An Ode to the Chicken Wing

Some people have a favorite food. Other people have a lifelong passion. Vivian Hoang ’24 has found a happy medium of both in one thing and one thing only: the chicken wing. Continue reading to hear Vivian humbly profess her adoration for what can only be rightfully deemed the greatest cut of meat since … well, ever.

ISABEL LI // FLAT HAT MAGAZINE

I cannot count the amount of times I have excitedly cut into a freshly cooked, sizzling hot piece of chicken at any one of the dining halls only to disappointedly (and disgustedly) find that the chicken, magically defying its “sizzling”’ and “hot” appearance, was, in fact, not cooked, and instead blemished with strains of red and pink and marked by dry patches in between.

As a lifelong lover of chicken (yes, I do indeed claim this title), experiences like this never cease to be heart-wrenching. Truly, nothing kills my zeal for eating quite as quickly as a revolving door of undercooked chicken coupled with a one-way, non-refundable ticket to Salmonella Central. Had my favorite source of protein been irrevocably spoiled by the College of William and Mary Dining? I sure thought so.

That is, until I randomly walked into Marketplace in the middle of the week to grab lunch and was rewarded with the greatest discovery of my entire young life.

Wing Wednesday. 

Proudly displayed in a glass case at the Chef’s Table station and illuminated by artificial yellow lights beaming from the ceiling, heaps of fried chicken drums and flats sat in full view for my starstruck eyes to greedily intake.

Holy. Shit. I knew I committed Early Decision to this school for a reason, I thought as I beelined towards the glorious display with an urgency and speed that most likely had other students and dining workers snapping their heads back with mild alarm. I couldn’t tell you for certain though, because my focus was on one thing and one thing only: the wings.

And for the ultimate taste test? 

I was ecstatic to find that the wings easily passed with flying colors and earned my seal of approval upon first bite. Though lacking in size, the wings fully made up for their dimensional shortcomings with the oh-so satisfying crunch of the fried exterior and melt-in-your-mouth meat that, together, made a heavenly lunch.

And they have this every Wednesday?, I thought in between bites. I’m the luckiest girl alive.

Unlike the wings, which are consistently of the highest quality and taste, its regular partner of mac and cheese can be a hit or miss depending on the week. Certain weeks, it’ll be a creamy delight, and other weeks, it’ll be a flavorless mush. However, I’ve found that the mac and cheese is still a worthwhile choice for a side to the wings, as it pairs nicely and offers a diversity in texture, elevating rather than diminishing the meal.

But, of course, a day’s worth of meals is not only complete with just lunch.

Enter Thursday Wing Nights, a beloved staple of the College when students emerge from nook and cranny to indulge in a plate of heavenly chicken wings as a late night snack. From 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., Sadler Express is transformed into a lean, mean chicken-wing-producing factory as students, chatting amongst themselves, eagerly line up and down Sadler to snag themselves some chicken or cauliflower wings. For one beautiful night a week, differences are set aside, and TWAMPs are united together through a universal love of all things wing.

That’s right — not only are chicken wings absolutely delicious to consume, but they also facilitate interpersonal and community bonding. So many of my happiest memories involve a plate of wings and sticky fingers, as Wing Night functions as the perfect study break for my friends and I to just get away from Swem for a bit and refuel ourselves with sustenance and laughs. And when my partner and I decide to hit the gym late in the evening, and all the dining halls have already closed for the night, chicken wings from Wing Night are always our go-to for a late-night, post-workout snack (there haven’t been any scientific studies on this, but I’m convinced chicken wings help you build gains, and you can’t tell me otherwise).

However, credit for the magic of Wing Night cannot fall solely on the wings themselves, despite what the name may indicate.

The lifeforce of Wing Night comes from Chef Greg, who works relentlessly to make sure that the constantly revolving door of ravenous students coming into Wing Night are both well-fed and high-spirited. He always goes out of his way to enthusiastically greet students as they walk through the door, and he makes sure the atmosphere stays lighthearted and fun by singing and grooving along to the upbeat music pumping through Sadler Express. With his infectious and energetic persona, Chef Greg has never failed to instantly put a smile on my face when coming into Wing Night, making him just as big a part of the festivities as the actual chicken wings that I cherish so dearly.

He is also the mastermind behind my current favorite sauce at the College, one he implored me to try upon my last visit to Wing Night (as if he even needed to sell it to me). I was convinced by his first word. Chef Greg’s spin on the traditional honey mustard, the “California Gold” is a sweet, tangy sauce that had me running back for a second helping. I strongly recommend you try it out if it’s available at the next Wing Night you go to; it’s certainly taken my Wing Night experience to the next level.

With two consecutive, blissful wing tastings now under my belt, I wondered: could life get any better?

Oh, yes. Yes, it could.

Before long, wings started popping up everywhere, their sudden omnipotence making me realize that wings were a bigger part of this campus than I had ever thought possible. I noticed something critical: wings were regularly being built into the rotation of dining hall meals.

My admittedly irregular eating schedule hasn’t allowed me to totally piece together the exact wing schedule on campus, but I’m fairly certain that Center Court offers wings on Saturday nights and that the Caf serves some mouth-wateringly delicious sweet and spicy wings. I used to be more of a buffalo sauce type of gal, but the College has truly transformed me into a sweet chili sauce connoisseur — maturing in one’s chicken wing journey is expanding beyond the default buffalo sauce to experience the true range of diverse sauces that make up the chicken wing flavor profile.

Now having a clearer understanding of the College’s dining schedule and its incorporation of wings, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday slowly fell into obsolescence, disappearing from my traditional seven-day calendar as I began defining my weeks based off of the availability of wings on each given day. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday no longer held value for me by this measure, so I ceased to acknowledge their presence — it’s Wing Wednesday or nothing, baby.

This is the point at which I acknowledge I sound like a crazy chicken wing lady, spreading the gospel of the Chicken Wing from the storied rooftops of the College. Let me reassure you, I haven’t actually gone through my calendar and vigorously scratched off all Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from each page due to my devout refusal to perceive these tragically wingless days.

At heart, I’m just a girl who loves chicken wings, and all I want to do is shed some light on the unsung heroes of this campus that prevent me from starvation and fill my tummy with joy. I hope I’ve accomplished this goal and that I’ll see you at the next Wing Wednesday in wing-loving solidarity — make sure to say hi!