Binga's does have breast-meat tenders (their version of "boneless" wings). They are inferior to the real thing. The white meat gets too dry, and the "skin" is a thick, stiff amalgam of fat and breading. Only the juicier dark meat can stand up to a proper fry, and eating wings properly means confronting skin and bone. While you can eat the drumettes somewhat daintily, the wing itself requires abandonment to the experience. You scrutinize the glistening bumpy skin for a point of attack. You can't know what combination of bone, gristle, fat, and meat your teeth will find. On subsequent bites you must poke out the best bits between the bones from underneath with your finger, or engage in some truly primal sucking.
It's good stuff, and for the eater the side dishes are an afterthought. Properly so at Binga's, where we found the sweet potato mash far too bourbon-sweet, and a tomato-cucumber salad watery and mealy. A simple and crisp red slaw was the best side dish, and there was something sharp and compelling about the fried pickle slices. There is something compelling about the combination of Binga's and the Stadium as well. It's like going to a wedding where two oddballs somehow discovered in each other the perfect mate. Here's to many weird years to come.
Brian Duff can be reached at bduff@une.edu.
BINGA'S STADIUM | 77 Free St, Portland | $1 per wing | Visa, MC, Amex | 207.347.6072
Related:
The Village Haven, How the other half eats?, Review: India restaurant, More
- The Village Haven
We were headed to a concert in Cumberland and we thought we'd make a slight detour to North Smithfield — the village of Forestdale, to be precise.
- How the other half eats?
Seeking to understand our once-and-future masters, I headed up to Falmouth, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats, to examine how they eat. I followed some expensive sedans to Johnny's Bistro.
- Review: India restaurant
At one time in the mid-'90s, India had branched out to three or four restaurants in Providence and the East Bay.
- Mix-the-ultimate-six
My entry into the world of craft beer came thanks to complete strangers.
- A Dutch treat lands in Providence
Not long ago, a Brown student with a big idea decided to bake cookies. A ho-hum sugar cookie wouldn't do. No, this budding baker wanted something a bit more exotic.
- Red Lentil Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant
By now everyone knows Red Lentil is dog-plays-the-piano good. It’s the best all-vegetarian and lots-vegan restaurant Boston has ever had. The question before us is: is it actually good -good?
- Go for the doughnuts
The French Press occupies the conceptual space matching its geographic location: to the left of Dunkin Donuts — more local, more artisanal, but hitting the same basic notes.
- Restaurante Montecristo
East Boston is a treasure trove of Latin American restaurants serving delicious, filling fare.
- Eco-friendly
Once upon a time, before the heyday of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, all beer was organic. And now organic is back for good.
- El Pelón Taquería
A 2009 fire in the Fenway destroyed an entire block of beloved independent restaurants, including the very popular El Pelón Taquería. It was the second fire in two years to hit this Baja-style joint, prompting my comment, “If there is a God, he’s an angry God, one who probably dines at Applebee’s.”
- La Galleria 33
As you go deeper into the North End on Salem Street, the pretense drops toward the levels of old, pre-gentrification “Little Italy.”
- Less
Topics:
Restaurant Reviews
, Foods, Meat, CULTURE, More
, Foods, Meat, CULTURE, Hooters, buffalo wings, chicken wings, Binga’s Stadium, Binga’s Stadium, Lifestyle, Food and Beverage, Less