<table border="0" align="right" width="310"><tr><td><img src="http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/backdoor.jpg" border="1" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td>Back Door wings are legendary. Have them mild, medium, hot or "Burner." LEO Photo by Nicole Pullen.</td></tr></table>LEO's Eat 'n' Blog with Louisville HotBytes
(Nine fine spots for wings)
The calendar says it's September, and just about everybody in town is fired up for the Cards vs. Cats weekend. So where are the colorful leaves, that hint of wood smoke in the air and the crisp, hazy autumn afternoons that define "football weather"?
OK, so it's a little early for that, with temperatures still hitting the 90s and few signs of autumn around. But one constant of the season remains: Whether you're tailgating at the stadium or planning a hearty repast for an afternoon of football on TV, it's hard to imagine a better football snack than a mess of spicy, crispy Buffalo-style chicken wings.
In wings as in football, the fundamentals are simple, but it still takes talent and a bit of luck to win the Heisman Trophy. Cut chicken wings into joints, then deep-fry them (no breading, please!) until they're golden brown and crisp. Drain, then cloak in a fiery ritual blend of hot sauce and butter. Serve with blue-cheese dressing and healthy crisp celery sticks to douse the fire. And beer. Plenty of cold beer. Is it kickoff time yet? Who cares? I've got my wings.
Eat 'n' Blog correspondent KEVIN GIBSON is a real wing man, so with gridiron season getting under way, we didn't have to twist his arm to get him out in pursuit of the Metro's finest wings. He's back, stuffed and happy, and here is his report on five local favorites (keep Louisville weird!) and one popular ch- ch- chain. I've added a few of my own chain favorites at the end of the article.
Full reports in LEO and on LouisvilleHotBytes.