2011 Wing Tournament: Final Four & Championship

We've come a long way in picking out the best chicken wings here at Pulled Into Syracuse. On my estimation, 180 wings have been consumed in an 8 week span. Needless to say, I'm winged out for the time being. There were some surprises along the way, along with a few disappointments, but 'cuse should be proud of its chicken wing notoriety. More than half of the places seeded in the tournament scored above average in the tallied scores and I've even found a few establishments that I'm looking forward to going back to and getting my face and fingers messy again.

Without further ado, here's how the rest of the 2011 City Wing Tournament shook out...

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2011 Final Four: Downtown Winner vs. Northside / Eastwood Winner

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's "Wango Tango" wings
vs.
Change of Pace's "Hot / Extra Crispy" wings<

The Downtown vs. the Northside/Eastwood match-up pitted Dinosaur's Wango Tango wings against Change of Pace's hot and extra crispy wings. Change of Pace's wings are very good and despite not being outstanding or noteworthy of being extra crispy on this occasion, come coated in a very hot, tasty, and classic Buffalo sauce. It's no match for Dino's Wango Tango though. Dinosaur boasts the most tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken meat of all the contestants with deliciously crispy wings that come slathered in a sweet, sassy, and garlicy sauce that has the perfect mouth-tingling kick. No one likes to see such a lop-sided score in the Final Four, but the wings at Dinosaur give you no choice.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's "Wango Tango" wings: 6
Change of Pace's "Hot / Extra Crispy" wings: 0

Winner: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

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2011 Final Four: Tipperary Hill Winner vs. Southside / SU Hill Winner

Swallow's "Hot" wings
vs.
Nibsy's Pub's "Hot" wings

Another tough battle for Nibsy's and the first real test for Swallow's in a match-up that could've gone either way. There were four categories in which both contestants were evenly matched and near perfect: meat, flavor, heat, balance, and even celery and blue cheese. There were even a few toss-ups that could've gone either way making this by far the most difficult match-up to find a clear-cut winner. Both are winners in my mind and it's a shame to have to cut one. In the end, Nibsy's did have that classic taste that you want from chicken wings and the pool of delicious Buffalo sauce lying in the bottom of the bowl was beyond appetizing for dipping, but Swallow's took the battle with perfect wings covered in a mouth watering yet unorthodox sauce highlighted by some of the hottest wings in the tournament. Technically, it may not be a Buffalo sauce, but it's spicy, garlicy, and finger-licking delicious. Congrats, Swallow's. You've certainly earned your spot in the championship.

Swallow's "Hot" wings: 2
Nibsy's Pub's "Hot" wings: 1

Winner: Swallow's

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2011 Wing Tournament: Championship Game

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's "Wango Tango" wings
vs.
Swallow's "Hot" wings

The first ever 2011 City Wing Tournament Championship was a good battle for sure. Dino was given a run for its money by Swallow's, who along with their tasty and original hot sauce, had wings that were of good size and coated nicely. However, Dinosaur's Wango Tango wings were flawless and had a perfect score in every category in the tournament. Give credit where credit is due to Swallow's. They were the only seed all along to give Dinosaur a real fight. But it wasn't enough to surpass Dino's smokey hot sauce and chicken wings that were of the best quality in the tournament. If you're a purist in your wing beliefs, crown Nibsy's. If you're a slight purist looking for something a little different, crown Swallow's. But if you're looking for the best chicken wings in Syracuse, look no further than the Wango Tango wings at Dinosaur-Bar-B-Que.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's "Wango Tango" wings: 3
Swallow's "Hot" wings: 2

Winner: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

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Congratulations, to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que with their outstanding Wango Tango Wings and earns the title of the first ever City Wing Champion here at Pulled Into Syracuse. Thanks to all the contestants for putting out great wings!

Downtown bracket results
Northside / Eastwood bracket results
Tipperary Hill bracket results
Southside / SU Hill bracket results

2011 Wing Tournament: Northside / Eastwood Results

On the heels of the Downtown results, next up on the 2011 Wing Tournament is the Northside / Eastwood bracket. Shifty's Bar and Grill will take on Gianni's Bronx Style Pizza, with Change of Pace taking on Original Italian Pizza. Winner of the bracket will advance to the Final Four and take on the winner of the Downtown bracket. To see a list of all qualifying teams, how each neighborhood bracket looks, and tournament rules, click here for the initial post. Here's how the Northside / Eastwood bracket ended up...

Northside / Eastwood Opening Round: Game 1
(1) Shifty's Bar & Grill's "hot" wings: 4
(4) NY Gianni's Bronx Style Pizza's "hot" wings: 3

The closest match-up to date pitted Shifty's hot wings (pictured left) against Gianni's hot wings (pictured right). While Gianni's "dart" style wings, which almost consist of a hot, garlic, and barbecue mix, should not go unnoticed on any visit, their hot wings were barely edged out by Shifty's - and more specifically, the first time in the tournament where blue cheese actually had to play the tie-breaker.

As a 4 seed, Gianni's puts out strong competition with wings that have a great skin and a good balance of slight crunchiness covered in a very vinegar-based Buffalo sauce. Make sure you have napkins for these! While hotness and amount of sauce may have been in favor of Gianni's, Shifty's homemade sauce was slightly more classic and even contained tiny pieces of tomatoes and chillies hiding around the wings. Shifty's also boasted tender meat (5 out of 5 on my account) and overall, were great bar wings, though with the downsides being that the lack of heat was rather disappointing (which was more like a strong mild) and the sauce tended to dry-out midway through the meal. Gianni's weren't bad for take-out and on this visit, were a winning combo with their delicious sheet pizza, but Shifty's takes the battle with larger and more consistent wings, tender meat, good flavor, and perfectly chunky blue cheese.

