Wing Week: Part II

We launched Wing Week yesterday out of our devotion to the Buffalo Wing. It was introduced in the '60s by way of Buffalo, New York, and credit usually goes to Teressa Bellissimo, who founded Buffalo's Anchor Bar with her husband Frank in 1935 (the restaurant's been at its current Main Street address since 1937). Regardless of whether or not you support the Bellissimo history, or favor Duff's over Anchor Bar, you're celebrating a region-specific food that is enjoyed far beyond its Western New York origin. Next up on Wing Week? Wogie's in the West Village.

William Styer Hoffman ("Wogie") was the patriarch of a family that has owned and operated pizza shops and restaurants for years. Aaron Hoffman opened Wogie's on the corner of Greenwich and Charles to celebrate his late father's affinity for the cheesesteak (a Philly native) and love of nearby New York City. As for the name, "No one but my mom, affectionately known as Krazy Kate, is sure why he was nicknamed Wogie (Whoa-gee)," Aaron writes on the restaurant's website, "and she isn’t telling." She has shared her wing recipe however, and Krazy Kate's Wings (10 for $9.25) reveal a passion that extends beyond the cheesesteak.

An order of wings from Wogie's will give you your money's worth. They're meaty without being brutishly colossal, and though they're dressed on the heavier side, the hot sauce is packed with flavor and true to Buffalo form. There's a great balance between spice and butter, but the sauce is light enough that it doesn't take away from the incredibly crisp skin. Wogie's goes the extra mile with homemade blue cheese and theirs is rich and chunky with enough of it to spare.

Wogie's | 212-229-2171 | 39 Greenwich Avenue | www