Wings of desire: City Bakery's version.   (Photo: Cheryl Zibisky)

1. City Bakery Poor Buffalo. First the Bills are zapped with a curse unknown to any other NFL team, and now Ilene Rosen one-ups the town’s only claim to culinary greatness with these insanely delicious salt-pepper-and-sugar wings, plus a version rubbed with Old Bay seasoning. Grab a cup of Maury Rubin’s beer hot chocolate for dessert. (3 West 18th Street; 212-366-1414.)

2. Mooncake Foods Soy-and-honey marinated, cooked to a lacquered mahogany finish, and served with a cool green garlic-jalapeño sauce. Asian fusion fit for a couch potato. (28 Watts Street; 212-219-8888.)

3. Blue Smoke Chef Kenny Callaghan brines them for hours, rubs them with a proprietary spice mix, marinates them overnight, smokes them over applewood, then fries and tosses them in a delicately sweet chipotle barbecue sauce. All you have to do is pick them up. (116 East 27th Street; 212-447-6058.)

4. Atomic Wings The classic Buffalo version—crisp, tangy, and greasy with a proper vinegary bite—comes in varying levels of heat. Order a bulk-rate 100-piece platter and put the savings toward a new pacemaker. (Several Manhattan locations.)

5. Kate’s Joint What the tofurkey is to Thanksgiving, Kate’s vegan “Buffalo unchicken wings” are to Super Bowl Sunday. Nicely spiced, crunchily fried, and possibly better for you than the carrot and celery sticks. (58 Avenue B; 212-777-7059.)

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Related:

• Archive: “Top Five”
• Articles by Rob Patronite | Robin Raisfeld
• Table of Contents: Feb 2, 2004 issue of New York | Subscribe!