Winner: Shifty's Bar & Grill

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Northside / Eastwood Opening Round: Game 2
(2) Change of Pace's "Hot / Extra Crispy" wings: 5
(3) Original Italian Pizza's "Hot / Char-Grilled" wings: 1

Don't let the lop-sided score fool you, both of these competitors faired very well and were above average in most cases. OIP (pictured right) was able to pull out perfectly tender chicken coated in a char-grilled hot sauce that had a great peppery flavor, but Change of Pace (pictured left) was highlighted by jumbo chicken wings covered in an excellent and traditional Buffalo sauce with a lingering heat that, in terms of this bracket, was refreshing to taste. I'd do OIP again for take-out wings, but this one goes to Change of Pace. While their brand of wings were a bit under-cooked and contained an above average amount of tendons, it's hard to resist their classic flavor and what were otherwise perfect and traditional Buffalo wings in all other aspects.

Winner: Change of Pace

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Northside / Eastwood Second Round: Championship Game
(2) Change of Pace's "Hot / Extra Crispy" wings: 4
(1) Shifty's Bar & Grill's "hot" wings: 3

Shifty's sure likes a close match-up, but it just wasn't enough to surpass Change of Pace. Both even had excellent blue cheese (some of the best in the tournament) with a slight edge going to Shifty's for a chunky style, which I'm a fan of. Honestly, I was hoping Shifty's would bring the heat with their wings, seeing as how they come in various styles like fatal, xtra hot, and f-bomb, to name a few, but Change of Pace's were actually hotter. Shifty's great chicken meat and excellent homemade sauce flavor wasn't enough to pass Change of Pace's jumbo wings the contained a slightly crispy skin covered in a great, classic wing sauce.

Winner and champion of the Northside / Eastwood bracket: Change of Pace

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There you have it. Change of Pace will take on Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in the Final Four. Stay tuned for the remaining 2 brackets. And Pulled Into Syracuse's 2011 Wing Tournament Champion will be crowned within the next couple weeks.

Top 5 Places for March Madness in Syracuse

The Syracuse University basketball team may have gotten bounced from the Big East Tournament Championship, but that doesn't mean that Orange madness has to stop there. If your ideal place to watch an SU game is a low-key establishment with the sound off, this list is not for you. This is strictly for enjoying a game with good food, plenty of TVs, and and high-fiving really loud Orange fans that you've never met before. The following are some of the best (and loudest) sports bars to eat pub food and enjoy the Big Dance in Syracuse.

And as always, the 'cuse is in the house oh my gawd, oh my gawd.

1) Blarney Stone: 314 Avery Ave, Syracuse, NY
A staple to Tipp Hill and arguably one of the best places in the city for wings, the Blarney Stone has plenty of flat screen TVs for you to enjoy the game. Not to mention $5 burgers that are big, perfectly formed, cooked to order, juicy and delicious. Although it can get very crowded on some occasions, don't miss their 20 cent wing special on Thursday nights and during all SU games. [link] [photo] [map]

2) Rosie's Sports Pub & Grill: 1443 W Genesee St, Syracuse, NY
At the risk of mentioning the Tipperary Hill region once too many times (c'mon, it's March!). Rosie's Sports Pub & Grill, formerly owned by Mayor Matt Driscol and now by the owner of Coleman's, has become a Westside favorite for sports bars in Syracuse. Good wings and plenty of TVs here. They even have a huge TV in the bathroom so you never have to miss a play. [link] [map]

3) Chuck's Cafe: 727 S Crouse Ave Ste 6, Syracuse, NY
You cannot have an SU basketball list without mentioning a place on University Hill. Chuck's may be a bit more rowdy than some of its nearby bars and restaurants, but it's hard to complain when you are in the heart of the Syracuse University social scene enjoying burgers (like the Dr. Praeger's Veggie Burger for $4.50), french bread pizzas, or chicken tenders. Chuck's also boasts $3 pitchers during Happy Hour and $1 drafts and 25 cent wings on Sundays. [link] [map]

4) Change of Pace: 1802 Grand Blvd, Syracuse, NY
"The 1st sports bar in Syracuse" and another contender for the best wings in the city is Change of Pace on the city's Northside. Plenty of seating with 11 TVs to enjoy SU basketball while chowing down on delicious burgers, subs, pizza, and juicy wings. Bonus points: The kitchen is open until midnight! [link] [map]

5) Syracuse Suds Factory: 320 S Clinton St, Syracuse, NY
Located on the corner of Clinton and Walton Streets, Suds Factory has been serving up food and beer to the Armory Square crowd for over 18 years now. Enjoy the game with burgers, chili, factory fries, locally-brewed pitchers of beer, loud TV's, and an energetic crowd. Not a bad way to watch. [link] [map]

Honorable Mention
OC's Fat Boy BBQ: 317 N Salina St, Syracuse, NY
A hidden gem of sorts near the city's Little Italy district. Though it may be a bit more toned down than others on this list, OC's has pool tables, dart boards, dozens of TVs, and a traditional pub and bar-b-que focused menu with items like a 1/2 rack of ribs and two sides for $11.50 and the pulled pork platter and 2 sides for $4.95! [link] [map]