In junior high, I had a passion for boys, lil boys, they made me feel so good.

As I grow older and wiser, my passion has changed. Now it’s for chicken wings, lil wings, and they make me feel so good.

Bad Oingo Boingo lyric-analogy aside, I’ve been on a mission to try every Hot Wing joint in Los Angeles and to find the ultimate Hot Wing destination. It was a daunting task indeed but someone had to do it!

TBH: I was lucky, as Hot Wings seems to be a preferred Happy Hour menu item, the quest didn’t hurt my pocketbook too much.

Here’s a rundown of the places I’ve tried so far:

The Chain Restaurants:

1. Claim Jumpers – So far, the leader of Hot Wings, I love Claim Jumper Hot Wings. Firstly they’re all drummettes, not the wing part, known as the flats. I like flats but it adds a touch of class to have all drummettes (and they’re more meaty). I love the vinegary-pucker I get from the wings and they have the right amout of spice. The sauce clings to the wings and drenches it. Their bleu cheese dressing rounds them out perfectly.

2. Yard House – I love these wings because they have the right amount of kick to them. It’s not just a vinegary-cayenne kick, there’s another pepper in the sauce and it’s spicy. So while the tongue salivates from the initial vinegary pucker, it gets a second wallop from the additional spice.
They looked like the were deep-fried, I don’t mind, it keeps them juicy and the meat on the drummettes were plentiful.

3.* Denny’s* – I hate Denny’s food. But one thing I love is their hot wings. It’s their sauce, it clings to the wings and I love how the wings are drenched in them. I wouldn’t be surprised if ketchup is their secret ingredient, therefore giving it thicker, gooey-ier consistency… hey, it works!

Unfortunately, the awesome-sauce is served at Denny’s, so I’d be weary which Denny’s to go to… some Denny’s overfry their wings, or they arrive cold, or the chicken can be old, etc… hey, it’s Denny’s, right?

4. Cheesecake Factory – Mmmm… can Cheesecake Factory ever be wrong? Wings are huge, aren’t deep-fried, and spiced just right. The buffalo sauce is served on the side, which is good, cuz the sauce makes the wings too spicy. Not my fav, but really good.

Next week: Hot Wings in Hollywood area.