Late in the fall term, two Reviewers left their homes to sample all the wings the world of Hanover had to offer. Shortly after, they died. These notes are all that survive from the log of their mission.
Dunk’s Sports Bar
A perennial Review favorite, Dunk’s did not disappoint. We began our Judgment in the Office by first trying the wings naked, without the restaurant’s signature, creamy, savory bleu garnish. Our notes tell of “good crunch, crunchy skin, very good crunch.” Indeed, Dunk’s sweet Asian-inspired wing flavoring complemented well the epidermis of the poulet. It was like eating a piece of candy, if that piece of candy were made with chicken stock. We Reviewers especially enjoyed Dunk’s generosity with their sauce as well. There was so much flavor on the wings, one could even chew on the ends. Further, we liked the big portions of meat on the bones, and we cannot lie. Dunk’s wings were surely not ‘big-boned.’
Nevertheless, trade-offs there must be. While the restaurant’s bleu dressing is delicious, especially when one gets a few delectable chunks of curd on his wing, the garnish runs out quickly. Let the record reflect too that the restaurant thought only to give us one napkin—repeat, one napkin—for a meal that a party of three or four might normally share for an appetizer. However, overall, the Dunk’s wing experience is top-notch. As one of us remarked, “This is a plate of wings that I wouldn’t hesitate to order just as a dinner.”
Tuk Tuk
“These wings from Tuk Tuk look like they came in on a truck truck” about sums up how a restaurant which serves “genuine” Thai food in the middle of New Hampshire would prepare American bar food. Upon opening the tin of wings, the diner is greeted by quite oily looking wings, with the sweet-and-spicy (oil?) sauce served on the side, apparently forgetting that the customer is not an American politician who needs to be seduced into another Desert Storm. The meat on these wings is quite dry and yet somehow inexplicably retains the oily mouthfeel that the exterior of the wing oozes.
The flavored oil(?) served with the wings also was not quite flavored well and served as a stark reminder that this dish is not what would be called traditional wings but rather a foreign take on an American classic. A DMV-area Reviewer put it best: “These wings make Harris Teeter look like fine dining.” While Tuk Tuk does a great job at preparing most of their food offerings, their wings leave a lot to be desired.
C&A’s Pizza
The old adage “never judge a book by its cover” is C&A’s claim to fame, with their seemingly boring chicken wings a feint for a tasty surprise. Upon opening the container, the customer is greeted with what appears to be a set of boring pizza-chain wings. Yet, upon digging into the flesh, the combination of a great buffalo sauce and tender meat leaves the eater with a satisfying flavor a few chews in. The one area where C&A’s falls short, however, is in the skin’s texture. Though appearing to be a great rendition of the American classic, upon further manipulation, there is a distinct lack of crunch and crisp in the skin of the wings that takes them from something great to something just good enough.
One area where these wings shine, however, is in value. Compared to some of the other birds enjoyed on this wing crawl, C&A’s wings optimized the amount of meat and number of wings provided for an under-$20 meal. C&A’s wings are a great addition to any order.
Han Fusion
Considering most American-style Chinese food is protein fried in cornstarch, then smothered in a sugary sauce, we don’t think it’s wrong to expect wings to reside outside of the vocabulary of Chinese gastronomy. However, despite our best wishes for a positive Han wings experience, Hanover’s very own Chinese restaurant disappointed. Going in, we had low expectations. But when we opened the richly decorated foil package Han gave us, we didn’t quite know whether we were eating a creature or a wing. Sweat from the steaming meat morsels littered the package, which is to be expected, but the sweat fell back down on the wing breading to make it soggy. Instead of a new take on an American classic, we Reviewers learned what a chicken wing might look like if it had taken a load off in Mumbai for monsoon season.
Of crunch, there was little, and of oil, there was much (whole globules even). One of us even remarked, “It’s turned to mush!” Han’s copious provision of duck sauce helped elevate the whole experience, but not by much. Whatever the sauce did do, however, was surely not due to a relieving cohabitation of the sauce and wings. We think it was just the sauce, or the sugar in the sauce. All in all, when it comes to Han Fusion, we at The Review recommend enjoying any of their delicious American-style or authentic Chinese dishes, just not their take on wings.
Molly’s
As one of the classic American eateries in Hanover, Molly’s chicken wings had our expectations quite high coming into the wing crawl. Unfortunately, a combination of lack of sauce and subpar meat leaves Molly’s wings struggling to maintain flight. Upon digging in, the consumer is greeted with minimal flavor from both the sauce and chicken. But he is pleasantly surprised by the great amounts of crunch, which almost distract from the rubbery texture of meat that follows shortly after. If served with more sauce and higher-quality chicken, perhaps one day Molly’s can serve a wing that is more than, as one Reviewer put it, “a perfect buffalo wing for a community of retirees.” The spice was lacking. However, to give credit where credit is due, Molly’s bread is still an excellent side and palate cleanser that none of their competitors could beat.
Conclusion
The standout winner of the wing crawl is, naturally, Dunk’s. What any sports bar should be good at, Dunk’s does, and well. In fact, Dunk’s wings may even rank among the better wings that we have both had, but such a discussion is beyond the scope of this article. Second place goes to C&A’s, the unfairly maligned pizzeria a block off of Main Street. Their no-nonsense buffalo wings are refreshing and delicious in a town where most restaurants refuse to even do the basics right.
On the negative side of things, Tuk Tuk edges out Molly’s and Han Fusion for the abominable title of “Worst Wings in Hanover.” Molly’s might be overpriced, and Han Fusion soggy, but Tuk Tuk mucked up when it decided to serve oil with a side of wings. Don’t get us wrong, we love Tuk Tuk’s pad thai, but their wings need to go bye bye.
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