Summertime Eats in CT, Chapter 15

When Buffalo-wing cravings overtake your appetite, S’wings is the place to go in downtown New Haven. Located on the corner of Crown and High Streets, S’wings has the meatiest wings around town—so says my pal Dave, who rode his motorcycle over for lunch. Three levels of heat are available: S’issie, S’wings, and S’mokin’. The “S’wings” rank has just enough peppery aggression to give you a runny nose, but not too much to leave you with heartburn. We split an order of 18 wings: half S’wings, and half Whiskey (a savory BBQ sauce made with Jack Daniels whiskey). We both chose the Whiskey sauce because it’s a perfect foil to the Buffalo’s heat without being overly sweet, as is the case with their Honey BBQ. The wings were plump (especially the drummies) and juicy, and the cook added two large fistfuls of celery and a very chunky blue cheese dip for roughage. We left a tray of bones and soiled napkins in our wake, and after Dave took me for an exhilarating spin around town on the back of his bike, we parted company with fond memories of a lunch well done, thanks to our pals at S’wings.