Super Super Bowl Party

Recently a friend of mine asked for some suggestions about wing, chili and sandwich places in New York City for putting together a Super Bowl party. I don't know what got into me, but here's my response. If I had the time and energy you'd be sampling from all these folks at my super super bowl party.

Buffalo Wings: Pluck U – Still the best
768 9TH Ave
New York, NY 10019-6325
Phone: (212) 582-2468
For me, their “hot” buffalo wings are the best in the city. Just make sure you order extra celery and blue cheese. Their wings are unusual mix of flavor and heat. Even with their hottest wings – death, you can taste various flavors besides just the heat.

I really like the munchers (deep fried mashed potato, cheese jalapeno peppers) and chicken fingers (available with the same sauces as their wings) as well. Good cheese fries, but not the best.

Blondie’s Bar
212 W 79th St
New York, NY 10024-6225
Phone: (212) 362-4360
Cheaper than Pluck U, usually larger wings as well, but their sauces aren’t as hot or as complex. But they’re still very good.

Wheeler’s Bar
1707 Sheepshead Bay Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11235-3606
Phone: (718) 646-9320
Cheaper than either Blondie’s and Pluck, and probably the best wings I’ve found in my neck of the woods, but like Blondie’s not hot enough or as complex as Pluck U. They’re great if you’re looking for just heat.

Atomic Wings
Various bars in Manhattan.
Good wings, on the small size, and a notch lower in flavor than any of the others. They do offer a wide variety of sauces such as honey mustard, but to me chicken wings live and die by their hot sauces. For the real “hot heads” their insane and atomic sauces will be your choice. All of their wings will satisfy you, but they’re not memorable.

BBQ Wings: RUB BBQ
208 West 23rd St. NY, NY
Phone: (212) 524-4300
Huge meaty wings with a great barbecue flavor. For barbecue wings, they have no equal in NY.

Chili: Daisy May’s BBQ USA
623 11th Ave
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 977-1500
It’s far and away the best chili in the city. No beans, just meat and seasonings. It’ the closest to a real Texas Chili I’ve had in the NYC area. It comes with onions, cheese and sour crème for toppings. I like to spice it up a little with some hot sauce.

Manhattan Chili Company
Grand Central Terminal
New York, NY
Phone: (212) 682-6644
They offer beef, poultry and vegetarian chilis. They’re all pretty good, but very mild. It’s a totally different take on chili from Daisy May’s and probably more compatible with a “New Yorker’s” view of chili as every chili includes beans.

Cold Heroes: Jimmy’s Famous Heroes
1786 Sheepshead Bay Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Phone: (718) 648-8001
It’s a little hole in the wall joint down in the bay that’s been around for something like 50 years. It’s the only place I know that always has fresh RIPE tomatoes, which taste like fresh ripe tomatoes even in the dead of winter. They only serve cold heroes, using Boar’s Head meat and cheeses. Be sure to get your heroes with “the works;” lettuce, tomato, salt, pepper, oil, red vinegar and shredded onions. The onions are bathed in a secret process that makes them very different and sweeter than others. Also try the home made roasted red peppers.

Sheepshead Bay Gourmet Market
1518 Avenue Z
Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (718) 891-2300
They sell great heroes and sandwiches at ridiculously low prices. Overstuffed one meat and one cheese heroes are $4.99 and sandwiches on rolls are $3.99

Hot and Cold Heroes: Manganaro's HeroBoy
494 9th Ave
New York 10018
Phone: 212-947-7325
Good hot and cold heroes, but pricey compared to the Brooklyn or Bronx places. The take out heroes seem a bit skimpy compared to the offerings in house. They still make good 6’ heroes, it’ll do the job, but they won’t knock your socks off.

Mamma Rosa’s Cucina – The Best
1007 Allerton Ave
Bronx, NY
Phone: (718) 881-0242
I thought I’d throw a hidden gem into the mix. This tiny store has some of the best Italian heroes I’ve ever had. Dirt cheap prices. If I lived anywhere near them, they’d be my choice.

For my vegetarian friends: Anatolian Gyro Restaurant
1605 Sheepshead Bay Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Phone: (718) 769-4754
While I know that a Turkish restaurant is an unusual pick for vegetarians; I'd go with the mixed cold appetizer platter which is hummus, eggplant salad, Russian salad, piyaz (white bean salad), baba Ghanoush, tabouli, mixed eggplant (small pieces of eggplant fried and mixed with tomato sauce and garlic) beet salad, grilled eggplant and stuffed grape leaves. Their Russian salad beats any potato salad you can find in any deli. Also be sure to get their “home bread” little loaves of dense white bread topped with dark sesame seeds.

Sido
267 Columbus Ave
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 496-2803
They serve great hummus, tabouli and baba ghanoush. Good falafel too. Leave the other stuff alone. They have various locations, but this one seems to be the best.

Roast Beef Sandwiches: Roll-n-Roaster
Emmons and Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (718) 769-60000
Great, even legendary roast beef sandwiches. They are served on specially baked rolls. I like my sandwiches topped with cheez (Hot Cheez Whiz) and caramelized onions, but to the rest of my family that’s overkill. The sandwiches can be ordered rare, medium and well done. Be sure to get their corn fritters. Lousy fries that need cheez to be any good.

Fish: Jordan’s Lobster Dock
Knapp Street and Harkness Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (800) 404-CLAW.
Since it’s New England vs. NY, I though a Lobster roll might be appropriate for a super bowl party. These over stuffed lobster rolls come without mayo. They’re just meat and lettuce on hot dog buns. Mix in some mayo and you have a superb meal. There’s no other place in the city that can give you this much lobster. Also try the New England clam chowder but stay away from the lobster bisque.

Barbecue: Pork Ribs: RUB BBQ 208 West 23rd St. NY, NY (212) 524-4300
Beef Brisket: Hill Country 30 West 26th St. NY, NY (212) 255-2544
Pulled Pork: Waterfront Ale House 540 2nd Avenue, NY, NY (212) 696-4104 or in Brooklyn at 155 Atlantic Avenue (718) 522-3794

French Fries: Nathan’s Famous (The original please)
1310 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (718) 946-2202
Outstanding fries and hot dogs