Look for flavors you've never heard of. The new Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q near Little Five Points has 'cue lovers debating the merits of its brisket and ribs. We'll venture the opinion that the wings rule the roost — or at least the smoker. Literally caked in lip-tingling spices and smoked to the core, these are bones to suck dry.

You'll need a massive beer at the ready. At Brent N' Brett's Famous Yardbird in Austell, the wings are a meal, not a drinking snack. They arrive as 10 little morsels huddled together, wafting steam and promising a lively crunch. Next to them cool, fresh-cut slivers of celery stand posture perfect. Tater tots are mounded like a fist full of quarters. Slices of Texas toast and are wedged in for good measure. All of this is cradled in a gleaming stainless steel bowl. The barbecue wings were probably the best we had on this journey— fried, tossed in homemade sauce and grilled until it had little spots of char. Bone appetit.