Bay Ridge turned up the heat on a freezing winter afternoon as hundreds of neighbors took to Fifth Avenue for Wing Wars, a community-wide chicken wing crawl that blended friendly competition, local flavor and fundraising for neighborhood causes.
The Jan. 24 event brought together 18 local restaurants and FDNY firehouses, inviting ticket-holders to sample wings, cast votes for their favorites and ultimately help crown a wing wars champion. Proceeds benefited a host of community organizations including the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID, Merchants of Third Avenue and the FDNY Lt. Mark Dziemian Children’s Scholarship Fund.
“Bay Ridge has the most amazing restaurants and wings,” said Chrissy Canni, events director for Wing Wars.
Explaining the competition, she added that “people go from stop to stop, get one wing and take notes.” At the after-party, attendees decide which wings were the best.
The crawl kicked off at Bean Post Pub shortly after noon, where participants picked up beanies and tasting tickets before heading out in staggered directions to keep crowds moving smoothly.
Stops ranged from longtime neighborhood fixtures like Skinflints and Mancini Wood Fired Pizza to newer favorites such as House of Wings NYC and Ho’Brah Taco. A hop-on, hop-off shuttle bus, provided by Bay Ridge Center, helped keep the route accessible and family-friendly.
Anthony from Bean Post Pub said the bar showcased its Bayou wing, a Louisiana-inspired wing featuring Louisiana hot sauce, cayenne, white pepper, and more.
“At the Bean Post, we have over 40 wings available day and night,” he added.
Along the way, FDNY pride was on full display. Firehouses participated directly, while a 9/11 25th anniversary ambulance acted as a photo opportunity.
Organizers said that the tribute carried deep meaning for the neighborhood.
“Here in Bay Ridge, we all knew far too many of those brave men,” organizers said in a statement. “Their loss is deeply personal to this community. How fitting that this ambulance will be looping through Bay Ridge, making stops at our Wing Wars participants, and then parking outside Mussels for our after-party and awards ceremony — with the FDNY Pipes and Drums playing out front of what was once Canteena, where Jimmy Riches proudly served.”
The final stop at Mussels & More doubled for the after-party, where votes were tallied, raffles were drawn and trophies were awarded.
Bar Chuzo, a South American restaurant and local favorite, took home the top prize. Additional prizes included a $150 Best Costume award and raffles for an original artwork donated by retired firefighter and artist Tommy Casatelli.
In a post to Instagram, Bar Chuzo said they were grateful for Brooklynites braving the weather to judge local wings.
“We know the competition was tight and we appreciate the love and support,” they added.
