Checkin' out Plainville's best wings

Dave Zajac

Line cook Jim Ayala readies up a plate of dirt buffalo wings at J Timothy's Tavern located at 143 New Britain Ave. in Plainville July 3. The restaurant has been awarded for their wings.

Buffalo, honey barbeque, hot, mild, spicy and dirt are some of the multitude of ways to describe chicken wings. These fine delicacies are a staple of many bars and are popular at cookouts and nearly any event that involves watching a game. Luckily for us we are located near some of the best places in the entire state to get wings. In fact one neighboring town boasts three establishments who have put not only Plainville, but themselves on the map.

Without further adieu I present, The Kings of the Wings.

J. Timothy's Taverne 143 New Britain Ave.

"Part of what sets us apart from others is that we have not changed our recipe in 27 years," said Reno Ouellet, J. Timothy's manager.

They may not have changed anything, but they have certainly added a unique style of wing to their menu and it happened by accident.

"Our dirt wings make us stand out," said Erik Wichert, co-head chef. "We are the first restaurant, as far as I know, to do that."

According to General Manager Greg Gardner the wings were named after a regular who played on their softball team in the 80's. He was the oldest member of the team and they joked that he was as old as dirt, hence the nickname Dirt stuck.

He had a habit of talking at the bar for a long time and letting his wings get cold. He would send them back to get reheated and resauced. This had a unique affect on the wings, which became known as dirt wings.

"He started this thing with the regulars, they would all order them like that," Gardner said. "That was about 22 years ago. It has just evolved after that."

"Now about 75 percent of the wings that go out of the kitchen are dirt wings," Wichert said.

J. Timothy's has four styles of wings, any of which can be ordered in dirt style. They don't come in different temperatures.

"We go for flavor, we don't try to kill people," Gardner said.

Their flavor philosophy has not gone unnoticed.

"We've been well represented in the various wings competitions throughout the years," Gardner said. "We've had our share of first places. I'd say we are one of the top three or four in the state. Volume speaks for everything."

Volume speaks loudest over Super Bowl weekend where last year they sold six tons of wings. They had to rent two refrigerator trucks to keep the more than 12,000 pounds of chicken wings in.

"Everybody does wings," said Steve Paradis, a J. Timothy's regular from Bristol. "There's something about their sauce here that's unique though. The meat of the wings seems better too."

"I really like the dirt wings the best," said Jim Lapila, of Plainville. "I've brought them to parties and they are the first things to go."

"The atmosphere and the employees make it the place I choose to come to," Paradis said.

Central Café, 24 Whiting Street

Central Café is the newer contender in the wing world having been under the current ownership for just over two years.

There are 58 unique somethings about Central Café's wings; 58 varieties to choose from. You could have a new flavor every day for nearly two months without repeating one.

"We can tweak any of the flavors we have too," said Ron LeFebvre, owner of Central Café.

Wings seem to be the staple of sports bars. Where there are TV's playing games there are sure to be people eating wings.

"Being a bar with a sports theme it's popular," LeFebvre said. "It brings people in."

The people that are brought in are fiercely loyal.

"We started at ground zero," LeFebvre said. "This place was closed for nine months prior to me coming here. The customers we have we've had to earn."

"When someone left the company I work for we would all go out for food and drinks," said Rob Keene, a Central Café regular from Waterbury. "My boss suggested we check out this new place in Plainville. That this guy basically put everything he had on the line and opened up the place."

Keene came here and has never looked back.

"My friends called it blasphemy," Keene said. "They would only go to J. Timothy's. Them and Sliders pretty much dominate."

"For a town of this size there's not a bad wing to be had," LeFebvre said.

"To come here, to Plainville, as a place with wings is to come in as the underdog," Keene said. "It's a tough town to do wings in. It is cool to be part of a place that is on the frontier, someplace that's new."

The naysayers slowly started to come around.

"They are all coming here now," Keene said. "We are spreading the word."

The wings had Keene's heart at first bite.

"The wings that he has are different," Keene said. "They are large, a little more breaded, and extra flavor, 58 kinds of flavor, it's awesome."

"We bread them a little to give them a little crunch," LeFebvre said. "This way they are not slippery and slimy, people like it."

"Having so many flavors was my cook's idea," LeFebvre said. "Bob Peterson, he's the main reason for the variety."

"He's out to make honest money," Keene said. "He's not out to kill you."

"I want the customer to be wow'd," LeFebvre said. "You better leave full. Most people do, with leftovers."

Sliders, 88 New Britain Ave.

A veteran resident of Plainville wings, Sliders has been doing wings for 15 years and has another location in Berlin and a new one opening in Plantsville soon.

"We win awards every year," said Dan Rowe, Sliders Director of Operations. "We just won this year's Best of Hartford and the Plainville Wing Ding."

They have 14 varieties to choose from.

"All of our sauces are handmade," Rowe said. "We are constantly trying new and better recipes."

There are two new types of wings being unveiled when their new Plantsville location opens next month.

"We use a large chicken wing," Rowe said. "You get a good portion."

Even Rowe finds it amazing the Plainville has become a hot spot for wings.

"I think it started with us and J. Timothy's," he said. "Now everyone else wants to join."

Rowe said it's a lot of friendly competition between the businesses.

The regulars don't see it as competition at all.

"They are the best wings in Connecticut," said Baron Wright, a Sliders regular from Waterbury. "They're not good, they're awesome. I would not drive 30 minutes for nothing."

Holly Babcock, of Wolcott, was dragged there for her first time that day.

"They're slammin," she said. "I will be back. They are the best I've ever had."

"We wont be dragging her next time either," said Crystal Lapointe, Bristol.

"I'm a chicken eater," said Wright. "I can eat chicken everyday."

"You can trust this man when it comes to wings," Lapointe said.

"You can smell it on my breath," Wright said as he pointed at the remains of several chicken wings. "It's called garlic parmesan!"

"We have some very loyal regulars," Rowe said.

There you have it. The kings of the wings. Each place has something different that brings their regulars back again and again. Who is the real ruler of this Wingdom? That you'll have to decide for yourself.