By Natalie Chamberlain
We have all been there; exhausted and trudging back up those unnecessarily steep streets after a night towards the comfort of our dorms. For many of us, Halloween was like this and Wings Over was there to save us. Nothing will ever beat the rush of warmth that surrounds you as you open the door to Wings Over after braving a night out in attire that is definitely not Ithaca weather-appropriate. Your stomach rumbles, knowing anything you consumed before will soon be soaked up by wings tossed in your favorite sauce, paired, optimally, with the cajun fries. Wings Over is a prime destination to conclude a night out, but are the new pumpkin spice wings worth the trip for a midnight munchies fix?
I doubt that when many of us imagine things that should be seasoned with pumpkin spice, wings, tenders or boneless wings come to mind. Personally, when picturing pumpkin spice, I see warm baked goods, a toasty latte or even a slightly more adventurous cream cheese, but definitely not chicken. I first became aware of this interesting choice made by Wings Over while scrolling through Instagram reels, when I came across far too many mukbang videos offering up their own opinions on the combination. Despite my initial shock that Wings Over had more locations than just Ithaca, I couldn’t help but wonder who, other than an individual undergoing immense pregnancy cravings, would come up with a combination like pumpkin spice wings, so I knew I just had to try this seasonal option for myself.
Walking up to the register, it was tempting to play it safe and order my usual nine-piece honey barbecue boneless wing combo, but I mustered up the courage and ordered the pumpkin spice boneless wings. When the cashier called out my order, I approached the register with caution, anticipating radioactive, orange pieces of chicken, but to my relief, they were a (seemingly safe) brown color. The wings also lacked the strong, comforting aroma of pumpkin spice that I so look forward to in other pumpkin spice-flavored treats. Instead, the smell of pumpkin spice seemed like more of an afterthought, overpowered by what smelled like just a regular barbecue sauce.
To be transparent, it was definitely not love at first bite; my taste buds scrambled to figure out what exactly was going on inside my mouth. To me, it just tasted like barbecue sauce that was thinking very deeply about nutmeg. The pumpkin spice flavor was just not coming through in the way I was anticipating. I originally expected a hint of sweetness from the wings being tossed in a dry rub, more true to what pumpkin spice literally is — a blend of dried cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. The glaze was not living up to that incredibly low bar; all I tasted was barbecue, or what they claim to be their “famous Hot Honey.” I did enjoy the hint of spice, but the sweetness got a little too lost in the sauce (literally). My brave friend who accompanied me on my flavor journey disagreed with me, arguing instead that pumpkin spice did make a strong appearance both in terms of taste and smell. However, an agreement was found over the fact that pumpkin spice and chicken just do not belong together.
Even though the pumpkin spice-flavored glaze wasn’t a success for me, the wings themselves still delivered the crispiness and juiciness we all know and love from Wings Over. Maybe I was a little far-fetched with my initial complaints, given that I still somehow managed to scarf down all nine of the boneless wings I ordered and, of course, the cajun fries, which offered the perfect crunch and spice level, as per usual. My primary concern with the addition of pumpkin spice was that it wouldn’t pair well with ranch, a necessary component to a good wing. Thankfully, because they really did not taste like pumpkin spice, the cool creaminess of the ranch still created a solid match with the warm spiciness of the wing.
For the few of you who may be interested in giving Wings Over pumpkin spice wings a try, they will be available until the end of November. As far as I’m concerned, pumpkin spice should stick to what it pairs with best: dessert. However, I can still see the merit in giving these wings a try, even just to say that you did. I definitely would not say that they’re terrible, but I don’t find my mouth watering at the thought of more. I applaud Wings Over for bringing the taste of fall to their menu, even if it was in the most unexpected way imaginable.
Natalie Chamberlain is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at ngc32@cornell.edu.
